Jeremiah 24:2

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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — After Nebuchadnezzar exiles King Jeconiah and Judah’s officials to Babylon, the Lord shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs placed before the temple. Jeremiah reports the visual contrast to the Lord.

The words — The Hebrew תְּאֵנֵי הַבְּכֻרֹת (te'ené ha-bəkūṯōt) literally means "figs of the firstfruits" or "early figs," denoting the first ripe harvest. The text explicitly contrasts these with figs so poor they are inedible.

The thread — The fig imagery parallels agricultural metaphors in Isaiah 5:4 and Isaiah 5:7 regarding divine expectation and judgment, and echoes Micah 7:1's theme of failed harvest.

Why it lands — The text demands a clear assessment of visible outcomes before assigning spiritual meaning. Readers must first acknowledge the stark contrast between what ripens properly and what rots beyond use.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הַדּ֣וּדha./Dudthe/ basket אֶחָ֗ד'e.Chadone תְּאֵנִים֙te.'e.Nim[was] figs טֹב֣וֹתto.Votgood מְאֹ֔דme.'Odvery כִּתְאֵנֵ֖יki/t.'e.Neilike/ [the] figs of הַבַּכֻּר֑וֹתha./ba.ku.Rotthe/ early figs וְהַדּ֣וּדve./ha./Dudand/ the/ basket אֶחָ֗ד'e.Chadone תְּאֵנִים֙te.'e.Nim[was] figs רָע֣וֹתra.'otbad מְאֹ֔דme.'Odvery אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich לֹא־lo'-not תֵֽאָכַ֖לְנָהte.'a.Khal.nahthey will be eaten מֵרֹֽעַ׃ סme./Ro.a'from/ badness

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Isaiah 5:4 What more could have been done for My vineyard than I have done for it? Why, when I expected sweet grapes, did it bring forth sour fruit?
Isaiah 5:7 For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of His delight. He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard a cry of distress.
Micah 7:1 Woe is me! For I am like one gathering summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster to eat, no early fig that I crave.
Jeremiah 24:5 “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.
Jeremiah 29:17 this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will send against them sword and famine and plague, and I will make them like rotten figs, so bad they cannot be eaten.
Ezekiel 15:2 “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any other branch among the trees in the forest?
Hosea 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved.
Malachi 1:12 “But you profane it when you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is contemptible.’
Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.