Jeremiah 24: Two Baskets of Figs
In a vision of good and bad figs, God reveals that the exiles he sent away are the ones he will restore with a new heart.
Jeremiah 24 (WEB)
1 Yahweh showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs set before Yahweh’s temple, after that 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.
2 One 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.
3 Then Yahweh said to me, What do you see, Jeremiah? I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the bad, very bad, that can’t be eaten, they are so bad.
4 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
5 Thus says Yahweh, 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.
6 For I will set my eyes on 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.
7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Yahweh: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
8 As the bad figs, which can’t be eaten, they are so bad, surely thus says Yahweh, So will I give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt,
9 I 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 shall drive them.
10 I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, until they be consumed from off the land that I gave to them and to their fathers.
Jeremiah 24 (KJV)
1 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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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:
9 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.
10 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.
Jeremiah 24 (ASV)
1 Jehovah 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.
2 One 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.
3 Then 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.
4 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
5 Thus 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.
6 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.
7 And 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.
8 And 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,
9 I 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.
10 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.
Summary
After Nebuchadnezzar carries King Jeconiah, the princes, and the skilled craftsmen of Judah into exile, Yahweh shows Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs set before the temple. One basket holds very good figs, like the first-ripe; the other holds figs so bad they cannot be eaten. God interprets the sign in a way that overturns expectations. The good figs are the exiles already carried off to Babylon; though they appear cursed, God has sent them away for their good. He will set his eyes on them for good, bring them back, build and plant them, and—most beautifully—give them a heart to know him, so they will be his people and he their God, returning to him with their whole heart. The bad figs, by contrast, are King Zedekiah, his officials, and those who remain in Jerusalem or have fled to Egypt; they will be made a reproach and a curse and consumed by sword, famine, and pestilence. The vision teaches that God's favor is not measured by present comfort or location, but by his sovereign, redemptive purpose. The exile that looked like abandonment is actually the path along which God will give his people a new heart—a promise that flowers fully in the new covenant secured by Christ.
Voices
- Jeremiah — The prophet shown the vision of two baskets of figs and given God's surprising interpretation of who is blessed.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who declares the exiles good figs to be restored and given a new heart, and the remnant in Judah bad figs to be cast off.
- The exiles in Babylon — Those carried off with Jeconiah, the "good figs" whom God will watch over for good and bring back with a heart to know him.
- Zedekiah and those remaining — The "bad figs"—the king and people left in Jerusalem or fled to Egypt—appointed to reproach and ruin.
Key Verse
Jeremiah 24:7 (WEB)
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Yahweh: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
Lessons Learned
- God's favor cannot be measured by outward comfort or circumstance (Jeremiah 24:5-8).
- What looks like abandonment may be the very path of God's redemptive purpose (Jeremiah 24:5).
- True restoration includes a new, God-given heart that knows and loves him (Jeremiah 24:7).
- God's covenant aim is intimate belonging: they will be his people and he their God (Jeremiah 24:7).
- God sees beyond appearances. The exiles seem cursed, yet God sends them away “for good” (Jeremiah 24:5, WEB). His judgment of who is blessed often reverses our own.
- God gives a heart to know him. “I will give them a heart to know me” (Jeremiah 24:7, WEB). Salvation is not merely outward return but an inwardly transformed heart, his gift.
- Belonging is the goal of redemption. “They shall be my people, and I will be their God” (Jeremiah 24:7, WEB). God's purpose is a restored relationship of mutual belonging.
- Comfort is no guarantee of God's favor. Those who stayed safe in Jerusalem are the “bad figs” (Jeremiah 24:8, WEB). Ease can mask a deeper distance from God.
- Why is God's interpretation of the two baskets surprising compared to how people would naturally judge the situation?
- How does it change our view of suffering to learn that God sent the exiles away “for good” (24:5)?
- What does it mean for God to “give them a heart to know me” (24:7), and why is that necessary?
- Why are those who remained safely in Jerusalem the “bad figs” (24:8)?
- Where might God be working for your good through circumstances that feel like loss or exile?
- Naturally we would assume those left in the promised land were blessed and the exiles cursed, but God reverses this: the exiles are the good figs (24:5-8). Help the group see that God's assessment runs deeper than visible comfort, reaching to his redemptive purposes.
- If God sends his people into exile for their good, then suffering can be the very instrument of his grace rather than a sign of his absence. Encourage the group that hard providences are not always punishment; sometimes they are the path along which God shapes and restores us.
- A heart to know God is a gift, not an achievement—it points to the inward renewal God alone can give, fulfilled in the new covenant and the gift of the Spirit. We cannot manufacture love for God; he must create it in us. Let the group rest in this grace.
- Their physical safety bred false security and continued rebellion; staying in the land was no proof of God's favor. The deeper issue was the heart, not the address. Caution the group against equating comfort or stability with divine approval.
- This is a personal-application question. Gently invite members to reconsider a painful season as a place where God may be at work for good. As leader, point to Romans 8:28 and the cross, where the greatest apparent defeat became the greatest good, and keep the tone hopeful.