Jeremiah 24:10
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This verse powerfully highlights that God's gifts, even the land He promised, are conditional. The phrase "that I gave to them and their fathers" isn't just a historical note; it's a stark reminder that their current, hardened rebellion meant they forfeited this sacred inheritance until they were "utterly destroyed" from it.
And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse speaks to the grim fate awaiting the "bad figs"—those Jews who remained in Jerusalem after the first Babylonian deportation, including King Zedekiah and his court. Unlike the "good figs" (the exiles in Babylon), who are promised a return and restoration, these remaining Judeans will face the horrific consequences of their continued rebellion through war, starvation, and disease until they are completely wiped out from the land God had given them and their ancestors.
Sometimes, it feels like disaster strikes without reason. But when God speaks of judgment, it's always with a purpose and a plan.
Jeremiah 24 describes two baskets of figs: one good, representing the faithful exiles in Babylon, and one bad, representing those left behind in Jerusalem. This verse focuses on the fate of the 'bad figs' – Zedekiah and his party who stubbornly resisted God.
God declares He will send "sword, famine, and pestilence" upon them. These aren't random misfortunes; they are God’s chosen instruments of judgment. The commentaries highlight that these three calamities often go hand-in-hand, especially during sieges. They are the inevitable consequences of rejecting God's warnings and covenant.
This judgment is not arbitrary. It’s a direct response to their hardened hearts and continued disobedience. God’s justice, while severe here, is precisely measured to address their sin.
God gave the Promised Land to Israel, a gift meant to be cherished. But what happens when the recipients prove unworthy?
The verse ends with a stark reminder: 'until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.' This phrase is crucial. The land was a divine gift, a sign of God's covenant faithfulness.
However, as the commentaries note, God's gifts aren't always permanent if they are misused or rejected. The land was given 'as long as they behaved themselves well' or 'during God's good pleasure.' The 'bad figs' forfeited their right to inhabit the land through their rebellion.
Their destruction from the land wasn't just a political defeat; it was a spiritual stripping away. They lost the very inheritance God had blessed them with because they refused to honor Him as their God and King. It underscores that covenant blessings are conditional on faithfulness.
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Understand the original words
chereb · Hebrew Noun
Divine judgment characterized by extreme physical, social, or spiritual deprivation, often serving as a wake-up call to repentance or a final punishment for persistent rebellion against God.
ra'av · Hebrew Noun
A condition of severe scarcity of food, often sent as a consequence of sin and covenant breaking, highlighting human dependence on God for sustenance and life.
deber · Hebrew Noun
A widespread, deadly disease or plague; in the Old Testament, it is frequently cited as a tool of divine judgment against disobedience, underscoring God's sovereignty over life and health.
This verse describes the impending doom for the wicked, remaining Jews in Jerusalem, who are likened to rotten figs. Unlike the 'good figs'—the exiles in Babylon who would eventually return—those left behind face utter destruction through the classic divine judgments of sword, famine, and pestilence as a consequence of their continued rebellion.
605 BC
First Deportation of Judahites to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Jerusalem and takes a first group of exiles, including members of the royal family and educated elite, back to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 597 BC— this verse
Second Deportation of Judahites to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports another significant portion of Judah's population, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin. This event is directly linked to the vision of the good and bad figs.
c. 597 - 586 BC
Siege and Famine in Jerusalem
The remaining population in Jerusalem, led by King Zedekiah, faces a prolonged siege by the Babylonian army. During this time, famine and disease become rampant within the city.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar's forces finally breach Jerusalem's walls, destroying the Temple and the city. The majority of the remaining population is deported to Babylon, with only a remnant left behind.
c. 586 BC onwards
Scattered Remnant in Judah
A small group of Judahites are left in the land of Judah, but they face continued devastation and judgment through sword, famine, and pestilence as foretold.
This passage directly parallels the consequences for disobedience by listing the 'sword, famine, and pestilence' as divine judgments, emphasizing that these outcomes are a result of rejecting God's commands.
Ezekiel 14:21This verse echoes Jeremiah's prophecy by mentioning the same three severe judgments – sword, famine, and pestilence – being sent upon a rebellious people as a righteous consequence.
Deuteronomy 28:21-22This section from Deuteronomy lists famine and pestilence as specific curses for covenant unfaithfulness, reinforcing the idea that the loss of the promised land through such judgments is a foregone conclusion for disobedience.
Jeremiah 15:2-3Jeremiah himself is told that even if some escape the sword, famine, or pestilence, they will still be delivered into captivity, highlighting the inescapable nature of God's judgment when repentance is absent.
clarkeJeremiah 24:10: "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."
I will send the sword - Many of them fell by sword and famine in the war with the Chaldeans, and many more by such means afterwards. The first received their captivity as a correction, and turned to God; the latter still hardened their hearts more and more, and probably very many of them never returned: perhaps they are now…
pooleJeremiah 24:10: "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."
Many of them shall not live to be carried into captivity, but shall die miserably in their own land, if not by the enemies’ sword , yet by the famine and the pestilence , which two things ordinarily attend long sieges. By one of these three sore judgments of God they shall be consumed out of the land, and shall not hold it b…
This verse powerfully highlights that God's gifts, even the land He promised, are conditional. The phrase "that I gave to them and their fathers" isn't just a historical note; it's a stark reminder that their current, hardened rebellion meant they forfeited this sacred inheritance until they were "utterly destroyed" from it.
This verse speaks to the grim fate awaiting the "bad figs"—those Jews who remained in Jerusalem after the first Babylonian deportation, including King Zedekiah and his court. Unlike the "good figs" (the exiles in Babylon), who are promised a return and restoration, these remaining Judeans will face the horrific consequences of their continued rebellion through war, starvation, and disease until they are completely wiped out from the land God had given them and their ancestors.
This verse speaks to the grim fate awaiting the "bad figs"—those Jews who remained in Jerusalem after the first Babylonian deportation, including King Zedekiah and his court. Unlike the "good figs" (the exiles in Babylon), who are promised a return and restoration, these remaining Judeans will face the horrific consequences of their continued rebellion through war, starvation, and disease until they are completely wiped out from the land God had given them and their ancestors.
"And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.”" — This verse powerfully highlights that God's gifts, even the land He promised, are conditional. The phrase "that I gave to them and their fathers" isn't just a historical note; it's a stark reminder t…
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Last reviewed October 2026
