Albert Barnes Commentary Revelation 22:2

"in the midst of the street thereof. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve [manner of] fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." — Revelation 22:2 (ASV)

In the midst of the street of it. Professor Stuart renders this, "between the street thereof and the river;" and says that "the writer conceives of the river as running through the whole city; then of streets parallel to it on either side; and then, on the banks of the river, between the water and the street, the whole stream is lined on either side with two rows of the tree of life." The more common interpretation, however, is doubtless admissible and would give a more beautiful image: that in the street, or streets of the city, as well as on the banks of the river, the tree of life was planted.

It abounded everywhere. The city not only had a river passing through it, but it was also pervaded by streets, and all those streets were lined and shaded with this tree. The idea in the mind of the writer is that of Eden or Paradise; but it is not the Eden of the book of Genesis, or the Oriental or Persian Paradise. It is a picture where everything is combined that, in the writer's view, would constitute beauty or contribute to happiness.

And on either side of the river, as well as in all the streets, the writer undoubtedly conceives of a single river running through the city—probably meandering along—and that river lined on both sides with the tree of life. This gives great beauty to the imagery.

Was there the tree of life. It was not a single tree, but it abounded everywhere—on the banks of the river and in all the streets. It was the common tree in this blessed Paradise, from which all might partake, and which was everywhere the emblem of immortality.

In this respect, this new Paradise stands in strong contrast to the one in which Adam was placed at his creation, where there seems to have been a single tree designated as the tree of life (Genesis 3:22–23). In the future state of the blessed, that tree will abound, and all may freely partake of it. The emblem—the pledge of immortal life—will be constantly before their eyes, whatever part of the future abode may be traversed, and the inhabitants of that blessed world may constantly partake of it.

Which bare twelve manner of fruits. Professor Stuart translates this as, "Producing twelve fruit-harvests; not (as our version) twelve manner of fruits." The idea is not that there are twelve kinds of fruit on the same tree, for that is not implied in the language John used. The literal rendering is, "producing twelve fruits"—poioun karpouv dwdeka. The word "manner" has been introduced by the translators without authority. The idea is that the tree bore fruit every month of the year, so that there were twelve fruit-harvests. It was not like a tree that bears only once a year, or in only one season, but it constantly bore fruit—it bore every month.

The idea is that of abundance, not variety. The supply never fails; the tree is never barren. Since only a single class of trees is referred to, it might have been supposed, perhaps, that according to the common method in which fruit is produced, there would sometimes be plenty and sometimes scarcity; but the writer says that, though there is only one kind, the supply is still ample. The tree is everywhere; it is constantly producing fruit.

And yielded her fruit every month. The word "and" is also supplied by the translators and introduces an idea not in the original, as if there were not only a succession of harvests (which is in the text), but that each one differed from the former (which is not in the text). The proper translation is, "producing twelve fruits, yielding or rendering its fruit in each month." Thus, there is indeed a succession of fruit-crops, but it is the same kind of fruit.

We are not to infer from this, however, that there will not be variety in the occupations and joys of the heavenly state, for there can be no doubt that there will be ample diversity in the employments and in the sources of happiness in heaven. But the single thought expressed here is that the means of life will be abundant: the trees of life will be everywhere, and they will be constantly yielding fruit.

And the leaves of the tree. Not only the fruit will contribute to giving life, but even the leaves will be salutary. Everything about it will contribute to sustaining life.

Were for the healing. That is, they contribute to imparting life and health to those who had been diseased. We are not to suppose that there will be sickness and a healing process in heaven, for that idea is expressly excluded in Revelation 21:4. Instead, the meaning is that the life and health of that blessed world will have been imparted by partaking of that tree. The writer says that, in fact, it was owing to it that those who dwell there had been healed of their spiritual maladies and had been made to live forever.

Of the nations. This refers to all the nations assembled there (Revelation 21:24). There is a close resemblance between the language John uses here and that used by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 47:12), and it is not improbable that both these writers refer to the same thing. Compare also, in the Apocrypha, 2 Esdras 2:12; 8:52-54.