God’s power to judge is real, but so is His desire to restore those who turn to Him in humility.
In Jeremiah 47, the prophet addresses the coming judgment upon the Philistines, who lived in the coastal areas of Canaan near Gaza. Jeremiah ministered around 626 BC up to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, delivering God’s messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah as well as pronouncements concerning neighboring nations. As part of this message, the prophet describes the terror of the LORD’s impending judgment in vivid images of warfare and calamity. In that context, he cries out in Jeremiah 47:6, saying, “Ah, sword of the LORD, How long will you not be quiet? Withdraw into your sheath; be at rest and stay still.” (v.6) This verse personifies the destructive power of God’s judgment as a sword that wreaks havoc until its purpose is completed, underscoring the seriousness of opposing the Creator of heaven and earth.
When Jeremiah exclaims, “Ah, sword of the LORD, How long will you not be quiet?” (v.6), he voices the longing for an end to destruction. The Philistines, whom Jeremiah earlier identifies as people who originally came from “Caphtor,” or Crete (Jeremiah 47:4), are portrayed as powerless against the overwhelming advance of God’s decreed calamity. Like many times in the Old Testament, the “sword of the LORD” is a potent symbol of divine justice that moves against nations who set themselves in stubborn resistance to Him, reminding us that all earthly powers ultimately remain under the sovereignty of God.
Jeremiah’s call, “Withdraw into your sheath; be at rest and stay still” (v.6), conveys the prophet’s plea for mercy and respite from the carnage. However, the biblical narrative shows that God’s righteous judgments are inevitable whenever injustice, idol worship, and cruelty abound. Ultimately, the verse reminds readers—even to this day—that though we may long for judgment to cease, true peace comes only when people turn from their sins and submit to the LORD.
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Jeremiah 47:6 meaning
In Jeremiah 47, the prophet addresses the coming judgment upon the Philistines, who lived in the coastal areas of Canaan near Gaza. Jeremiah ministered around 626 BC up to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, delivering God’s messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah as well as pronouncements concerning neighboring nations. As part of this message, the prophet describes the terror of the LORD’s impending judgment in vivid images of warfare and calamity. In that context, he cries out in Jeremiah 47:6, saying, “Ah, sword of the LORD, How long will you not be quiet? Withdraw into your sheath; be at rest and stay still.” (v.6) This verse personifies the destructive power of God’s judgment as a sword that wreaks havoc until its purpose is completed, underscoring the seriousness of opposing the Creator of heaven and earth.
When Jeremiah exclaims, “Ah, sword of the LORD, How long will you not be quiet?” (v.6), he voices the longing for an end to destruction. The Philistines, whom Jeremiah earlier identifies as people who originally came from “Caphtor,” or Crete (Jeremiah 47:4), are portrayed as powerless against the overwhelming advance of God’s decreed calamity. Like many times in the Old Testament, the “sword of the LORD” is a potent symbol of divine justice that moves against nations who set themselves in stubborn resistance to Him, reminding us that all earthly powers ultimately remain under the sovereignty of God.
Jeremiah’s call, “Withdraw into your sheath; be at rest and stay still” (v.6), conveys the prophet’s plea for mercy and respite from the carnage. However, the biblical narrative shows that God’s righteous judgments are inevitable whenever injustice, idol worship, and cruelty abound. Ultimately, the verse reminds readers—even to this day—that though we may long for judgment to cease, true peace comes only when people turn from their sins and submit to the LORD.