Jeremiah 24:1-10 Meaning: Why the Captives Were Called Good
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.’”
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.
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.
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!
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.
Meaning in one sentence
In Jeremiah 24, God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs representing the exiles and those left in Judah.
Context
Jeremiah’s ministry spanned the final, crumbling years of Judah. Babylon had already taken king Jeconiah, the royal family, and the nation’s skilled workers into exile. In the temple courtyard, God gives Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs placed before the sanctuary. One basket holds early figs at their sweetest; the other holds figs so rotten they are inedible. The timing is everything. The good figs are the exiles, the very people the nation pitied. The bad figs are those who remained in Judah with Zedekiah. God’s assessment flips human expectation on its head, and the vision becomes a message of surprising hope for a defeated people.
Key Words
The Hebrew word for “good” here is tovah. It does not mean morally perfect. It carries the sense of benefit, pleasantness, well-being. God says He has sent the exiles “for good.” The same word appears when He promises to set His eyes on them “for good.” This is not a reward for goodness; it is God’s purpose to bring about their welfare through the hardship.
The verb translated “I will regard” in verse 5 is nakar. It means to recognise, to acknowledge with favour. God does not just know about the exiles academically; He turns His attention to them with approval and care. In the ancient Near East, a king’s “regard” meant protection and provision. God is saying, “I see you in Babylon, and I am for you.”
Notice also that God says of the captives, “whom I have sent” (shillachti from shalach). Nebuchadnezzar carried them off, but behind the human agent God takes responsibility. Exile was not a sign that God had lost control; it was His deliberate act for their eventual restoration.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have found layers of meaning here. Wesley and Clarke, writing from a Methodist perspective, emphasise that the exiles had repented of their sins, while those left in Jerusalem hardened their hearts. Calvin, the great Reformed theologian, focuses on God’s sovereignty: He sends the faithful into exile precisely because He intends to bring them back. The Cambridge Bible, representing Anglican scholarship, notes that the promise of a new heart points forward to the New Covenant. Barnes suggests this prophecy finds its ultimate fulfilment in the Christian Church. These views do not contradict one another. They each highlight a part of the whole picture: God’s purpose, human response, and the hope that extends beyond the Old Testament.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading assumes the exiles were “good” because they were morally better than those left behind. In fact, the vision does not say the captives earned God’s favour by being sinless. It says God made them good by sending them into exile for their spiritual benefit. The good figs are good because God’s redemptive purpose is at work in their suffering. They will receive a new heart and return to Him. The bad figs are bad because they refused to accept the discipline that would save them.
Living This Out
You might be in an “exile” right now: a job you never wanted, a season of loss, a place where you feel forgotten. This passage asks you to pause before you assume that hardship means God’s displeasure. He may have sent you where you are for your good. The promise is not that exile will be easy, but that God’s eyes are on you there. He is building and planting. He is shaping a heart that will know Him truly. This week, try naming one unwanted circumstance and asking God: What good are You working in this? The answer may not come quickly, but the vision of the figs reminds you that He has not stopped working.
Main takeaway: When God sends us into difficult places, He does not abandon us; He is working for our good and drawing our hearts to know Him.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jeremiah saw two baskets of figs. One was full of sweet figs. The bad figs were so rotten they could not be eaten. God said the good figs were the people who had been taken to Babylon. He promised to bring them back home one day.
For ages 9, 12
This story surprises us. The people who were taken prisoner in war were called “good figs,” and the people who stayed safe in Jerusalem were called “bad figs.” Why? Because God used the exile to teach His people to love Him with their whole hearts. Those who stayed thought they were fine, but they refused to change. The captives learned to depend on God. Sometimes the hardest things in life are the very things God uses to make us whole.
Questions People Ask
Why are the exiles called “good figs” when they were taken captive?
God says He sent them into exile for their good. The captivity was not a sign of His anger alone; it was a loving discipline meant to bring them to repentance. He promises to restore them and give them a heart to know Him. Their goodness is not about moral perfection but about God’s purpose for their lives.
What does “I will set my eyes on them for good” mean?
In Hebrew, this phrase pictures God turning His attention toward the exiles with care and approval. It is like a king looking with favour on a loyal subject. God is not ignoring them in Babylon; He is actively watching over them to bring about their welfare and restoration.
What happened to the bad figs, Zedekiah and those who stayed?
The bad figs represent King Zedekiah, his officials, and the people who remained in Judah or fled to Egypt. They would face sword, famine, and plague until they were removed from the land. Unlike the exiles, they refused to accept God’s discipline and so experienced a harsher judgment.
Is this prophecy only about the Babylonian exile, or does it point to something later?
Some commentators, like Barnes, see the prophecy as finding its complete fulfilment in the Christian Church. The promise of a new heart and a covenant relationship (verse 7) echoes the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31. So the chapter speaks to exiles in Babylon, but its deepest hope is fulfilled in Christ.
What does “I will give them a heart to know me” teach about salvation?
The phrase shows that knowing God is His gift rather than something we achieve. He changes the heart from the inside. This promise runs through the Old Testament and is realised fully in the New Covenant, where God writes His law on our hearts. Both Catholic and Protestant traditions agree that this is a work of grace.
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