Jeremiah 24:2
New International Version
One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early; the other basket had very bad figs, so bad they could not be eaten.

New Living Translation
One basket was filled with fresh, ripe figs, while the other was filled with bad figs that were too rotten to eat.

English Standard Version
One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten due to rottenness.

NASB 1995
One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten due to rottenness.

NASB 1977
One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs; and the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten due to rottenness.

Legacy Standard Bible
One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, and the other basket had very rotten figs which could not be eaten due to rottenness.

Amplified Bible
One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are the first to ripen; but the other basket had very bad figs, so rotten that they could not be eaten.

Christian Standard Bible
One basket contained very good figs, like early figs, but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they were inedible.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
One basket contained very good figs, like early figs, but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they were inedible.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
One basket was full of very good figs that ripened early, and the other was full of rotten figs that were not fit to eat.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
One basket had very good figs, like figs that ripen first. The other basket had very bad figs. These figs were so bad that they couldn't be eaten.

Good News Translation
The first basket contained good figs, those that ripen early; the other one contained bad figs, too bad to eat.

International Standard Version
One basket contained very good figs like the first figs that ripen on the tree. The other basket contained very bad figs that were too bad to be eaten.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
One basket had very good-looking figs in it. They looked like those that had ripened early. The other basket had very bad-looking figs in it, so bad they could not be eaten.

New Heart English Bible
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very poor figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.

World English Bible
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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
In one basket [are] very good figs, like the first-ripe figs, and in the other basket [are] very bad figs that are not eaten because of badness.

Young's Literal Translation
In the one basket are figs very good, like the first-ripe figs, and in the other basket are figs very bad, that are not eaten for badness.

Smith's Literal Translation
One basket of figs exceedingly good as the figs first ripe, and the one basket of figs exceedingly evil, which shall not be eaten from being evil.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
One basket had very good figs, like the figs of the first season: and the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten, because they were bad.

Catholic Public Domain Version
One basket had exceedingly good figs, like the figs usually found early in the season, and the other basket had exceedingly bad figs, which could not be eaten because they were so bad.

New American Bible
One basket contained excellent figs, those that ripen early. But the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they could not be eaten.

New Revised Standard Version
One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs, so that they could not be eaten, because they were so bad.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
One reed basket of figs that are very good, as first fruit figs, and another reed basket of figs that are very bad that are not eaten, because of their badness
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The one basket was full of very good figs, as the early figs; and the other basket was full of very bad figs, which could not be eaten, for their badness.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Good and Bad 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.”…

Cross References
Matthew 7:17-20
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. / A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. / Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ...

Luke 6:43-45
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. / For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles. / The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Isaiah 5:1-7
I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. / He dug it up and cleared the stones and planted the finest vines. He built a watchtower in the middle and dug out a winepress as well. He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes, but the fruit it produced was sour! / “And now, O dwellers of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I exhort you to judge between Me and My vineyard. ...

Ezekiel 15:1-8
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, / “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any other branch among the trees in the forest? / Can wood be taken from it to make something useful? Or can one make from it a peg on which to hang utensils? ...

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.

Amos 8:1-2
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: I saw a basket of summer fruit. / “Amos, what do you see?” He asked. “A basket of summer fruit,” I replied. So the LORD said to me, “The end has come for My people Israel; I will no longer spare them.”

Matthew 21:18-19
In the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry. / Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.

Mark 11:12-14
The next day, when they had left Bethany, Jesus was hungry. / Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if there was any fruit on it. But when He reached it, He found nothing on it except leaves, since it was not the season for figs. / Then He said to the tree, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again.” And His disciples heard this statement.

John 15:1-8
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. / He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. / You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ...

Romans 11:17-24
Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, / do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. / You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ...

Psalm 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

Isaiah 27:6
In the days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit.

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.

Matthew 12:33
Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit.

Luke 13:6-9
Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. / So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ / ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ...


Treasury of Scripture

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.

One basket.

Jeremiah 24:5-7
Thus 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…

Hosea 9:10
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

Micah 7:1
Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.

first ripe.

Isaiah 28:4
And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

naughty.

Jeremiah 24:8-10
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: …

Isaiah 5:4,7
What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? …

Ezekiel 15:2-5
Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? …

they were so bad.

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Bad Basket Due Early Eaten Figs First First-Ripe Food Good Growth Naughty Poor Ripe Ripen Rottenness Use
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Jeremiah 24
1. Under the type of good and bad figs,
4. he foreshows the restoration of those who were in captivity;
8. and the desolation of Zedekiah and the rest.














One basket had very good figs
The imagery of "one basket" signifies a complete and distinct group, representing those who are faithful and obedient to God. The "very good figs" symbolize the exiles from Judah who were taken to Babylon. In the Hebrew context, figs are often associated with prosperity and blessing. The "very good figs" are likened to those that "ripen early," indicating a sense of readiness and favor. This reflects God's promise to preserve a remnant that will ultimately return and restore the nation. The early ripening of figs suggests a special selection by God, emphasizing His sovereign choice and the hope of renewal.

like those that ripen early
The phrase "like those that ripen early" conveys a sense of prime quality and desirability. In ancient Israel, early-ripening figs were considered a delicacy, often sought after for their sweetness and freshness. This metaphor highlights the special status of the faithful remnant, who are seen as precious and valuable in God's eyes. The early ripening also suggests a readiness to fulfill God's purposes, indicating that those who are faithful are prepared to be used by Him for His divine plan. This readiness is a call to believers to be spiritually mature and responsive to God's timing.

but the other basket had very bad figs
The contrast with "the other basket" introduces a stark division between the faithful and the unfaithful. The "very bad figs" represent those who remain in Jerusalem and continue in their rebellion against God. In the Hebrew language, the term for "bad" can also imply moral corruption and decay. These figs are so "bad" that they are beyond redemption, symbolizing the spiritual and moral degradation of those who reject God's covenant. This serves as a warning to believers about the consequences of disobedience and the importance of remaining true to God's commands.

so bad they could not be eaten
The phrase "so bad they could not be eaten" underscores the severity of the judgment on the unfaithful. In ancient times, figs that were inedible were considered worthless and discarded. This imagery conveys the idea that those who persist in sin and rebellion are ultimately rejected by God. The inability to be "eaten" signifies a complete lack of usefulness and purpose, highlighting the spiritual barrenness of those who turn away from God. This serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of repentance and the need to align one's life with God's will to avoid spiritual ruin.

(2) Like the figs that are first ripe.--Figs were usually gathered in August. The "first ripe," the "summer fruits" of Micah 7:1, the "hasty fruit before the summer" (Isaiah 28:4; Hosea 9:10) were looked upon as a choice delicacy. The "naughty" (i.e., worthless) fruits were those that had been left behind on the tree, bruised and decayed. The word was not confined in the 16th century to the language of the nursery, and was applied freely to things as well as persons. So North's translation of Plutarch speaks of men "fighting on naughty ground."

"So shines a good deed in a naughty world."

SHAKESPEARE, Merchant of Venice, v. 1.

Verse 2. - Like the figs that are first ripe. The early spring fig was considered a special delicacy (comp. Isaiah 27:4; Hosea 9:10); "ficus praecox," Pliny calls it ('Hist. Nat.,' 15:19, quoted by Trench). Tristram suggests that the "bad figs" were those of a sycamore tree.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
One
אֶחָ֗ד (’e·ḥāḏ)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

basket
הַדּ֣וּד (had·dūḏ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1731: A pot, a basket

[had] very
מְאֹ֔ד (mə·’ōḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 3966: Vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily

good
טֹב֣וֹת (ṭō·ḇō·wṯ)
Adjective - feminine plural
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

figs,
תְּאֵנִים֙ (tə·’ê·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8384: Of foreign derivation, the fig

like those that ripen early,
כִּתְאֵנֵ֖י (kiṯ·’ê·nê)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 8384: Of foreign derivation, the fig

but the other
אֶחָ֗ד (’e·ḥāḏ)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

basket
וְהַדּ֣וּד (wə·had·dūḏ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1731: A pot, a basket

contained very
מְאֹ֔ד (mə·’ōḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 3966: Vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily

poor
רָע֣וֹת (rā·‘ō·wṯ)
Adjective - feminine plural
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

figs,
תְּאֵנִים֙ (tə·’ê·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8384: Of foreign derivation, the fig

so bad
מֵרֹֽעַ׃ (mê·rō·a‘)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7455: Badness, evil

they could not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

be eaten.
תֵֽאָכַ֖לְנָה (ṯê·’ā·ḵal·nāh)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural
Strong's 398: To eat


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 24:2 One basket had very good figs like (Jer.)
Jeremiah 24:1
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