Jeremiah 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.
Original Language Analysis
וְנָתַתִּי֩
And I will give
H5414
וְנָתַתִּי֩
And I will give
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
1 of 20
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
לִבָּֽם׃
them an heart
H3820
לִבָּֽם׃
them an heart
Strong's:
H3820
Word #:
3 of 20
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the center of anything
לָדַ֣עַת
to know
H3045
לָדַ֣עַת
to know
Strong's:
H3045
Word #:
4 of 20
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including o
אֹתִ֗י
H853
אֹתִ֗י
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
5 of 20
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
כִּ֚י
H3588
כִּ֚י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
6 of 20
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
יְהוָ֔ה
me that I am the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֔ה
me that I am the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
8 of 20
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
וְהָיוּ
H1961
וְהָיוּ
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
9 of 20
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
לְעָ֔ם
and they shall be my people
H5971
לְעָ֔ם
and they shall be my people
Strong's:
H5971
Word #:
11 of 20
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
אֶהְיֶ֥ה
H1961
אֶהְיֶ֥ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
13 of 20
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
לֵאלֹהִ֑ים
and I will be their God
H430
לֵאלֹהִ֑ים
and I will be their God
Strong's:
H430
Word #:
15 of 20
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
כִּֽי
H3588
כִּֽי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
16 of 20
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
יָשֻׁ֥בוּ
for they shall return
H7725
יָשֻׁ֥בוּ
for they shall return
Strong's:
H7725
Word #:
17 of 20
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);
Cross References
Hebrews 8:10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:Jeremiah 30:22And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.Ezekiel 37:23Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.Zechariah 8:8And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.Romans 6:17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.1 Samuel 7:3And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.Ezekiel 37:27My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.Isaiah 51:16And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.Jeremiah 3:10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.Zechariah 13:9And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Historical Context
This vision came after the 597 BC exile when Jehoiachin and the elite were taken to Babylon. Those remaining in Jerusalem under Zedekiah considered themselves the faithful remnant, while viewing the exiles as rejected. God reverses this judgment: the exiles are the 'good figs' who will be preserved and brought back, while those remaining will be destroyed as 'bad figs.' The exile would purge unfaithfulness and produce a returning remnant with transformed hearts.
Questions for Reflection
- What does it mean that God must 'give' us a heart to know Him—what does this reveal about human spiritual ability?
- How is the 'heart to know God' different from mere intellectual knowledge about God?
- In what ways did God use the exile as redemptive discipline to produce wholehearted devotion in the remnant?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
In the vision of good and bad figs representing the exiles and those who remained in Jerusalem, God promises regarding the exiles: '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.' This anticipates the new covenant promise (31:33) of internal transformation. God will give them a heart capable of truly knowing Him—not mere intellectual knowledge but personal, relational, transformative knowledge.
The phrase 'heart to know me' emphasizes that genuine knowledge of God requires more than mental assent—it requires heart transformation. The natural heart is hard, rebellious, incapable of truly knowing God (Romans 8:7). God must perform spiritual heart surgery, removing the heart of stone and giving a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Only then can we know God as He truly is and respond appropriately. This is regeneration, the new birth Jesus described as essential for entering God's kingdom (John 3:3).
The promise 'they shall return unto me with their whole heart' describes genuine repentance that engages the whole person. Not merely outward conformity but wholehearted devotion. The exile would break Israel's divided loyalties and produce a remnant who truly sought God. This demonstrates God's redemptive purpose even in judgment—discipline intended to cure, not merely punish.