Bible Strands
Jeremiah 24:8
But 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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The LORD declares through the prophet a coming judgment against Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials, and the Jerusalem remnant remaining in the land and in Egypt.
The words — הָרָעוֹת (ha-ra'ot) translates literally as "the bad ones," and תֵאָכַלְנָה (te'akhalknah) means "they will be eaten."
The thread — The bad figs imagery continues in Jeremiah 24:9 as a warning of banishment and scorn, while Jeremiah 24:2 introduces the contrast between the good and bad baskets.
Why it lands — The text states that God will actively deal with specific political and religious leaders and displaced populations as He did with inedible figs, requiring the reader to recognize divine sovereignty over human exile and to accept the declared outcome without evasion.
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
King James Version
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:
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 43:1 When Jeremiah had finished telling all the people all the words of the LORD their God—everything that the LORD had sent him to say—
- 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.
- Jeremiah 29:16 this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile—
- Jeremiah 37:17 Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
- Jeremiah 39:2 And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city was breached.
- Jeremiah 21:10 For I have set My face against this city to bring disaster and not good, declares the LORD. It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.’
- 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 32:28 Therefore this is what the LORD says: Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it.
- Jeremiah 34:17 Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. So now I proclaim freedom for you, declares the LORD—freedom to fall by sword, by plague, and by famine! I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
- Jeremiah 37:10 Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans that is fighting against you, and only wounded men remained in their tents, they would still get up and burn this city down.”