Jeremiah 24:1-10 · Bible study
Jeremiah 24:1-10 Commentary: The Two Baskets of Figs
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God's unexpected valuation of the exiles over those left in Jerusalem through the vision of good and bad figs, with promises of restoration for the repentant.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God reverses human judgment: the exiled are good figs, those left behind are bad figs, with promises of restoration for the repentant exiles and judgment for the obstinate.
- Key words: bikkurah (first-ripe figs), prized delicacy; dud (basket), also means pot or jar; garash (craftsman) and massger (smith), the deported elite.
- Main debate: Whether the “good” figs were morally superior (Clarke: they were penitent) or merely compared favorably to the worse figs (Calvin: comparative, not absolute).
- Theological theme: God’s sovereign ability to bring good out of catastrophe and to give a new heart to the humbled.
- Best use: Comfort for those suffering apparent defeat, warning for those who trust in external security.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, as well as the officials of Judah and the craftsmen and metalsmiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the LORD.
2One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early, but the other basket contained very poor figs, so bad they could not be eaten.
3“Jeremiah,” the LORD asked, “what do you see?” “Figs!” I replied. “The good figs are very good, but the bad figs are very bad, so bad they cannot be eaten.”
4Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
5“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these good figs, so I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans.
6I will keep My eyes on them for good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.
7I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their heart.
8But like the bad figs, so bad they cannot be eaten,’ says the LORD, ‘so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem—those remaining in this land and those living in the land of Egypt.
9I will make them a horror and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace and an object of scorn, ridicule, and cursing wherever I have banished them.
10And I will send against them sword and famine and plague, until they have perished from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.’”
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Yahweh showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before Yahweh’s temple, after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the craftsmen and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
2One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first-ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.
3Then Yahweh asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs. The good figs are very good, and the bad are very bad, so bad that they can’t be eaten.”
4Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
5“Yahweh, the God of Israel says: ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans, as good.
6For I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land. I will build them, and not pull them down. I will plant them, and not pluck them up.
7I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Yahweh. They will be my people, and I will be their God; for they will return to me with their whole heart.
8“‘As the bad figs, which can’t be eaten, they are so bad,’ surely Yahweh says, ‘So I will give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt.
9I will even give them up to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth for evil, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places where I will drive them.
10I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence among them, until they are consumed from off the land that I gave to them and to their fathers.’”
KJV King James Version 1769
1The 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.
2One 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.
3Then 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.
4Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
5Thus 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.
6For 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.
7And 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.
8And 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:
9And 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.
10And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1Jehovah showed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs set before the temple of Jehovah, 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 craftsmen and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
2One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first-ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.
3Then said Jehovah unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the bad, very bad, that cannot be eaten, they are so bad.
4And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
5Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so will I regard the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans, for good.
6For 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.
7And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Jehovah: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
8And as the bad figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad, surely thus saith Jehovah, So will I give up 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,
9I will even give them up to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth for evil; to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.
10And 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1Jehovah hath shewed me, and lo, two baskets of figs, appointed before the temple of Jehovah, --after the removing by Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, of Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the heads of Judah, and the artisan, and the smith, from Jerusalem, when he bringeth them into Babylon--
2In the one basket are figs very good, like the first-ripe figs, and in the other basket are figs very bad, that are not eaten for badness.
3And Jehovah saith unto me, `What art thou seeing, Jeremiah?' and I say, `Figs, the good figs are very good, and the bad are very bad, that are not eaten for badness.'
4And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying:
5Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Like these good figs so do I acknowledge The removed of Judah--that I sent from this place, To the land of the Chaldeans--for good.
6And I have set Mine eyes on them for good, And have brought them back to this land, And built them up, and I throw not down, And have planted them, and pluck not up.
7And have given to them a heart to know Me, For I am Jehovah, And they have been to Me for a people, And I am to them for God, For they turned back unto Me with all their heart.
8And like the bad figs, that are not eaten for badness, Surely thus said Jehovah: So do I make Zedekiah king of Judah, And his heads, and the remnant of Jerusalem, Who are left in this land, And who are dwelling in the land of Egypt,
9And I have given them for a trembling, For evil--to all kingdoms of the earth, For a reproach, and for a simile, For a byword, and for a reviling, In all the places whither I drive them.
10And I have sent against them the sword, The famine and the pestilence, Till their consumption from off the ground, That I gave to them and to their fathers!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1Jehovah shewed me, and behold, two baskets of figs, set before the temple of Jehovah, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive from Jerusalem, Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, and the craftsmen and smiths, and had brought them to Babylon.
2One basket had very good figs, like the figs first ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten for badness.
3And Jehovah said unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs: the good figs very good; and the bad very bad, which cannot be eaten for badness.
4And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
5Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so will I regard for good them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans;
6and 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.
7And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Jehovah; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
8And as the bad figs, which cannot be eaten for badness, surely, thus saith Jehovah: So will I make Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the remnant of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt.
9And I will give them over to be driven hither and thither unto all the kingdoms of the earth for evil, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them;
10and I will send among them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1The Lord shewed me: and behold two baskets full of figs, set before the temple of the Lord: after that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried away Jechonias the son of Joakim the king of Juda, and his chief men, and the craftsmen, and engravers of Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
2One basket had very good figs, like the figs of the first season: and the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten, because they were bad.
3And the Lord said to me: What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said: Figs, the good figs, very good: and the bad figs, very bad, which cannot be eaten because they are bad.
4And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
5Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so will I regard the captives of Juda, whom I have sent forth out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans, for their good.
6And I will set my eyes upon them to be pacified, and I will bring them again into this land: and I will build them up, and not pull them down: and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.
7And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: because they shall return to me with their whole heart.
8And as the very bad figs, that cannot be eaten, because they are bad: thus saith the Lord: So will I give Sedecias the king of Juda, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that have remained in this city, and that dwell in the land of Egypt.
9And I will deliver them up to vexation, and affliction, to all the kingdoms of the earth: to be a reproach, and a byword, and a proverb, and to be a curse in all places, to which I have cast them out.
10And I will send among them the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence: till they be consumed out of the land which I gave to them, and their fathers.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 24:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the vision of the two fig baskets occurred shortly after Nebuchadnezzar’s first deportation in 597 BC, when Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) and the elite of Judah were taken to Babylon (2 Kings 24:12-16). The good figs represent those exiles; the bad figs represent Zedekiah and the people who remained in the land or fled to Egypt. Calvin emphasises that the terms “good” and “bad” are comparative, not absolute: the exiles were not sinless, but their humiliation led them to repentance. Clarke and Matthew Henry likewise note that the exiles “accepted the punishment of their iniquity,” while those left behind grew more obstinate. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the point of the vision is God’s sovereign reversal of human expectations: those who seemed cursed are blessed, and those who seemed secure are cursed. The promises to the good figs, restoration, rebuilding, inner renewal (a heart to know God), are grounded in their wholehearted return to Yahweh. The threats against the bad figs echo the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28:25,37, culminating in sword, famine, and plague until they are consumed from the land.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical-concrete interpretation: The good figs = the exiles of 597 BC; the bad figs = those left in Judah/Egypt; promises of restoration were fulfilled in the return from Babylon (Ezra, Nehemiah) and judgment in the 587 destruction.
- Typological/Christological interpretation: The greater fulfillment belongs to the Christian Church: good figs = those who repent and receive a new heart through Christ; bad figs = those who reject God and face final judgment (Barnes, early church tradition).
What is clear: The vision presents God’s sovereign evaluation of two groups based on their response to judgment, with the exiles (humbled) receiving promise of restoration and inner renewal while those remaining (hardened) face destruction.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the good figs | The good figs represent the exiles taken to Babylon with Jeconiah in 597 BC (Jeremiah 24:1, 5). | Some see them as morally superior because they repented; others say they were comparatively better only because they were humbled by exile, not inherently righteous (Calvin). |
| Timing and scope of restoration promises | The promises in verses 6-7 include literal return to the land, rebuilding, and spiritual renewal. | Many Protestant interpreters (e.g., Barnes) see a partial fulfillment in the return from Babylon and a complete fulfillment in the spiritual restoration through Christ and the New Covenant. |
| Interpretation of the bad figs | The bad figs are Zedekiah, his officials, the remnant in Jerusalem, and Jews living in Egypt (Jeremiah 24:8). | Whether the judgment described (sword, famine, pestilence, being a curse among nations) was entirely fulfilled in the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC, or whether it continued through subsequent history (Clarke: many were amalgamated with heathen nations). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical hinge of this chapter is the year 597 BC. Nebuchadnezzar had besieged Jerusalem, and King Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin or Coniah) surrendered after only three months on the throne. The Babylonians carried him into exile along with the queen mother, officials, craftsmen, and metalworkers, essentially the political and economic leadership (2 Kings 24:12-16; 2 Chronicles 36:10). Jeremiah 24:1 specifies that the vision took place after this deportation, with two baskets of figs set “before Yahweh’s temple.” The temple setting is significant: it recalls the offering of firstfruits (Deuteronomy 26:2,4), suggesting that these figs were an offering, perhaps already presented or intended for the sanctuary. The “first-ripe figs” (bikkurah) were a delicacy, ripening in June, and symbolised something precious and pleasing. In contrast, the bad figs were so rotten they could not be eaten.
Politically, the situation was volatile. Zedekiah, Jeconiah’s uncle, had been installed as a puppet king. Many in Jerusalem assumed that the worst was over and that those exiled were the sinners who deserved it. Others, like Jeremiah himself, knew that further judgment was coming. Some Jews had already fled to Egypt, hoping for safety there (Jeremiah 24:8). The vision directly challenged the prevailing belief that staying in the land meant God’s favour. By placing the vision after the exile of Jeconiah, God declared that the exiles, not the survivors, were the ones he would restore and renew. The craftsmen and smiths (Hebrew: charash, massger) deported with Jeconiah included the technological elite, whose removal left Jerusalem vulnerable (1 Samuel 13:19-20). Yet God’s assessment inverted human judgment: the very group that seemed lost was actually under his protective care.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants in Jeremiah 24:1-10. The Hebrew text is stable, and the vision’s meaning is not affected by minor scribal differences.
Reception History
Early Christian readers saw in the two baskets a typology of judgment and mercy: the exiles represented the repentant remnant, the bad figs those who rejected God’s messengers. Jerome and Augustine used the passage to argue that suffering in this life is not necessarily a sign of divine displeasure. During the Reformation, Calvin emphasised God’s freedom to reverse human judgments, while Puritan commentators (Matthew Henry) highlighted the internal renewal of the heart as the supreme gift. In the Wesleyan tradition, Clarke stressed the pedagogical value of exile in driving people to repentance. More recently, some Christian interpreters have applied the contrast between the two groups to the church: the faithful who endure hardship are the good figs, while those who compromise with the world are the bad figs. The passage has also been used to comfort persecuted believers, showing that God sees their bondage as a place of potential renewal, not rejection.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- God’s Unconventional Perspective: The timing after Jeconiah’s exile shows that God evaluates people differently than we do. The exiles, though humiliated, are deemed “good figs.”
- Promises for the Humble: God promises to set his eyes on the exiles for good, bring them back, build and plant them, and give them a heart to know him (Jeremiah 24:6-7).
- Judgment for the Self-Secure: Those who remained, trusting in their own safety, face sword, famine, pestilence, and exile, an object lesson in the danger of false security (Jeremiah 24:8-10).
Five-Point Outline
- The vision and its timing (Jeremiah 24:1-3).
- The good figs: the exiles of 597 BC (Jeremiah 24:4-7).
- The bad figs: Zedekiah and the remnant in the land and Egypt (Jeremiah 24:8-10).
- The covenant reversal: blessings on the deported, curses on the stay-behinds.
- The ultimate goal: a heart to know the Lord, which transcends physical restoration.
Illustration Hooks
- The “golden handcuffs” of a job or relationship that looks safe but keeps you from growth, the exiles lost everything but gained repentance.
- A garden after pruning: the branches cut back produce more fruit in the next season.
- The experience of a sudden move or job loss that later turns out to be a new beginning.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- “Why would God favor the people who were taken captive over those who stayed?”
- “How can I tell if my current ‘bad situation’ is discipline that leads to restoration or judgment that leads to ruin?”
- “Does the promise of a new heart belong to Israel alone, or to all who repent?”
Leading a Discussion
This passage challenges our instincts. The people who seemed cursed, exiled, stripped of everything, are called “good figs.” Those who seemed blessed, still living in Jerusalem, are called “bad figs.” Why? Because God reads the heart. The exiles were humbled; the stay-behinds were hardened. Use this session to explore how God’s assessment often contradicts ours.
Discussion Questions
- Read Jeremiah 24:1-3. Why do you think the exact timing of the vision is recorded? What assumptions about the exiles might people have had?
- What does the comparison to “first-ripe figs” suggest about how God viewed the exiles (v. 2)? How does that compare to their actual situation?
- In verses 5-7, God promises to “give them a heart to know me.” How does this inner transformation relate to the physical restoration described in verse 6?
- Verses 8-10 describe the fate of Zedekiah and those left behind. How do the covenant curses from Deuteronomy 28 echo in this section?
- Why do you think God included the inhabitants of Egypt among the bad figs (v. 8)? What does that say about relying on human alliances?
- This passage reverses the common assumption that exile = punishment and staying = blessing. Where in your own life might God be doing a similar reversal?
- How does the promise of verse 7 (“They will be my people, and I will be their God”) connect to the New Covenant promises in Jeremiah 31:31-34?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 26:2 | that you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring in from your land that Yahweh your God gives you. You shall put it in a basket, and shall go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there. |
| Deuteronomy 26:4 | The priest shall take the basket out of your hand, and set it down before Yahweh your God’s altar. |
| I Samuel 13:19 | Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears”; |
| I Samuel 13:20 | but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his own plowshare, mattock, ax, and sickle. |
| II Kings 24:12 | and Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon—he, his mother, his servants, his princes, and his officers; and the king of Babylon captured him in the eighth year of his reign. |
| II Kings 24:16 | All the men of might, even seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths one thousand, all of them strong and fit for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. |
| II Chronicles 36:10 | At the return of the year, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the valuable vessels of Yahweh’s house, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. |
| Jeremiah 22:24 | “As I live,” says Yahweh, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet on my right hand, I would still pluck you from there. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the good and bad figs represent two groups of Jews already taken into captivity versus those still in the land. He insists the first captives were the better people, penitent and under God's care, while those left behind would suffer greater judgment and many never returned.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes reads the good and bad figs as a type of the Christian era: the good figs are converts won through Christ and the Apostles, while the bad figs are the people left for destruction by Titus and Rome. For him the prophecy finds its complete fulfillment not in ancient Babylon but in the church.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the good and bad figs in Jeremiah's vision refer not to the moral character of the people but to the severity of their punishment. The exiles appear worse off but are punished more gently, while those left in Jerusalem face harsher judgment for abusing God's patience.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that the good figs represent the June first crop, prized as a special delicacy, while the bad figs are either decayed or from the bitter sycamore tree. This agricultural detail frames God's regard for the exiles as one who looks with pleasure on fine fruit, promising spiritual restoration of heart through adversity.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the good and bad figs do not primarily describe the people's moral character but the outcome God intends for them. The captive exiles, though seeming worst, are good because their suffering leads to restoration. The Jerusalem remnant, though appearing better, are rotten because their sins end in ruin.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains that the good and bad figs are labels of comparison, not absolute moral judgment. The good figs represent the Babylonian exiles, whose removal saved them from worse calamities and led to repentance. This prophecy aimed to encourage those despairing exiles and reprove the pride of those remaining in Judea.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that the vision of the figs was not a physical sight but a genuine prophetic experience in the Spirit, where God opened Jeremiah's inner sense. The prophecy was delivered right after Jeconiah's deportation to counter those who stayed behind, who were gloating over the captives' misfortune.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the surprising reversal: those already taken captive are the good figs because God sent them into exile for their own good, while those who stayed behind in Jerusalem, thinking themselves safe, are the rotten figs headed for destruction.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley distinguishes between those who lead others into sin and those who are merely carried away by bad example. God promises to acknowledge the second group, showing them favor because they become aware of their wrongdoing and humbly accept the punishment it brings.