Jeremiah 47
Read Jeremiah 47 (WEB)+
1Yahweh’s word that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck Gaza. 2Yahweh says: “Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and will become an overflowing stream, and will overflow the land and all that is therein, the city and those who dwell therein. The men will cry, and all the inhabitants of the land will wail. 3At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers don’t look back to their children for feebleness of hands; 4because of the day that comes to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains; for Yahweh will destroy the Philistines, the remnant of the isle of Caphtor. 5Baldness has come on Gaza; Ashkelon is brought to nothing, the remnant of their valley: how long will you cut yourself? 6“‘You sword of Yahweh, how long will it be before you are quiet? Put yourself back into your scabbard; rest, and be still.’ 7“How can you be quiet, since Yahweh has given you a command? Against Ashkelon, and against the seashore, there has he appointed it.”
World English Bible (public domain)
“"Ah, sword of the Lord! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still!"”
Jeremiah 47:6
Summary
Jeremiah chapter 47 contains a prophecy against the Philistines. The chapter describes a coming disaster from the north, symbolized by overflowing waters, which signifies a powerful enemy invasion that threatens the Philistines, particularly the cities of Gaza and Ashkelon. The prophecy conveys the inevitability of divine judgment due to the Philistines' longstanding enmity with Israel. The verses capture the panic and mourning this destruction causes among the people, likening the devastation to the relentless advance of a flood, unstoppable and overwhelming. The chapter also reflects on the themes of divine sovereignty and the fulfillment of God's plans against nations that oppose His people. The chapter ends with a call for the sword of the Lord to be quiet, but it affirms that until God's purpose is completed, the sword cannot rest.
Key Themes
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