Jeremiah 24:8

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

But like the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, says the LORD, so will I treat Zedekiah, king of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land and those living in the land of Egypt.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְכַתְּאֵנִים֙ הָֽרָע֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תֵאָכַ֖לְנָה מֵרֹ֑עַ כִּי־כֹ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה כֵּ֣ן אֶ֠תֵּן אֶת־צִדְקִיָּ֨הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֤ה וְאֶת־שָׂרָיו֙ וְאֵ֣ת ׀ שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙ בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וְהַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

Transliteration

wə-ḵattəʾēnîm hārāʿôt which not-tēʾāḵalnāh from-rōaʿ for-thus ʾāmar YHWH so ʾettēn ʾet-Ṣidqiyyāhû meleḵ-Yəhûdāh wə-ʾet-śārāyw and ʾēt šəʾērît Yərûšālaim hannišʾārîm in-hāʾāreṣ hazzōʾt wə-hayyōšəḇîm in-ʾereṣ Miṣrāyim.

Grammar Details

• *wə-ḵattəʾēnîm*: conjunction + preposition + feminine plural with definite article - and like the figs
• *hārāʿôt*: feminine plural adjective with definite article - the bad
• *tēʾāḵalnāh*: Niphal imperfect, 3rd feminine plural - they could be eaten
• *rōaʿ*: masculine singular - badness/evil
• *ʾāmar*: Qal perfect, 3rd masculine singular - said
• *ʾettēn*: Qal imperfect, 1st singular - I will give/make
• *meleḵ*: masculine singular construct - king of
• *śārāyw*: masculine plural construct with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his officials
• *šəʾērît*: feminine singular construct - remnant of
• *hannišʾārîm*: Niphal participle, masculine plural with definite article - the ones remaining
• *hāʾāreṣ*: feminine singular with definite article - the land
• *hazzōʾt*: demonstrative adjective, feminine singular - this
• *wə-hayyōšəḇîm*: conjunction + Qal participle, masculine plural with definite article - and the ones dwelling
• *ʾereṣ*: feminine singular construct - land of

Word Meanings

• *rōaʿ*: badness/evil/poor quality
• *šəʾērît*: remnant/remainder/survivors
• *hannišʾārîm*: remaining/left behind/survived
• *hayyōšəḇîm*: dwelling/living/staying

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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 usalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And as for the bad figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad; surely thus says the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the rest of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt:

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And as the bad{H7451} figs,{H8384} which cannot be eaten,{H398} they are so bad,{H7455} surely thus saith{H559} Jehovah,{H3068} So will I give{H5414} up Zedekiah{H6667} the king{H4428} of Judah,{H3063} and his princes,{H8269} and the residue{H7611} of Jerusalem,{H3389} that remain{H7604} in this land,{H776} and them that dwell{H3427} in the land{H776} of Egypt,{H4714}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And as the evil{H7451} figs{H8384}, which cannot be eaten{H398}{(H8735)}, they are so evil{H7455}; surely thus saith{H559}{(H8804)} the LORD{H3068}, So will I give{H5414}{(H8799)} Zedekiah{H6667} the king{H4428} of Judah{H3063}, and his princes{H8269}, and the residue{H7611} of Jerusalem{H3389}, that remain{H7604}{(H8737)} in this land{H776}, and them that dwell{H3427}{(H8802)} in the land{H776} of Egypt{H4714}:

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And like as thou knowest the naughtie fyges, which maye not be eate, they are so euel: Euen so wil I (saieth the LORDE) let Sedechias the kinge of Iuda, (ye and all his prynces, & the residue of Ierusalem that remayne ouer in this londe, & them also that dwell in Egipte) to be vexed & plaged in all kingdomes & londes.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And as the naughtie figges which can not bee eaten, they are so euill (surely thus saith the Lorde) so wil I giue Zedekiah the King of Iudah, and his princes, and the residue of Ierusalem, that remaine in this lande, and them that dwell in the lande of Egypt:

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And like as thou knowest the naughtie figges whiche may not be eaten they are so euyll: euen so wyll I, saith the Lorde, cause Zedechias the kyng of Iuda, yea and all his princes, and the residue of Hierusalem that remaine ouer in this lande, and them also that dwell in Egypt, to be vexed and plagued in all kyngdomes and landes.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  As the bad figs, which can't be eaten, they are so bad, surely thus says Yahweh, So will I give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt,

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And like the bad figs, that are not eaten for badness, Surely thus said Jehovah: So do I make Zedekiah king of Judah, And his heads, and the remnant of Jerusalem, Who are left in this land, And who are dwelling in the land of Egypt,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And as the bad figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad, surely thus saith Jehovah, So will I give up 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,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And as the bad figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad, surely thus saith Jehovah, So will I give up 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,

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And like the bad figs which are so bad that they are of no use for food, so I will give up Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his chiefs and the rest of Jerusalem who are still in this land, and those who are in the land of Egypt:

• World English Bible (2000)

  As the bad figs, which can't be eaten, they are so bad, surely thus says Yahweh, So will I give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt,

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  “I, the LORD, also solemnly assert:‘King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, and the people who remain in Jerusalem or who have gone to live in Egypt are like those bad figs. I consider them to be just like those bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten.

Referenced Verses

• Jer 24:2 : 2 One basket contained very good figs, like early-ripened figs, while the other basket contained very bad figs so bad they could not be eaten.
• Jer 43:1-44:1 : 1 When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all the words of the LORD their God, which the LORD their God had sent him to say to them, this is what happened. 2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, 'You are lying! The LORD our God did not send you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to settle there.’ 3 Rather, Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Chaldeans, to be killed or deported to Babylon. 4 Johanan son of Kareah, all the army commanders, and all the people did not obey the voice of the LORD and would not remain in the land of Judah. 5 Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders took all the remnant of Judah, those who had returned to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered, 6 the men, women, children, the king’s daughters, and all the people Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, along with Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. 7 They went to the land of Egypt because they did not obey the voice of the LORD. They went as far as Tahpanhes. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes: 9 Take some large stones in your hands, and set them in mortar in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah. 10 Then say to them, ‘This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am about to send for and bring Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, my servant, and I will set his throne above these stones that I have embedded here, and he will spread his royal canopy over them. 11 He will come and attack the land of Egypt. Those destined for death will go to death, those destined for captivity to captivity, and those destined for the sword to the sword. 12 I will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt, and he will burn them and take them captive. He will wrap himself in the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself in his garment, and he will depart from there in peace. 13 He will smash the sacred pillars of the temple of the sun in the land of Egypt, and he will burn the temples of the gods of Egypt with fire. 1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in the land of Egypt, those residing in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Noph, and the land of Pathros, saying:
• Jer 44:26-30 : 26 But hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah living in Egypt: ‘I have sworn by my great name,’ says the LORD, ‘that no one from Judah living in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, “As surely as the Lord GOD lives.” 27 Behold, I am watching over them for harm and not for good. Every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt will perish by the sword and by famine until they are completely destroyed. 28 Those who escape the sword and return from Egypt to the land of Judah will be very few. Then all the remnant of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand—mine or theirs. 29 This will be the sign to you,’ declares the LORD, ‘that I will punish you in this place so that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for harm: 30 This is what the LORD says: Behold, I will hand Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, over to his enemies who want to kill him, just as I handed Zedekiah, king of Judah, over to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, his enemy who sought his life.
• Jer 52:2-9 : 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done. 3 This happened because of the LORD's anger toward Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally cast them out of His presence. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4 In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came with his entire army against Jerusalem. They encamped around it and built siege works all around it. 5 So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 6 By the fourth month, on the ninth day, the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no more food for the people of the land. 7 Then the city was breached, and though the Chaldeans surrounded it, all the soldiers fled by night through the gate between the two walls, near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah. 8 The Chaldean army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. His entire army scattered and abandoned him. 9 They seized the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, in the land of Hamath. There, he pronounced judgment on him. 10 The king of Babylon killed Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, and he also executed all the officials of Judah at Riblah. 11 Then he blinded Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in bronze shackles. The king of Babylon took him to Babylon and kept him in prison until the day he died.
• Ezek 12:12-16 : 12 The prince who is among them will shoulder his belongings and leave in the darkness. They will dig through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land. 13 I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die. 14 I will scatter all who are around him—his helpers and all his troops—to every wind, and I will draw my sword after them. 15 Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands. 16 But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine, and plague so that they may recount all their detestable practices among the nations where they go. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
• Ezek 17:11-21 : 11 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 12 Say to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not understand what these things mean? Tell them: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon. 13 He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under an oath. Then he carried away the leaders of the land. 14 This kingdom was made humble so that it would not exalt itself, and so that by keeping its covenant, it might stand firm. 15 But he rebelled against him by sending his messengers to Egypt to obtain horses and a great army. Will he prosper? Will he escape if he does such things? Can a person break a covenant and still escape? 16 As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, in the place where the king who made him king resides—whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—there in Babylon he will die. 17 Pharaoh and his mighty army and great company will not help him in battle, when mounds are heaped up and siege walls are built to destroy many people. 18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Though he gave his hand in pledge, he did all these things. He will not escape! 19 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will bring upon his own head. 20 I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there for the unfaithfulness he committed against Me. 21 All his fugitives in all his troops will fall by the sword, and those who remain will be scattered to every direction. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.’
• Jer 21:10 : 10 For I have set my face against this city for disaster and not for good, declares the LORD. It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will burn it with fire.
• Jer 24:5 : 5 This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: "As with these good figs, so I will regard with favor the exiles of Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans, for their good.
• Jer 29:16-18 : 16 this is what the LORD says to the king who sits on David's throne and to all the people who remain in this city—your own brothers who were not taken with you into exile— 17 this is what the LORD of Armies says: 'I am about to send against them the sword, famine, and plague, and I will make them like rotten figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten.' 18 I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse and an object of astonishment, scorn, and ridicule among all the nations where I have banished them.
• Jer 32:28-29 : 28 Therefore, this is what the LORD says: 'I am about to give this city into the hands of the Chaldeans, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will capture it.' 29 The Chaldeans who are fighting against the city will enter it, set it on fire, and burn it along with the houses where incense was offered to Baal on their rooftops and drink offerings were poured out to other gods, provoking Me to anger.
• Jer 34:17-22 : 17 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming freedom, each one to his brother and to his neighbor. So now, I proclaim freedom for you, declares the Lord—freedom to the sword, to plague, and to famine. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 The men who violated my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and walked between its pieces. 19 The officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf— 20 I will hand them over to their enemies and to those who seek their lives. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. 21 And I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon that has withdrawn from you. 22 Behold, I am giving a command, declares the Lord, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it with fire. And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without any inhabitants.
• Jer 37:10 : 10 Even if you were to strike down the entire Chaldean army fighting against you, and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.
• Jer 37:17 : 17 Then King Zedekiah sent for him and secretly questioned him in his palace, saying, "Is there any word from the LORD?" Jeremiah replied, "There is. You will be handed over to the king of Babylon."
• Jer 38:18-23 : 18 But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from their hands.’" 19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them, and they will mistreat me." 20 Jeremiah said, "They will not hand you over. Please listen to the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, so that it may go well for you and your life will be spared. 21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word the LORD has shown me: 22 "All the women who are left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. They will say to you: ‘Your trusted friends have misled you and have overcome you. Your feet are sunk in the mud, and they have turned away and left you.’ 23 They will also bring out all your wives and your children to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down."
• Jer 39:2-9 : 2 In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, on the ninth day of the fourth month, the city’s walls were breached. 3 All the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsekim the chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer the chief magician, along with the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon. 4 When Zedekiah, king of Judah, and all the soldiers saw this, they fled, leaving the city at night through the king’s garden by the gate between the two walls, and they fled toward the Arabah. 5 But the Chaldean army pursued them, overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, captured him, and brought him to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. 6 The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah, before his very eyes, and also killed all the nobles of Judah. 7 He then blinded Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon. 8 The Chaldeans set fire to the palace of the king and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried into exile to Babylon the rest of the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the population.