King James Version
Jeremiah 24
10 verses with commentary
Two Baskets of Figs
The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
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The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD—this vision came after Nebuchadnezzar had deported King Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin) and Judah's leadership in 597 BC. The Hebrew ra'ah (רָאָה, to see/show) indicates divine revelation, not ordinary sight. Figs (te'enim, תְּאֵנִים) were a covenant blessing symbol (Deuteronomy 8:8), making their condition in this vision particularly significant.
After that Nebuchadrezzar... had carried away captive Jeconiah—the historical marker identifies this vision's precise context: the first deportation (2 Kings 24:10-16). The exiles included the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths—Babylon's strategic removal of leadership and skilled workers left Jerusalem weakened. This deportation preceded Jerusalem's final destruction by eleven years, creating two distinct groups: those already in exile and those remaining in Jerusalem. The vision of two fig baskets represents these two communities and reveals God's unexpected verdict on which group represented hope for the future.
After that Nebuchadrezzar... had carried away captive Jeconiah—the historical marker identifies this vision's precise context: the first deportation (2 Kings 24:10-16). The exiles included the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths—Babylon's strategic removal of leadership and skilled workers left Jerusalem weakened. This deportation preceded Jerusalem's final destruction by eleven years, creating two distinct groups: those already in exile and those remaining in Jerusalem. The vision of two fig baskets represents these two communities and reveals God's unexpected verdict on which group represented hope for the future.
One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. they: Heb. for badness
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One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe—the Hebrew tovot me'od (טֹבוֹת מְאֹד, very good) emphasizes exceptional quality. Bikkurot (בִּכּוּרוֹת, first ripe) refers to early figs, considered the choicest fruit, eagerly anticipated and highly prized (Isaiah 28:4, Hosea 9:10, Micah 7:1). First fruits belonged to God (Exodus 23:19), making this imagery particularly significant—these represent people consecrated to divine purposes.
The other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad—"naughty" (ra'ot, רָעוֹת) means evil, bad, or worthless. The repetition emphasizes absolute corruption: "could not be eaten, they were so bad." The contrast is stark and absolute—no middle category exists. This binary division anticipates Jesus' teachings on fruit-bearing (Matthew 7:17-20) and final separation (Matthew 25:31-46). The vision forces recognition that covenant community membership doesn't guarantee spiritual vitality; God discerns true condition beneath external appearances.
The other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad—"naughty" (ra'ot, רָעוֹת) means evil, bad, or worthless. The repetition emphasizes absolute corruption: "could not be eaten, they were so bad." The contrast is stark and absolute—no middle category exists. This binary division anticipates Jesus' teachings on fruit-bearing (Matthew 7:17-20) and final separation (Matthew 25:31-46). The vision forces recognition that covenant community membership doesn't guarantee spiritual vitality; God discerns true condition beneath external appearances.
Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
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Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah?—God's question engages the prophet in interpretation, a pedagogical method seen throughout Scripture (Amos 7:8, 8:2; Zechariah 4:2, 5:2). The question tests understanding and prepares Jeremiah to explain the vision. God doesn't merely show visions but ensures prophets comprehend their meaning before proclaiming them.
And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil—Jeremiah's response mirrors the vision's stark contrast. His threefold emphasis on the bad figs' condition ("evil, very evil... cannot be eaten, they are so evil") underscores their absolute worthlessness. The Hebrew ra' (רַע, evil/bad) appears three times, creating rhetorical intensity. This repetition prepares for the devastating application in verses 8-10: the "bad figs" represent King Zedekiah, Jerusalem's officials, and those who remained in Judah or fled to Egypt—all facing destruction. The vision's simplicity makes its message unmistakable: God has rendered final judgment on these two groups.
And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil—Jeremiah's response mirrors the vision's stark contrast. His threefold emphasis on the bad figs' condition ("evil, very evil... cannot be eaten, they are so evil") underscores their absolute worthlessness. The Hebrew ra' (רַע, evil/bad) appears three times, creating rhetorical intensity. This repetition prepares for the devastating application in verses 8-10: the "bad figs" represent King Zedekiah, Jerusalem's officials, and those who remained in Judah or fled to Egypt—all facing destruction. The vision's simplicity makes its message unmistakable: God has rendered final judgment on these two groups.
Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
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Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying—this formulaic introduction signals fresh prophetic revelation. The Hebrew davar-YHWH (דְּבַר־יְהוָה, word of Yahweh) carries authority as God's direct communication, not human speculation. This phrase appears over 240 times in Jeremiah, more than any other prophetic book, emphasizing that Jeremiah spoke divine messages, not personal opinions.
The brief verse serves as a hinge between the vision's description (vv. 1-3) and its interpretation (vv. 5-10). This structure—vision, divine word, explanation—appears throughout prophetic literature and establishes that symbolic visions require authoritative interpretation. God alone determines the vision's meaning; human ingenuity cannot decode divine revelation. This principle remains vital: Scripture interprets Scripture, and the Holy Spirit illuminates meaning (1 Corinthians 2:10-14). The coming interpretation will shock Jeremiah's contemporaries by identifying the despised exiles as objects of divine favor and the confident Jerusalem residents as condemned rebels.
The brief verse serves as a hinge between the vision's description (vv. 1-3) and its interpretation (vv. 5-10). This structure—vision, divine word, explanation—appears throughout prophetic literature and establishes that symbolic visions require authoritative interpretation. God alone determines the vision's meaning; human ingenuity cannot decode divine revelation. This principle remains vital: Scripture interprets Scripture, and the Holy Spirit illuminates meaning (1 Corinthians 2:10-14). The coming interpretation will shock Jeremiah's contemporaries by identifying the despised exiles as objects of divine favor and the confident Jerusalem residents as condemned rebels.
Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. them: Heb. the captivity
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The 'good figs' represent the exiles in Babylon - those whom God would preserve and restore. Paradoxically, those who seemed judged (exiled) were actually recipients of God's special care, while those who remained in Jerusalem faced worse judgment. God's perspective inverts human wisdom. The promise 'I will set mine eyes upon them for good' echoes His covenant commitment despite circumstances.
For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.
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God promises to set His eyes upon the exiles 'for good' and bring them back to the land. He will 'build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.' This agricultural imagery reverses Jeremiah's commission to 'root out, and to pull down, and to destroy' (1:10). After judgment accomplishes its purpose, restoration begins.
And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
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In the vision of good and bad figs representing the exiles and those who remained in Jerusalem, God promises regarding the exiles: 'I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.' This anticipates the new covenant promise (31:33) of internal transformation. God will give them a heart capable of truly knowing Him—not mere intellectual knowledge but personal, relational, transformative knowledge.
The phrase 'heart to know me' emphasizes that genuine knowledge of God requires more than mental assent—it requires heart transformation. The natural heart is hard, rebellious, incapable of truly knowing God (Romans 8:7). God must perform spiritual heart surgery, removing the heart of stone and giving a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Only then can we know God as He truly is and respond appropriately. This is regeneration, the new birth Jesus described as essential for entering God's kingdom (John 3:3).
The promise 'they shall return unto me with their whole heart' describes genuine repentance that engages the whole person. Not merely outward conformity but wholehearted devotion. The exile would break Israel's divided loyalties and produce a remnant who truly sought God. This demonstrates God's redemptive purpose even in judgment—discipline intended to cure, not merely punish.
The phrase 'heart to know me' emphasizes that genuine knowledge of God requires more than mental assent—it requires heart transformation. The natural heart is hard, rebellious, incapable of truly knowing God (Romans 8:7). God must perform spiritual heart surgery, removing the heart of stone and giving a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Only then can we know God as He truly is and respond appropriately. This is regeneration, the new birth Jesus described as essential for entering God's kingdom (John 3:3).
The promise 'they shall return unto me with their whole heart' describes genuine repentance that engages the whole person. Not merely outward conformity but wholehearted devotion. The exile would break Israel's divided loyalties and produce a remnant who truly sought God. This demonstrates God's redemptive purpose even in judgment—discipline intended to cure, not merely punish.
And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:
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And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil (הַתְּאֵנִים הָרָעוֹת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תֵאָכַלְנָה מֵרֹעַ, hatt'enim hara'ot asher lo-te'akhelna mero'a)—the evil figs represent Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem...and them that dwell in the land of Egypt. The comparison to inedible figs, spoiled beyond use (רֹעַ, ro'a, 'badness/evil'), indicates total corruption. Unlike the good figs (exiles in Babylon, vv. 5-7) who would be restored, these remaining in the land would face comprehensive judgment.
The agricultural metaphor distinguishes between those who submitted to Babylon (preserving their future) and those who resisted (spoiling themselves). Counterintuitively, those taken into exile were 'good figs' while those remaining appeared blessed but were actually cursed. This challenges assumptions that visible prosperity indicates divine favor. Sometimes God's discipline (exile) proves more merciful than apparent freedom (remaining in Jerusalem).
The agricultural metaphor distinguishes between those who submitted to Babylon (preserving their future) and those who resisted (spoiling themselves). Counterintuitively, those taken into exile were 'good figs' while those remaining appeared blessed but were actually cursed. This challenges assumptions that visible prosperity indicates divine favor. Sometimes God's discipline (exile) proves more merciful than apparent freedom (remaining in Jerusalem).
And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. to be removed: Heb. for removing, or, vexation
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And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse (וּנְתַתִּים לְזַעֲוָה לְרָעָה לְכֹל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ לְחֶרְפָּה וּלְמָשָׁל לִשְׁנִינָה וְלִקְלָלָה, un'tattim l'za'avah l'ra'ah l'khol mamlekhot ha'arets l'cherpah ul'mashal lishnina v'liqlalah). The fourfold designation—reproach (חֶרְפָּה), proverb (מָשָׁל), taunt (שְׁנִינָה), curse (קְלָלָה)—emphasizes comprehensive infamy. They would become object lessons of divine judgment, scattered for their hurt (לְרָעָה, l'ra'ah—'for evil/harm').
This reverses Abrahamic covenant promises. God promised Abraham 'I will make thy name great' (Genesis 12:2) and bless the nations through his seed. Now Judah becomes a byword for cursing among nations. The verb נָתַן (natan, 'deliver/give') indicates active divine agency—God Himself scatters them as warning to others. Their suffering serves pedagogical purposes for surrounding nations, demonstrating covenant curse's reality.
This reverses Abrahamic covenant promises. God promised Abraham 'I will make thy name great' (Genesis 12:2) and bless the nations through his seed. Now Judah becomes a byword for cursing among nations. The verb נָתַן (natan, 'deliver/give') indicates active divine agency—God Himself scatters them as warning to others. Their suffering serves pedagogical purposes for surrounding nations, demonstrating covenant curse's reality.
And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.
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And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land (וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי בָם אֶת־הַחֶרֶב אֶת־הָרָעָב וְאֶת־הַדָּבֶר עַד־תֻּמָּם מֵעַל הָאֲדָמָה, v'shillachti vam et-hacherev et-hara'av v'et-haddaver ad-tummam me'al ha'adamah). The threefold judgment—sword (חֶרֶב), famine (רָעָב), pestilence (דֶּבֶר)—appears throughout Jeremiah as comprehensive covenant curse (Leviticus 26:25-26, Deuteronomy 28:21-22). The verb שָׁלַח (shalach, 'send') indicates divine agency; these aren't natural disasters but directed judgment.
Till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers—the irony is tragic. The land was gift (נָתַן, natan, 'gave'), pointing back to patriarchal promises (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob). Now the gifted land vomits out its inhabitants (Leviticus 18:25, 28). The verb תָּמַם (tamam, 'consume/finish/complete') suggests total removal—no remnant remains. Covenant promises include covenant curses; ignoring the latter doesn't negate them.
Till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers—the irony is tragic. The land was gift (נָתַן, natan, 'gave'), pointing back to patriarchal promises (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob). Now the gifted land vomits out its inhabitants (Leviticus 18:25, 28). The verb תָּמַם (tamam, 'consume/finish/complete') suggests total removal—no remnant remains. Covenant promises include covenant curses; ignoring the latter doesn't negate them.