What does God mean when He says, ‘I know the thoughts that I think toward you’ (Jeremiah 29:11)?

TL;DR:

When God says, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you” in Jeremiah 29:11, He’s assuring exiled Israel that His plans for them—including restoration and hope—are still intact despite their judgment. Though this was a specific promise to Israel, it reflects God’s unchanging faithfulness, and believers today can trust that His eternal plans for them are also secure through Christ.

what does the bible say?

God had given the people of Israel specific promises, a key one being the promise of an everlasting land (Genesis 13:15). After God brought the Israelites into the land, He told them that their ability to stay in the land depended on their obedience to Him (see Deuteronomy 28–30). However, Israel repeatedly sinned against God, committing idolatry and disregarding His Law. After graciously extending mercy and forgiveness, God finally completely removed them from the land through the Babylonian captivity (and, earlier, the Assyrian captivity). In Jeremiah 29, God was speaking to those in Babylon, letting them know that they would be there for seventy years. Therefore, they should “settle in,” buy houses, get married, and have children. He encouraged them by telling them that “I know the thoughts that I think toward you.” By that God meant He knew His plans and had not forgotten His promises. God told the Israelites that His plans still included a “future and a hope” for them. While this specific promise was for Israel, it illustrates God's unwavering commitment to His people, encouraging them to trust in His plans. For believers today, though the promises may differ, God’s faithfulness to fulfill His plans remains true, offering a secure hope for the future. Ultimately, God has prepared good works for believers, ensuring their eternal security in Christ.

from the old testament

Some Bible translations, such as the NKJV, translate Jeremiah 29:11 as, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” The phrase, “thoughts that I think,” is more helpfully translated as “plans” in most other translations. For example, the NASB reads, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’” God was speaking to the people of Judah who were captives in Babylon and was encouraging them to build houses, plant gardens, and have families while in exile (Jeremiah 29:5-6).
God then reminded the Israelites that, after seventy years, He would fulfill His promise and bring the people back to their land (Jeremiah 29:10). That is when God adds the comment, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you” (Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV). By doing so, God was saying that He knew the plans He had made for Israel and that He had given His word that He would bring those plans to fruition.
Eight hundred years earlier, God had made a covenant with Israel, through Moses, to give Israel the land (beginning in Exodus 19). If Israel kept the covenant, God would bless them and allow them to live in the land. If, on the other hand, Israel did not obey, God would remove them (see Deuteronomy 28–29).
God determined that the years of exile would be seventy, based on the number of sabbath years that the people had violated God’s command to let the land rest (2 Chronicles 36:21).

from the new testament

The statement “I know the thoughts that I think toward you” does not exist in the New Testament. However, God promises believers a secure and eternal future through Jesus Christ, assuring us that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
He promises that all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
God has given us a living hope through the resurrection of Christ, and He is keeping our inheritance safe in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-5).
He also promises His peace to guard our hearts and minds in every situation, even in suffering (Philippians 4:6-7).
Finally, God has created us in Christ for good works that He planned in advance for us to do, showing that our lives are part of His intentional design (Ephesians 2:10)

implications for today

Jeremiah 29:11 is commonly used out of context today. It is taken as a personal promise of deliverance. However, it was a specific promise given to a specific nation of people (Israel) at a specific time (their exile). In Jeremiah 29, God encouraged them that they could count on Him to keep His word and that He has promised their eventual good. We cannot apply this promise to all our situations because God did not give it to us. However, for all believers, God has made other promises, and He keeps His word. Because we see that God was faithful to Israel, we know that He will also be faithful to fulfill the promises He has given to us.

Though God has not promised a future hope in this life, He has promised believers a sure hope in the life to come. But we must not conflate God’s promises to the nation of Israel with God’s promises to individuals today; even so,we can be confident that, just as He was faithful in His plans for peace and a future of hope for Israel, He will be faithful to the plans that He has for us.

If you have believed in Jesus Christ, you are His workmanship designed for the good works that He has prepared beforehand (planned) for you (Ephesians 2:10). He predestined (planned) you to be saved before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-5). His planning means that your relationship with Him and your eternal place with Him totally secure (1 Peter 1:3-5). He has also promised that everything happening in your life now, good or bad, is Him working out His plans for your eternal good (Romans 8:28).

understand

Jeremiah 29:11 was a specific promise to Israel during exile, assuring them of future restoration.
“I know the thoughts that I think toward you” reveals God's faithful, purposeful nature—He keeps His promises.
Believers today can trust God's eternal plans through Christ, even if Jeremiah 29:11 isn’t a direct personal promise.

reflect

When you face uncertainty, how does knowing that God has eternal plans through Christ give you hope?
Have you ever misunderstood or misapplied Jeremiah 29:11? How might understanding its context reshape your trust in God's faithfulness?
What are some ways you’ve seen God’s long-term purposes at work in your life or the lives of others—even in difficult seasons?

engage

How can we respectfully distinguish between promises God made specifically to Israel and those made to all believers today?
What does Jeremiah 29:11 teach us about God's nature and His commitment to fulfill His word, even in the face of human failure?
How does Ephesians 2:10 help us understand how God's “plans” apply to our lives as followers of Christ today?