The big picture
Jeremiah 24 opens in verse 1 with “The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 5 with “Thus saith the LORD , the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge…”, and closes in verse 10 with “And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be…” Repeated or prominent terms include figs, LORD, good, evil, land. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Jeremiah · King James Version · 10Jeremiah 24:1-5
1–5: The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the…
Jeremiah 24:1–5 opens with “The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD …” and reaches “Thus saith the LORD , the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 24 develops its own movement around figs, LORD, good, evil, land, with particular weight carried by figs, good, LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD , after that…” The number two makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
Jeremiah 24:1-5
King James Version1The 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.
2One 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.
3Then 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.
4Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
5Thus 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.
Jeremiah 24:6-10
6–10: For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again…
Jeremiah 24:6–10 opens with “For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I…” and reaches “And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 24 develops its own movement around figs, LORD, good, evil, land, with particular weight carried by land, evil, heart.
Context that brings the passage to life
“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…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“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…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Jeremiah 24:6-10
King James Version6For 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.
7And 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.
8And 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:
9And 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.
10And 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Jeremiah 24:1 begins with “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…”
Where the chapter turns
Jeremiah 24:3 forms a natural hinge: “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…”
The final note
Jeremiah 24:10 leaves the reader with “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.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words figs, LORD, good, evil, land, Judah help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What does Rebekah contribute beyond family eligibility?
Energy, hospitality and a direct decision to make the journey.
Why is the servant's retelling so long?
It presents the sequence to the family and explains why he sees divine guidance in it.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thou
- you
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.