Jeremiah 24

General context

The Lord shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs set before the temple of the Lord, after Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has carried away Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the princes of Judah, and the carpenters and smiths from Jerusalem to Babylon. One basket holds very good figs like those first ripe; the other holds very naughty figs that cannot be eaten. The Lord asks what Jeremiah sees, and he answers: figs, the good very good and the evil very evil, too evil to eat. The word then comes: like the good figs, the Lord will acknowledge those carried captive from Judah whom he has sent into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. He will set his eyes on them for good, bring them back to this land, build and not pull down, plant and not pluck up, and give them a heart to know that he is the Lord; they will be his people and he their God, for they will return to him with their whole heart. Like the evil figs, he will give Zedekiah the king of Judah, his princes, the residue of Jerusalem who remain in the land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt, to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, a reproach, a proverb, a taunt and a curse wherever he drives them. He will send sword, famine and pestilence among them until they are consumed from the land he gave to them and their fathers.

Cited passages: Jeremiah 24:1, Jeremiah 24:2, Jeremiah 24:3, Jeremiah 24:4, Jeremiah 24:5, Jeremiah 24:6, Jeremiah 24:7, Jeremiah 24:8, Jeremiah 24:9, Jeremiah 24:10

Jeremiah 24 (KJV)

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Historical context

The vision is dated by an event rather than a year: "after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah," together with the princes and the carpenters and smiths. The text names Jeconiah as son of Jehoiakim, the same parentage given to Coniah in 22:24; it does not comment on the two forms of the name. Zedekiah is called "the king of Judah" in verse 8, so the vision belongs to a time when Jeconiah is already in Babylon and Zedekiah reigns. Three groups are placed with the evil figs: Zedekiah and his princes, "the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land," and "them that dwell in the land of Egypt"; the text does not say who went to Egypt or when. The vision is told in the first person, with the Lord's question "What seest thou, Jeremiah?" matching the almond rod and seething pot in chapter 1. The good figs are the captives and the bad figs are those who stayed, a reversal of the expected order that the text states plainly, calling the exile "for their good." The heart promised in verse 7 is described as a gift, "I will give them an heart to know me." The chapter reports no reaction from anyone and gives no further detail about the baskets or who set them before the temple.

Cited passages: Jeremiah 24:1, Jeremiah 24:3, Jeremiah 24:5, Jeremiah 24:6, Jeremiah 24:7, Jeremiah 24:8, Jeremiah 24:9, Jeremiah 24:10

Literary context

The chapter is a short vision report with a plain structure: the sight, the question, the answer, the interpretation in two halves. The two baskets are described in matched superlatives, "very good" and "very naughty," and Jeremiah's answer repeats the extremes. The interpretation uses the verbs of 1:10, build and pull down, plant and pluck up, now with the negative halves removed for the exiles. The promise of a heart to know the Lord answers the diagnosis of 17:9 that the heart is deceitful. The formula "they shall be my people, and I will be their God" echoes 11:4, "so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God." The reversal is the chapter's point: the ones taken away are the good figs and the ones who stayed near the temple, where the baskets stand, are the bad ones. The bad-figs half echoes the language of 15:4 and 16:4, removal into all kingdoms, sword, famine and pestilence. The vision follows the royal oracles of chapter 22 and the false prophets of chapter 23, and sets a verdict on the captives and on those who remained beside the oracles on kings and prophets.

Cited passages: Jeremiah 24:2, Jeremiah 24:3, Jeremiah 24:5, Jeremiah 24:6, Jeremiah 24:7, Jeremiah 24:8, Jeremiah 24:9, Jeremiah 24:10

Key moments

1. Two baskets before the temple (Jeremiah 24:1). The vision comes after Jeconiah and the craftsmen are carried to Babylon.
2. Very good and very naughty (Jeremiah 24:2). One basket holds first-ripe figs and the other figs too bad to eat.
3. What seest thou, Jeremiah? (Jeremiah 24:3). Jeremiah names the good and evil figs in their extremes.
4. Sent away for their good (Jeremiah 24:5). The captives in the land of the Chaldeans are the good figs.
5. A heart to know me (Jeremiah 24:7). The Lord promises the exiles a heart to return to him wholly.
6. Zedekiah and the residue (Jeremiah 24:8). Those remaining in the land and those in Egypt are the evil figs.
7. Sword, famine and pestilence (Jeremiah 24:10). The evil figs will be consumed from the land.

For reflection

The people carried off to Babylon are the good figs and those left near the temple are the bad ones. What does the vision suggest about reading one's own situation, near or far from the holy place, as a sign of standing with the Lord?

People in this chapter

• Judah
• Jacob
• Jehoiakim
• Jeremiah
• Nebuchadnezzar
• Zedekiah

Also indexed here:

• Jehoiachin