The judgment of God upon the Babylonians would have severe consequences for the Israelites. In invading them, the Babylonians would ravage their crops so that the fig tree would not blossom and there would be no fruit on the vine. Their trees would be deprived of the fruit they produced, leaving them without these delicacies. The olive harvest would fail, and the fields would yield no food for them. Their livestock would be driven away from their stalls so that they would be left without any of their cattle. They would have to endure this devastating effect upon their livelihood due to the rescue work of God.
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,