For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.

JEREMIAH 24:6KJV
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Jeremiah 24:6 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 24:6 mean?

Jeremiah 24:6 describes God’s promise to watch over a group of people for their good, to bring them back to their homeland, and to help them flourish instead of destroying or uprooting them. The verse emphasizes restoration, care, and a future of stability after hardship.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to reassure the exiled people of Judah. The situation is bleak: many have been taken from their land by Babylon, but God promises that exile is not the end. Instead, God will actively work for their benefit—watching over them, returning them to their land, rebuilding their lives, and planting them securely, using strong images of construction and planting to show lasting renewal.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 24:6

  • "Set" (שִׂים, sîm): This word means to place or set, and here it is about God intentionally focusing His attention. It is not passive; God is choosing to look after these people with purpose.
  • "Good" (טוֹב, ṭov): This word means goodness or well-being. God’s intention is not just to watch, but to act for their benefit, highlighting a positive and hopeful future.
  • "Build" (בָּנָה, banah) and "Plant" (נָטַע, nata‘): Both are active verbs that stress God’s role in creating stability and growth, not just preventing harm. The contrast with "pull down" and "pluck up" makes the promise of restoration even clearer.

Why Jeremiah 24:6 matters

  • Jeremiah 24:6 clarifies that God’s discipline (the exile) is not abandonment; it is part of a larger plan to restore and bless His people.
  • The verse uses vivid images—building and planting—to show that God’s restoration is not temporary or superficial, but lasting and deeply rooted.
  • In the context of Jeremiah, this promise stands out as a message of hope to a people facing despair, showing that God’s plans ultimately lead to renewal, not destruction.

Where else these words appear

“up” Hebrew H5428 · used in 19 verses

  • Deuteronomy 29:28 And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.
  • Jeremiah 12:15 And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.
  • Jeremiah 42:10 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.

“down” Hebrew H2040 · used in 42 verses

  • Exodus 15:7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
  • Psalms 28:5 Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.
  • Jeremiah 50:15 Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her.

“plant” Hebrew H5193 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
  • Psalms 94:9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?
  • Jeremiah 11:17 For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.