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Jeremiah 47

Jeremiah 47 Summary, Context, and Full Chapter

Jeremiah 47 is a short prophecy against the Philistines. It pictures an advancing disaster from the north, panic in their cities, and grief that cannot be avoided. The chapter shows that military power is not in control; the Lord is.

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What happens in Jeremiah 47?

This chapter announces the Lord's judgment on the Philistines before Pharaoh's attack on Gaza. A force like rising floodwaters comes from the north and sweeps over the land, causing fear, noise, and collapse. Fathers are too overwhelmed to help their children. The Philistine cities mourn, with Gaza in distress and Ashkelon silenced. The chapter ends by showing that the sword does not rest on its own; it acts because the Lord has appointed it.

Jeremiah 47 belongs to the group of messages against the nations in the latter part of Jeremiah. It follows the warning to Egypt and turns to Philistia, a long-time neighbor and enemy of Israel. The chapter shows that the Lord's rule reaches beyond Judah and that surrounding nations also answer to his justice.

Themes to notice

  • Divine judgmentThe passage presents the downfall of the Philistines as an act of the Lord's righteous judgment.
  • Fear and mourningThe coming invasion brings panic, grief, and public lament in the Philistine cities.
  • The Lord's controlEven the sword is shown as carrying out the Lord's command rather than acting by chance.

Questions for Jeremiah 47

  • What details in this chapter show how sudden and overwhelming the coming judgment will be?
  • Why does the passage emphasize that the sword acts because the Lord has appointed it?
  • What do Gaza and Ashkelon's response tell us about the effect of God's judgment on a people?

Read the full text of Jeremiah 47 below, then open it in the reader to highlight, take notes, or ask follow-up Bible questions. No account is required to read.

Jeremiah 47

Judgment on the Philistines

1This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet about the Philistines before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.

2This is what the LORD says:

“See how the waters are rising from the north

and becoming an overflowing torrent.

They will overflow the land and its fullness,

the cities and their inhabitants.

The people will cry out,

and all who dwell in the land will wail

3at the sound of the galloping hooves of stallions,

the rumbling of chariots,

and the clatter of their wheels.

The fathers will not turn back for their sons;

their hands will hang limp.

4For the day has come

to destroy all the Philistines,

to cut off from Tyre and Sidon

every remaining ally.

Indeed, the LORD is about to destroy the Philistines,

the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.

5The people of Gaza will shave their heads in mourning;

Ashkelon will be silenced.

O remnant of their valley,

how long will you gash yourself?

6‘Alas, O sword of the LORD,

how long until you rest?

Return to your sheath;

cease and be still!’

7How can it rest

when the LORD has commanded it?

He has appointed it against Ashkelon

and the shore of its coastland.”

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