Breakdown of Jeremiah 8:13

"When I would gather them, declares the LORD, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them.”" — What's easy to miss is that God's judgment isn't just about taking away fruit; it's about the very things He gave them – His blessings, His law, His provision – being stripped away and passed over…

Jeremiah 8:13 Meaning Explained

All verses

Jeremiah 8:13

When I would gather them, declares the LORD, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them.”

English Standard Version (ESV)

What's easy to miss is that God's judgment isn't just about taking away fruit; it's about the very things He gave them – His blessings, His law, His provision – being stripped away and passed over by invaders. This highlights that their destruction isn't random, but a direct consequence of their unfaithfulness to what God had already so generously provided.

What Jeremiah 8:13 means

The Lord declares He will utterly sweep away His people, comparing them to a vine and fig tree stripped bare of fruit and leaves, symbolizing their utter barrenness and the loss of all the blessings He had given them. This imagery highlights the impending judgment and famine that will befall them because they have turned away from His laws and forgotten Him.

From Fruitful to Forsaken

God's people were meant to be a fruitful vine, overflowing with the blessings of His presence. But what happens when that fruit is gone, and even the leaves have withered?

Jeremiah uses vivid agricultural imagery to describe the coming judgment on Judah. The vine and the fig tree were symbols of prosperity and God's favor.

The Vine and the Fig Tree: In ancient Israel, a healthy vine bearing grapes and a fig tree laden with fruit represented a land blessed by God and a people living in His favor. These weren't just food sources; they were signs of covenant faithfulness.
The Absence of Fruit: Jeremiah declares, "there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree." This signifies more than just a bad harvest. It represents the complete absence of the expected results of God's blessing—no righteousness, no obedience, no flourishing of His people.
Withered Leaves: Even the leaves, which symbolize life and outward appearance, have withered. This suggests that the very life and vitality of the nation are gone. There's no pretense of health left; the decay is evident and complete.

When God's Gifts Are Taken

God has given us so much – His presence, His Word, His Spirit. But what happens when these gifts, intended for our good, are removed or turn against us?

The final phrase, "and what I gave them has passed away from them," speaks to the ultimate consequence of Judah's rebellion: the loss of God's blessings and the judgment that follows.

The Nature of God's Gifts: God had richly blessed Judah. He gave them His law, His promises, His land, and His presence among them. These were not just things; they were expressions of His covenant love and intended to lead to life.
Transgression and Loss: Commentators suggest that "what I gave them" can be understood as the divine law or statutes that they transgressed. Their sin meant that these very gifts, meant to guide and bless them, would now serve as evidence against them.

Historical context

Written: Late 7th to early 6th century BC
Author: Jeremiah, a prophet of Judah.
Location: Written from Judah, likely during the Babylonian exile.
Genre: Prophecy, featuring vivid imagery and lament.

Historical background

The imagery of withered vines and fruitless fig trees vividly portrays the desolation and loss that followed the Babylonian conquest of Judah, illustrating a land stripped bare of its blessings and sustenance due to unfaithfulness.

c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Exile
The Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) falls to the Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of a significant portion of its population. This event served as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under King Jehoiakim, Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar deport a portion of Judah's elite, including young men like Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and many more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This further weakens the kingdom and signals escalating judgment.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's army destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the catastrophic culmination of God's judgment on Judah.

Key themes

01Divine judgment declared
02Fruitlessness of disobedience
03Loss of divine gifts
04Widespread desolation

Cross-references

Hosea 9:10

This passage uses similar imagery of finding no fruit where it should be, describing Israel as finding no grapes when they were meant to be found, directly echoing Jeremiah's lament.

Joel 1:7

This prophet also uses the image of the vine stripped bare and the fig tree destroyed to depict a devastating plague of locusts, paralleling Jeremiah's depiction of desolation and loss of produce.

Matthew 21:19

Jesus' cursing of the fig tree that had leaves but no fruit directly reflects the symbolic language Jeremiah uses, where the absence of fruit signifies a lack of spiritual substance and impending judgment.

Luke 13:6-9

The parable of the barren fig tree, where Jesus pleads for one more year before cutting it down, further emphasizes the theme of unfruitfulness and the consequences of failing to produce spiritual fruit, a concept deeply embedded in Jeremiah's prophecy.

Isaiah 5:1-7

This passage describes God's 'loved one' as a vineyard that yielded wild grapes instead of good ones, illustrating a similar theme of divine disappointment and judgment due to a failure to bear the expected fruit.

Scholarly commentary

Jeremiah 8:13: "I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them."

Verse 13 - Jeremiah 9:1. - Further description of the judgment; grief of Jeremiah. Verse 13. - There shall be no grapes, etc.; rather, there are no grapes... and the leaf is faded. It is the actual condition of things which the prophet describes. Elsewhere Judah is compared to a vin…
pulpit

Jeremiah 8:13: "I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them."

Or, "I will gather and sweep them away, saith Jehovah: there are no grapes on the vine, and no figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf is dry: therefore will I appoint those that shall pass over them." Judah is a vine which bears no fruit: a tree which makes even no profession of life, fo…
barnes

Frequently asked questions

What does Jeremiah 8:13 mean?

Explain the meaning of Jeremiah 8:13

What is the context of Jeremiah 8:13?

Study this verse in Sola

Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.

Open in Sola app Get the app

Ask a follow-up

Ask Sola about this verse

Ask Sola things like:

“What does the original Hebrew reveal about Jeremiah 8:13?”
“Why did Jeremiah, a prophet of Judah. write Jeremiah 8:13?”
“How does divine judgment declared show up in Jeremiah 8:13?”

Ask in the Sola app Get the app

Live chat about Jeremiah 8:13 is available in the Sola app.

This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.

What Jeremiah 8:13 means

Historical background

c. 722 BC

Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Exile

The Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) falls to the Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of a significant portion of its population. This event served as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of disobedience.

605 BC

First Deportation to Babylon

Under King Jehoiakim, Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar deport a portion of Judah's elite, including young men like Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's Babylonian exile.

597 BC

Second Deportation to Babylon

Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and many more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This further weakens the kingdom and signals escalating judgment.

586 BC— this verse

Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of the Temple

Nebuchadnezzar's army destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the catastrophic culmination of God's judgment on Judah.