Jeremiah 24:4

Jer 24:4 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Ver. 4. Again the word of the Lord.] Transitio ad Anagogen: the interpretation followeth, whereby will appear the different judgment made of persons and things by God and men.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

THE INTERPRETATION OF THE SYMBOL, Jer_24:4-10.

4, 5. Like… good figs — These figs represent those Judahites who have been carried away into captivity. They are “good” — not absolutely, but comparatively.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24:4-7 The people exiled from Jerusalem had a better future than those who remained in the land, because the Lord would plant the exiles as a new community of reformed people (see 1:10).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(4) Again the word of the Lord came unto me.—The words seem to imply an interval, during which the prophet was left to ponder over the symbols that he had thus seen. At last “the word of the Lord came” and made their meaning clear.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4–10. See introd. summary to section.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. As follows; where an explanation is given of the above vision, to which this is a transition.

Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. As follows; where an explanation is given of the above vision, to which this is a transition.

Jeremiah 24:5

jer 24:5

jer 24:5

jer 24:5Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel,.... Of all the tribes of Israel; of the ten tribes that had been carried captive long ago by the king of Assyria; and of the other two tribes, part of whom were in Babylon, and the other in Judea, who were not wholly cut off by the Lord; but he still had a regard for them; and therefore introduces what he was about to say in this manner:

like those good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah; that they are good men, and like those good rigs, even those that were; and though they are carried captive: or, "I will know them" (d); take notice of them; show an affectionate love to them, and care of them; make himself known unto them, and own them for his, in the furnace of affliction:

whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good; or "for good things", as the Septuagint and other versions; for their temporal good; some were raised to great honours, as Daniel, and his associates; others got and possessed estates in Babylon, and some returned with favours and riches: and this was also for their spiritual good; to bring them to a sense of their sins, to repentance for them, and acknowledgment of them; and particularly to cure them of idolatry, which it effectually did; so the Lord makes all "things to work together for good", to them that love him, Rom 8:28; and it may be observed, that though the Chaldeans carried the Jews captive out of their own land, and the city of Jerusalem, meant by "this place", into the land of Babylon, yet they were only instruments; it was the Lord's doing; he sent them thither. Jarchi connects the phrase "for good" with the word "acknowledge", supposing a transposition of the words, thus, "I will acknowledge them for good".

(d) "cognoscam", V. L. Gataker.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The complete fulfillment of this prophecy belongs to the Christian Church. There is a close analogy between Jeremiah at the first destruction of Jerusalem and our Lord at the second. There the good figs were those converts picked out by the preaching of Christ and the Apostles; the bad figs were the mass of the people left for Titus and the Romans to destroy.

Jer 24:5

Acknowledge ... for their good - Specially their spiritual good. Put a comma after Chaldaeans.

Jer 24:8

That dwell in the land of Egypt - Neither those carried captive with Jehoahaz into Egypt, nor those who fled there, are to share in these blessings. The new life of the Jewish nation is to be the work only of the exiles in Babylon.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The interpretation of the symbol. Jer 24:5. Like the good figs, the Lord will look on the captives in Chaldea for good ("for good" belongs to the verb "look on them"). The point of resemblance is: as one looks with pleasure on good figs, takes them and keeps them, so will I bestow my favour on Judah's captives. Looking on them for good is explained, Jer 24:6 : the Lord will set His eye on them, bring them back into their land and build them up again. With "build them," etc., cf. Jer 1:10. The building and planting of the captives is not to consist solely in the restoration of their former civil well-being, but will be a spiritual regeneration of the people. God will give them a heart to know Him as their God, so that they may be in truth His people, and He their God. "For they will return," not: when they return (Ew., Hitz.). The turning to the Lord cannot be regarded as the condition of their receiving favour, because God will give them a heart to know Him; it is the working of the knowledge of the Lord put in their hearts. And this is adduced to certify the idea that they will then be really the Lord's people.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, "Yahweh

This idiom is used to introduce a special message from God. See how you translated it in Jeremiah 1:4. AT: "Yahweh gave me a message. He said, 'Yahweh" or "Yahweh spoke this message to me: 'Yahweh" (See: Idiom)

I will look on the exiles of Judah for their benefit

Here "look on" is an idiom that means Yahweh will take care of them. AT: "I will take good care of the exiles of Judah" (See: Idiom)

just like these good figs

The good figs represent those Judean exiles sent to the land of Chaldea. (See: Simile)

I will set my eyes on them for good

Here "set my eyes" means he will see them. Seeing them is a metonym for caring for them. AT: "I will bless them" (See: Metonymy)

I will build them up, and not tear them down. I will plant them, and not uproot them

These two metaphors have similar meanings. The second one strengthens the thought in the first. AT: "I will help them to prosper in Chaldea" (See: Parallelism)

I will build them up, and not tear them down

Yahweh speak of the exiles as a building which Yahweh will build and not tear down. AT: "I will help them flourish in the land, and not ruin them" (See: Metaphor)

I will plant them, and not uproot them

Yahweh speak of the exiles as plants which Yahweh will plant in good soil and not pull out. AT: "I will establish them in the land, and not remove them" (See: Metaphor)

I will give them a heart to know me

Here "a heart" refers to their desires. AT: "I will cause them to desire to know me" (See: Metonymy)

they will turn to me with all their heart

Here "all their heart is an idiom that means "completely." AT: "they will turn to me completely" or "they will turn to me without reservation" (See: Idiom)

translationWords

word of God

God

Israel

exile

send

Chaldea

good

restore

heart

know

people of God

turn

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.