Jeremiah 24:7
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights that God's initiative ("I will give them a heart") is the very source of their genuine, wholehearted return to Him, not the other way around. This divine "giving" is what enables the deep, abiding knowledge of God that transforms their obedience from obligation to a heartfelt desire.
Jeremiah is seeing a vision of two baskets of figs placed before the Temple, representing the people of Judah. One basket contains good figs, symbolizing the faithful exiles already in Babylon, while the other holds rotten figs, representing those left behind in Jerusalem who will face further judgment. This promise comes in the context of God assuring His people that their suffering, particularly the Babylonian exile, is intended for their good, leading them to a deeper understanding and relationship with Him.
What does it really mean to 'know' God? It's not just about memorizing information, but a deep, transformative connection.
Jeremiah 24:7 promises God will 'give them a heart to know me.' This isn't just intellectual knowledge, but a profound understanding that touches the core of who we are. It involves recognizing God's character – that He is the LORD, the eternal, unchanging, covenant-keeping God. This 'knowing' leads to faith, love, and obedience. It's the kind of knowledge that changes how we live and respond to Him.
God's promise to be 'my people' and 'your God' is more than a title; it's the foundation of an unbreakable relationship.
The phrase 'they shall be my people and I will be their God' echoes the ancient covenant God made with Israel, notably in Hosea. Here, it's a promise of renewal. After the painful discipline of exile, God assures them that this relationship will be re-established and deepened. It means He will fulfill His promises to them, and they, in turn, will commit to living in obedience to Him. It’s a mutual commitment sealed by God’s grace.
What does it look like to return to God with your 'whole heart'? And how is this possible when our hearts are often divided?
The verse concludes with a powerful condition and consequence: 'for they shall return to me with their whole heart.' This signifies a sincere, undivided devotion, a complete turning away from sin and idolatry towards God. It's crucial to see that this isn't solely a human decision based on natural inclination. The preceding phrase, 'I will give them a heart to know me,' reveals that this wholehearted return is enabled by God’s prevenient grace – His grace that comes before and makes our response possible. God initiates the change, giving them the capacity and desire to turn back to Him fully.
Understand the original words
am · Hebrew Noun
The covenant formula expressing the intimate relationship between God and His people; it denotes God’s special ownership, protection, and faithfulness, and the people's exclusive allegiance and worship toward Him.
leb · Hebrew Noun
In biblical thought, the heart is the center of the human will, intellect, desires, and emotions; it is the control center of a person's moral life and their relationship with God.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God (YHWH), revealing His self-existence, eternal nature, and faithfulness to His promises toward His people.
This promise of a renewed heart and covenant comes to a people who have experienced devastating exile, highlighting God's faithfulness even after judgment and the transformative power of hardship.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon carries away many prominent citizens, including Daniel, from Jerusalem. This marks the beginning of Judah's subjugation to Babylon.
597 BC— this verse
Second Deportation (Jehoiachin's Exile)
Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin, the royal family, and thousands of skilled workers and leaders from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jeremiah 24 refers to this group.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
After a prolonged siege, Jerusalem falls to Nebuchadnezzar. The Temple is destroyed, and the majority of the remaining population is exiled to Babylon.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
The Babylonian Empire is conquered by the Persians under Cyrus the Great. This event paves the way for the return of the Jewish exiles.
This passage echoes the promise of a renewed covenant relationship, stating 'I will say to them, 'You are my people'; and they shall say, 'The LORD be my God,'' highlighting the reciprocal nature of God's chosen people that is so central to Jeremiah 24:7.
Ezekiel 11:19This verse speaks of God giving a 'new heart' and 'a new spirit' to His people, which directly corresponds to Jeremiah 24:7's promise of God giving 'a heart to know me.'
Jeremiah 31:33Here, God promises, 'I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people,' mirroring the covenant renewal and the internal transformation described in Jeremiah 24:7.
Deuteronomy 4:29This verse presents the conditional promise that 'if you search for the LORD your God, you will find him, provided you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul,' which aligns with the 'return to me with their whole heart' aspect of Jeremiah 24:7, showing the human response to God's grace.
1 Chronicles 28:9In this verse, David urges his son Solomon to 'serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind,' emphasizing the sincerity and totality of devotion that God desires, and which is promised as a gift in Jeremiah 24:7.
pooleJeremiah 24:7: "And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart."
Under the term know me is here (as in many other texts) comprehended faith, love, obedience, all those motions of the soul which rationally should follow a right comprehending of God in men’s knowledge. They shall be my people, and I will be their God; I will be a God in covenant with them; as I will fulfil wha…
ellicottJeremiah 24:7: "And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart."
(7) I will give them an heart to know me . . . —Of this also the history of the return gives at least a partial proof. Whatever other faults might be growing up, they never again fell into the apostasy from the true faith in God, which up to the time of the exile had been their besetting sin. They shall be my p…
The verse highlights that God's initiative ("I will give them a heart") is the very source of their genuine, wholehearted return to Him, not the other way around. This divine "giving" is what enables the deep, abiding knowledge of God that transforms their obedience from obligation to a heartfelt desire.
Jeremiah is seeing a vision of two baskets of figs placed before the Temple, representing the people of Judah. One basket contains good figs, symbolizing the faithful exiles already in Babylon, while the other holds rotten figs, representing those left behind in Jerusalem who will face further judgment. This promise comes in the context of God assuring His people that their suffering, particularly the Babylonian exile, is intended for their good, leading them to a deeper understanding and relationship with Him.
Jeremiah is seeing a vision of two baskets of figs placed before the Temple, representing the people of Judah. One basket contains good figs, symbolizing the faithful exiles already in Babylon, while the other holds rotten figs, representing those left behind in Jerusalem who will face further judgment. This promise comes in the context of God assuring His people that their suffering, particularly the Babylonian exile, is intended for their good, leading them to a deeper understanding and relationship with Him.
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538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus the Great issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This initiates the return from exile.
"I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart." — The verse highlights that God's initiative ("I will give them a heart") is the very source of their genuine, wholehearted return to Him, not the other way around. This divine "giving" is what enables…
