Jeremiah 29:16-17

[16] 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; [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.

What is the context of Jeremiah 29:16-17?

A Letter to the Exiles (Jeremiah 29:1-23 true)
Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:1-23 true)
Jeremiah's Letter to the Exiles (Jeremiah 29:1-23 true)
Jeremiah’s Letter to the Captives (Jeremiah 29:1-32 true)
Message to the Exiles (Jeremiah 29:1-32 true)

What does Jeremiah 29:16-17 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Jeremiah 29:16-19 are a digression that stresses the fact that the Lord would complete the judgment of Judah before any restoration would begin.

The true message from Yahweh concerning the Davidic king, Zedekiah, and the remaining Judahites who were still in the Promised Land was that they would experience war, famine, and plagues. They would be like rotten figs: good for nothing (cf. Jeremiah 24:2-3).