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.
This is what the LORD Almighty says: Look, I will bring war, hunger, and disease upon them. I will make them like rotten figs that are so bad they can't be eaten.
God is declaring judgment through war, famine, and disease on those who have rejected Him, comparing them to figs too spoiled to eat.
📚 Historical Context
In the historical context, Jeremiah was a prophet in Judah during the Babylonian exile around 586 BC, a time when God was using the Babylonians to punish His people for their idolatry and rebellion. This verse is part of a letter Jeremiah sent to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, but here it specifically warns those who stayed in Jerusalem that God would bring judgment through war, famine, and disease due to their unrepentant sins. The metaphor of "vile figs" illustrates how the people's moral corruption made them worthless and unfit for God's purposes, much like spoiled fruit that cannot be consumed.
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