“But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 9:24 Mean?
Jeremiah 9:24 is one of the most concentrated statements of what God values in all of Scripture. It follows verse 23's triple prohibition — let not the wise glory in wisdom, the mighty in might, or the rich in riches — and replaces all three with a single, all-encompassing alternative.
"But let him that glorieth glory in this" — the Hebrew halal (glory, boast, shine) is the same verb used in verse 23. The question isn't whether you'll boast — it's what you'll boast in. Human nature boasts. God redirects the boast.
"That he understandeth and knoweth me" — two Hebrew verbs are used: sakal (understandeth — to have insight, comprehend, act wisely) and yada' (knoweth — to know experientially, intimately, relationally). Understanding is intellectual grasp; knowing is personal encounter. Both are required. You can understand theology without knowing God, and you can have emotional experiences of God without understanding His character. Jeremiah insists on both.
"That I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth" — three attributes define what it means to know God. Chesed (lovingkindness, covenant loyalty, steadfast love) — God's faithful, pursuing love. Mishpat (judgment, justice) — God's right ordering of relationships and society. Tsedaqah (righteousness) — God's moral perfection expressed in action. These three together are the content of knowing God.
"For in these things I delight, saith the LORD" — the Hebrew chaphets (delight, take pleasure in) reveals God's own joy. God doesn't exercise lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness reluctantly. He delights in them. They are His pleasure.
Paul quotes this verse in 1 Corinthians 1:31 and 2 Corinthians 10:17, making it foundational to Christian identity: the only legitimate boast is in knowing God.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Jeremiah says the only legitimate boast is knowing God. If someone took away your wisdom, strength, and wealth, what would be left of your identity?
- 2.The verse distinguishes between understanding God (intellectual) and knowing God (relational). Which comes more naturally to you — and where do you need to grow?
- 3.God delights in lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness. Which of those three do you find yourself most drawn to? Which do you tend to neglect?
- 4.Paul quotes this verse as foundational for Christian identity. If 'knowing God' were truly your primary boast, how would it change your daily priorities?
Devotional
Verse 23 takes away three things the world builds its identity on: wisdom, strength, and wealth. Don't boast in those. Verse 24 gives you the one thing worth boasting in instead: knowing God.
Not knowing about God. Knowing God. Jeremiah uses two different words — understanding and knowing — because both matter. Understanding means you grasp who He is intellectually: His character, His ways, His priorities. Knowing means you've encountered Him personally: you have history with Him, experience of Him, the kind of relational knowledge that only comes from time spent together.
And then Jeremiah tells you what you'll find when you know Him: lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness. That's what God does in the earth. That's what He delights in. Not displays of human brilliance. Not accumulations of power. Not financial portfolios. Chesed, mishpat, tsedaqah. Faithful love, right relationships, moral goodness.
This verse quietly demolishes every other basis for identity. If your sense of self is built on how smart you are, how strong you are, or how much you have — Jeremiah says you're building on the wrong foundation. The only boast that survives is the one anchored in knowing the God who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness. Everything else can be taken away. This can't.
Notice the last phrase: "in these things I delight." God isn't performing lovingkindness out of obligation. He enjoys it. He takes pleasure in justice. He delights in righteousness. When you know God — really know Him — you discover that the things He cares about most are the things He finds most joyful. His duty and His delight are the same thing.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But let him that glorieth glory in this,.... In the Lord alone, as it is interpreted by the apostle, Co1 1:31,
that he…
This is the prophet’s remedy for the healing of the nation. It is the true understanding and knowledge of God, of which…
The prophet had been endeavouring to possess this people with a holy fear of God and his judgments, to convince them…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture