Jeremiah 29:17-18
‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten. I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse starkly contrasts the exiled Jews with those left behind, painting the latter not just as "bad" but as "vile figs," so utterly rotten and repulsive that they're unfit for use. This imagery powerfully conveys their complete moral and spiritual decay, making them an object of divine disgust.
Jeremiah is writing a letter to the exiles in Babylon, warning them not to listen to false prophets who promise a quick return. He contrasts their situation with those left behind in Jerusalem, assuring the exiles that God has a plan for them. This verse, however, reveals the severe judgment awaiting the people and leaders still in Jerusalem for their continued rebellion.
Calamities like war, famine, and disease can feel like random acts of nature or the work of human enemies. But Jeremiah reveals a deeper truth about who is ultimately in control.
Jeremiah 29:17 begins with a powerful declaration: "Thus says the LORD of hosts..." This isn't just a human conflict or a natural disaster. God Himself announces that He is the one sending these devastating forces – the sword, famine, and pestilence.
This might sound harsh, but it speaks to God's sovereignty. Even when human wickedness is the proximate cause, God can use those circumstances as instruments of His judgment. He is not a distant observer; He is actively involved in history, bringing consequences for sin. This doesn't mean God delights in suffering, but that He is just and will not let evil go unchecked forever.
Why does God compare His people to 'vile figs'? This striking image reveals the deep spiritual decay He saw in Judah and the absolute worthlessness of their sin.
The image of "vile figs" is not just about bad taste; it's about utter uselessness and corruption. The Hebrew word translated here as "vile" carries a sense of something causing disgust or even horror, something so rotten it's unfit for consumption.
This metaphor, which Jeremiah uses elsewhere (Jeremiah 24), vividly portrays the state of those who remained in Jerusalem. Unlike the "good figs" (the captives in Babylon) who, though punished, still held a potential for restoration, these "rotten figs" were beyond such hope. Their sin had reached a point of putrefaction, making them an object of God's loathing and judgment. It signifies a spiritual decay so deep that they had become not only useless but actively repulsive to God.
Understand the original words
Yahweh Sabaoth · Hebrew Noun
A title for God emphasizing His sovereignty over all creation, including the heavenly hosts (angels) and earthly powers. It denotes His supreme authority to execute judgment and salvation.
chereb, ra'ab, deber · Hebrew Noun
Commonly referred to in scripture as the 'three judgments' of God. Together they represent total divine intervention and the breakdown of society, agriculture, and life as punishment for persistent rebellion.
shemamah · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
A state of being despised or held in low regard, often reflecting the loss of divine favor. It suggests a condition of worthlessness or moral corruption in the sight of God.
alah · Hebrew Noun
This verse speaks directly to the desperate situation in Jerusalem during its final siege, contrasting the fate of those left behind with those already in exile, emphasizing God's impending judgment upon the city and its leaders for their persistent rebellion.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar's first siege of Jerusalem results in the deportation of many prominent Judeans, including members of the royal family and skilled workers, to Babylon.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation (Jeconiah's Exile)
Following another siege, King Jeconiah and a larger group of Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon. This event sets the stage for the ongoing exile and the false hopes addressed by Jeremiah.
c. 589-587 BC— this verse
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem for the final time. The city's resistance is met with brutal force, leading to its complete destruction.
c. 587 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Jerusalem is utterly destroyed, its Temple burned, and the majority of the remaining population is deported to Babylon, marking the end of the Davidic kingdom.
This passage provides the foundational imagery of the good and bad figs, directly paralleling the 'vile figs' in Jeremiah 29:17 with the 'bad figs' that are too rotten to eat, representing the wicked who remained in Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 5:12Ezekiel echoes Jeremiah's theme of devastating judgment, listing sword, famine, and pestilence as divine instruments of destruction against a rebellious people.
Leviticus 26:16This earlier covenant passage warns of the very same calamities—sword, famine, and pestilence—that God would send upon Israel if they disobeyed His commands, showing the long-standing consequences of national sin.
Deuteronomy 28:53-55Here, Moses prophesies the dire consequences of disobedience, including the horrific siege conditions that lead to cannibalism due to famine, and the extreme desperation that makes people 'vile' and unfit for normal life, akin to the figs described.
calvinJeremiah 29:15-17: "Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;"
Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
Ideo sic dicit Jehova regi sedenti super solium Davidis et toti populo sedenti in hac urbe (hoc est, habitanti, nam yvsv hic diversis modis accipitur,) fratribus vestris, qui non egressi sunt vobisc…
pooleJeremiah 29:17: "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil."
No text from Poole on this verse.
The verse starkly contrasts the exiled Jews with those left behind, painting the latter not just as "bad" but as "vile figs," so utterly rotten and repulsive that they're unfit for use. This imagery powerfully conveys their complete moral and spiritual decay, making them an object of divine disgust.
Jeremiah is writing a letter to the exiles in Babylon, warning them not to listen to false prophets who promise a quick return. He contrasts their situation with those left behind in Jerusalem, assuring the exiles that God has a plan for them. This verse, however, reveals the severe judgment awaiting the people and leaders still in Jerusalem for their continued rebellion.
Jeremiah is writing a letter to the exiles in Babylon, warning them not to listen to false prophets who promise a quick return. He contrasts their situation with those left behind in Jerusalem, assuring the exiles that God has a plan for them. This verse, however, reveals the severe judgment awaiting the people and leaders still in Jerusalem for their continued rebellion.
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A formal pronouncement or state of being under divine judgment. It signifies a person or community set apart for destruction or exclusion from the blessing of God.
c. 587 BC
Massacre of the Remaining Population
Following the city's fall, Nebuchadnezzar executes many of the remaining Judean leaders and commoners, further illustrating the severe judgment.
"‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten. I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make the…" — The verse starkly contrasts the exiled Jews with those left behind, painting the latter not just as "bad" but as "vile figs," so utterly rotten and repulsive that they're unfit for use. This imagery…
