Jeremiah 24

The LORD showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the LORD’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.

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.

Then the LORD 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.”

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“The LORD, 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.

For 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.

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 their whole heart.

“‘As the bad figs, which can’t be eaten, they are so bad,’ surely the LORD 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.

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 will drive them.

I 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.’”

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview. This chapter records a vision given by the LORD to Jeremiah involving two baskets of figs—one containing good figs, the other very bad ones—set before the temple. Through this symbolic act, the LORD reveals His judgment and future restoration, distinguishing between the exiles in Babylon, whom He will bless and restore, and those who remain in Judah or flee to Egypt, whom He will judge severely for their rebellion.

Flow.

The prophet sees a vision of two baskets of figs at the temple, one with excellent fruit and the other with inedible, rotten figs.
The LORD interprets the vision: the good figs represent the exiles taken to Babylon, whom the LORD regards as good and will one day restore.
He promises to bring them back, rebuild their lives, and give them a true knowledge of Himself, establishing an enduring covenant relationship.
In contrast, the bad figs represent Zedekiah, his officials, and the remnant in Judah and Egypt, who will face divine judgment through dispersion, disaster, and destruction.

Connections. Following chapter 23, which ends with a promise of future righteous Davidic rule and the re-gathering of God’s people (WCF 7.3, HC LD 19), this chapter grounds that hope in a present historical moment, distinguishing between those who will be preserved and those who will not. The vision reinforces the principle that faithfulness, not mere lineage or location, determines participation in God’s covenant blessings—a theme that chapter 25 takes up in the context of imminent judgment on the nations and Judah’s seventy years of exile.

What it teaches. The chapter reveals that God’s judgment and mercy are not arbitrary but reflect the condition of the heart and His sovereign purpose in history. The exiles, though removed from the land, are considered good because their removal is an act of divine mercy leading to repentance and renewal of covenant relationship (WCF 6.4; CD I.9). God promises to give them a new heart to know Him fully—a pledge of regeneration and restoration (WCF 13.1; HC LD 7). Conversely, those who remain in the land or flee to Egypt in defiance of God’s word (e.g., against His command delivered through Jeremiah) embody rebellion and face certain judgment (WCF 5.6; CD I.15). This shows that presence in the land does not guarantee covenant standing; rather, covenant life depends on submission to God’s word and His gracious renewal.

Apply. God’s judgment refines rather than rejects His true people, and even exile can be a means of preserving a remnant for His purposes.

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