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 so evil.
Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah?—God's question engages the prophet in interpretation, a pedagogical method seen throughout Scripture (Amos 7:8, 8:2; Zechariah 4:2, 5:2). The question tests understanding and prepares Jeremiah to explain the vision. God doesn't merely show visions but ensures prophets comprehend their meaning before proclaiming them.
And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil—Jeremiah's response mirrors the vision's stark contrast. His threefold emphasis on the bad figs' condition ("evil, very evil... cannot be eaten, they are so evil") underscores their absolute worthlessness. The Hebrew ra' (רַע, evil/bad) appears three times, creating rhetorical intensity. This repetition prepares for the devastating application in verses 8-10: the "bad figs" represent King Zedekiah, Jerusalem's officials, and those who remained in Judah or fled to Egypt—all facing destruction. The vision's simplicity makes its message unmistakable: God has rendered final judgment on these two groups.
Historical Context
When Jeremiah received this vision, Jerusalem still stood, the temple still functioned, and Zedekiah still reigned—all appearances suggested God's continued favor on those in the land. The exiles in Babylon seemed cursed, living among pagans, unable to offer temple sacrifices, separated from the land God promised Abraham. Yet God's verdict reversed these assumptions completely. The explanation in verses 5-7 reveals that God would set His eyes on the exiles "for good," return them to the land, build them, plant them, and give them hearts to know Him. Meanwhile, those in Jerusalem would become "a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse" (v. 9), destroyed by sword, famine, and pestilence. History vindicated this prophecy: Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC, and the Babylonian exiles returned under Cyrus's decree in 538 BC to rebuild.
Questions for Reflection
What does God's question to Jeremiah teach about how He prepares His servants to deliver difficult messages?
How should the stark "good/evil" binary in this vision inform our understanding of covenant faithfulness versus unfaithfulness?
In what ways might religious people today resemble the "bad figs"—externally positioned in God's community but internally corrupt?
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Analysis & Commentary
Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah?—God's question engages the prophet in interpretation, a pedagogical method seen throughout Scripture (Amos 7:8, 8:2; Zechariah 4:2, 5:2). The question tests understanding and prepares Jeremiah to explain the vision. God doesn't merely show visions but ensures prophets comprehend their meaning before proclaiming them.
And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil—Jeremiah's response mirrors the vision's stark contrast. His threefold emphasis on the bad figs' condition ("evil, very evil... cannot be eaten, they are so evil") underscores their absolute worthlessness. The Hebrew ra' (רַע, evil/bad) appears three times, creating rhetorical intensity. This repetition prepares for the devastating application in verses 8-10: the "bad figs" represent King Zedekiah, Jerusalem's officials, and those who remained in Judah or fled to Egypt—all facing destruction. The vision's simplicity makes its message unmistakable: God has rendered final judgment on these two groups.