Jeremiah24

The LORD showed Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs before the temple, after Nebuchadrezzar had carried away Jeconiah and others to Babylon. One basket held very good figs, while the other contained very evil, uneatable figs. The good figs represented the captives in Babylon, whom the LORD would restore and bless, while the evil figs symbolized King Zedekiah and those remaining in Judah or fleeing to Egypt, destined for severe judgment.
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The Vision of the Two Baskets of Figs

1
After 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. ​
2
One 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. ​
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“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.”

The Good Figs: Promise of Restoration

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Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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“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. ​
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I 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. ​
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I 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. ​

The Bad Figs: Judgment on the Remnant

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But 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. ​
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I 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. ​
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And 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.’” ​

Study Notes for Jeremiah 24

Verse 1

This vision is precisely dated immediately following the first major deportation (597 BC), when King Jeconiah, the elite, and skilled workers were taken to Babylon. This historical marker is crucial, as the exiles are surprisingly designated as the 'good' remnant.

Verse 2

The contrast between the 'very good figs' (like those first ripe, highly desirable) and the 'very naughty figs' (inedible) establishes the sharp theological distinction God is making between two groups of Judahites.

Verse 5

The surprising declaration is that the deported people, who might seem cursed, are declared 'good.' God states He sent them to Babylon 'for their good,' establishing the concept that exile was a purifying discipline, not merely punishment.

Verse 6

The phrases 'build them' and 'plant them' use classic restoration language found throughout Jeremiah, signifying God’s promise of active, positive engagement and the reversal of the judgment of destruction and uprooting.

Verse 7

This verse contains a miniature summary of the New Covenant promise (cf. Jer. 31:33–34). The ultimate goal of restoration is a renewed, intimate relationship where the people receive 'an heart to know me' and return to covenant faithfulness.

Verse 8

The 'bad figs' include King Zedekiah, the remaining inhabitants of Jerusalem, and those who fled to Egypt (against God's command). They were judged to be spiritually worse off than the exiles, trusting in false security and ignoring prophetic warnings.

Verse 9

To be 'a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse' signifies complete national disgrace and failure in the eyes of the surrounding nations, reversing the covenant blessings and making them objects of scorn.

Verse 10

The 'sword, the famine, and the pestilence' are the three traditional curses of the covenant, confirming that this group will face utter consumption and removal from the promised land, in sharp contrast to the good figs who will be replanted.

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