The Meaning of Jeremiah 24:7 Explained

Jeremiah 24:7

KJV: 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.

YLT: And have given to them a heart to know Me, For I am Jehovah, And they have been to Me for a people, And I am to them for God, For they turned back unto Me with all their heart.

Darby: And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Jehovah; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

ASV: And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Jehovah: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Jeremiah 24:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

God would give them a heart to know Him because, as Yahweh, He could do that. They would resume the covenant relationship as Chosen People with God, because the people would repent and return to God wholeheartedly.
This change in the people only occurred partially during the Exile (cf. Jeremiah 29:4-7; 2 Kings 25:27-30). We believe that final fulfillment is yet future when Jesus Christ returns (cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:24-32; Matthew 24:29-31). [1]

Context Summary

Jeremiah 24:1-10 - Two Baskets Of Figs
These two baskets represent the different, fates that overlook the people at the fall of Jerusalem. The good figs in the first were those who were taken to Babylon with Jeremiah. It was for their good that they were transplanted, Jeremiah 24:5. How often we are led into captivity for the same reason. With bitter regrets we turn our backs on our early home, the scenes of our youth, and the faces we have loved. Sometimes we are carried into a strange land, where we find it impossible to sing the Lord's song. But in the absence of all creature aid we find God drawing near to substitute restoration for destruction, building up for pulling down, and planting for uprooting.
Have we profited by our discipline? If so we are as the ripe figs of June, sweet to the taste of the owner who searches beneath the leaves of profession. Let those who congratulate themselves on their immunity from the troubles that have overtaken others, ponder Jeremiah 24:8-10. In the light of Hebrews 12:9, immunity from chastisement is not to be sought after. The residue of the Jews drifted to their hurt. See Jeremiah 41:1-18; Jeremiah 42:1-22. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 24

1  Under the type of good and bad figs,
4  he foreshows the restoration of those who were in captivity;
8  and the desolation of Zedekiah and the rest

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 24:7 mean?

And I will give them a heart to know Me that I [am] Yahweh and they shall be My people and I will be their God for they shall return to Me with whole their heart -
וְנָתַתִּי֩ לָהֶ֨ם לֵ֜ב לָדַ֣עַת אֹתִ֗י כִּ֚י אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וְהָיוּ־ לִ֣י לְעָ֔ם וְאָ֣נֹכִ֔י אֶהְיֶ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִ֑ים כִּֽי־ יָשֻׁ֥בוּ אֵלַ֖י בְּכָל־ לִבָּֽם ס

וְנָתַתִּי֩  And  I  will  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לֵ֜ב  a  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
לָדַ֣עַת  to  know 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אֹתִ֗י  Me 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
כִּ֚י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אֲנִ֣י  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְהָיוּ־  and  they  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִ֣י  My 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
לְעָ֔ם  people 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וְאָ֣נֹכִ֔י  and  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
אֶהְיֶ֥ה  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לֵאלֹהִ֑ים  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יָשֻׁ֥בוּ  they  shall  return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֵלַ֖י  to  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בְּכָל־  with  whole 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
לִבָּֽם  their  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation