Jeremiah 24:1-10
Two Baskets of Figs
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.’”
Berean Standard Bible
After Nebuchadnezzar carries away Jeconiah, officials, craftsmen, and metalworkers, Jeremiah sees two baskets of figs placed before the temple. One basket contains very good figs, like early figs; the other contains very bad figs that cannot be eaten.
The LORD says the good figs represent the exiles from Judah whom He sent away for their good. He will set His eyes on them, bring them back, build them up, and give them a heart to know Him. They will be His people because they return to Him with all their heart.
The bad figs represent Zedekiah, the leaders, and those who remain in Jerusalem or flee to Egypt. They will become a reproach and a terror, a byword and a curse. The LORD will send sword, famine, and plague until they perish from the land.
The vision overturns appearances. Those who seem to have lost everything in exile may be the ones God is preserving, while those still standing in Jerusalem may be refusing His purpose. God sees beyond the visible position a person occupies today.
Questions
1 What did the two baskets contain?
AnswerOne contained very good figs, and the other contained very bad figs that could not be eaten.
2 Whom did the good figs represent?
AnswerThey represented the exiles whom the LORD sent away for their good.
3 What would God give the exiles?
AnswerHe would give them a heart to know Him, bring them back, and build them up.
4 Whom did the bad figs represent?
AnswerThey represented Zedekiah, the leaders, and those who remained or fled to Egypt while resisting God's judgment.
What This Means for Us
The good basket is a warning against judging God's care by comfort or appearance. Exile is painful, but it can become the place where people return to God wholeheartedly.
Do not assume the person in the hardest season is the one God has abandoned. Stay humble about what you can see, support faithful repentance, and ask what God may be teaching through loss.
Prayer
God who sees beyond appearances, give us hearts that know you. Preserve people in hard places, keep us humble in comfort, and teach us to recognize your restoring work. Amen.