Note: Words are shown in their original Hebrew order, which differs from English translations. This reflects the emphasis and structure of Scripture as originally written. Click any word to see its full lexicon entry.
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.
Jeremiah 47 records a prophecy of judgment against the Philistines, one of Israel's ancient enemies. The oracle announces that an invading army from the north—likely the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar—will sweep through Philistine territory, destroying their cities and people with overwhelming force. Though brief, this chapter demonstrates the breadth of God's sovereignty: His word through the prophets extends not only to Israel and Judah but to all nations, revealing that the LORD alone controls history and judges the proud. The passage emphasizes both the terror of divine judgment and the inevitability of God's purposes.
Verse 1 situates this oracle historically—it came to Jeremiah before Pharaoh struck Gaza. This detail anchors the prophecy in real events, showing that God's word preceded and interpreted earthly happenings. The Philistines, though long diminished from their Iron Age dominance, still occupied the coastal cities of Canaan and remained a concern for Judah.
In verse 2, the LORD describes the coming judgment using the image of overflowing waters from the north. This metaphor appears throughout Jeremiah's prophecies (cf. Jer. 46:7–8) and depicts the unstoppable Babylonian army. The waters will inundate the land—city and inhabitants alike—leaving no refuge. The result will be universal lamentation: men will cry out and inhabitants will howl in despair. This vivid imagery underscores both the totality and the terror of the invasion.
Verse 3 shifts to sensory details that heighten the sense of panic. The thundering hoofs of cavalry, the rushing chariots, and rumbling wheels create an overwhelming noise that paralyzes the population. The phrase "fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands" captures the utter breakdown of social bonds and courage: even parents abandon concern for their children, so consumed by fear and desperation that they cannot help one another. This is not cowardice but the natural human response to overwhelming military force.
Verse 4 names specific Philistine targets: Tyrus (Tyre), Sidon, and the broader remnant of Caphtor (the ancestral home of the Philistines). The prophecy emphasizes that the LORD will strip away every "helper"—their allies—leaving them isolated and defenseless. The repetition of "spoil" underscores complete destruction; nothing will remain untouched.
Verse 5 employs poetic language of mourning. Baldness was a sign of acute grief in the ancient Near East. Ashkelon and the surrounding valley will be utterly devastated. The verse's rhetorical question—"how long wilt thou cut thyself?"—refers to the practice of self-wounding in mourning and suggests that no amount of grieving will reverse what is coming.
Verses 6–7 present a striking dialogue. A voice (perhaps the prophet, or personified Judah) begs the sword of the LORD to stop, to sheathe itself and find rest. But the answer is definitive: the sword cannot be quiet because the LORD has commissioned it against Ashkelon and the coastlands. The metaphor personifies judgment as a divine instrument with its own terrible mission. God's word has decreed it; it will not fail.
Application for Today
This chapter reminds us that God's justice extends to all nations, not merely His covenant people. While we live under grace through Christ, the reality of divine judgment remains. We should be humbled by the scope of God's sovereignty and moved to gratitude that we are hidden in Christ. Furthermore, Jeremiah's warnings to nations we may have forgotten should prompt us to take God's Word seriously: what He speaks comes to pass. Finally, the inevitability of God's purposes should turn our hearts away from pride and toward submission to His will, asking daily that His kingdom come and His will be done on earth.
Study Notes — Jeremiah 47
4 sectionsJeremiah 47 records a prophecy of judgment against the Philistines, one of Israel's ancient enemies. The oracle announces that an invading army from the north—likely the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar—will sweep through Philistine territory, destroying their cities and people with overwhelming force. Though brief, this chapter demonstrates the breadth of God's sovereignty: His word through the prophets extends not only to Israel and Judah but to all nations, revealing that the LORD alone controls history and judges the proud. The passage emphasizes both the terror of divine judgment and the inevitability of God's purposes.
Verse 1 situates this oracle historically—it came to Jeremiah before Pharaoh struck Gaza. This detail anchors the prophecy in real events, showing that God's word preceded and interpreted earthly happenings. The Philistines, though long diminished from their Iron Age dominance, still occupied the coastal cities of Canaan and remained a concern for Judah.
In verse 2, the LORD describes the coming judgment using the image of overflowing waters from the north. This metaphor appears throughout Jeremiah's prophecies (cf. Jer. 46:7–8) and depicts the unstoppable Babylonian army. The waters will inundate the land—city and inhabitants alike—leaving no refuge. The result will be universal lamentation: men will cry out and inhabitants will howl in despair. This vivid imagery underscores both the totality and the terror of the invasion.
Verse 3 shifts to sensory details that heighten the sense of panic. The thundering hoofs of cavalry, the rushing chariots, and rumbling wheels create an overwhelming noise that paralyzes the population. The phrase "fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands" captures the utter breakdown of social bonds and courage: even parents abandon concern for their children, so consumed by fear and desperation that they cannot help one another. This is not cowardice but the natural human response to overwhelming military force.
Verse 4 names specific Philistine targets: Tyrus (Tyre), Sidon, and the broader remnant of Caphtor (the ancestral home of the Philistines). The prophecy emphasizes that the LORD will strip away every "helper"—their allies—leaving them isolated and defenseless. The repetition of "spoil" underscores complete destruction; nothing will remain untouched.
Verse 5 employs poetic language of mourning. Baldness was a sign of acute grief in the ancient Near East. Ashkelon and the surrounding valley will be utterly devastated. The verse's rhetorical question—"how long wilt thou cut thyself?"—refers to the practice of self-wounding in mourning and suggests that no amount of grieving will reverse what is coming.
Verses 6–7 present a striking dialogue. A voice (perhaps the prophet, or personified Judah) begs the sword of the LORD to stop, to sheathe itself and find rest. But the answer is definitive: the sword cannot be quiet because the LORD has commissioned it against Ashkelon and the coastlands. The metaphor personifies judgment as a divine instrument with its own terrible mission. God's word has decreed it; it will not fail.
This chapter reminds us that God's justice extends to all nations, not merely His covenant people. While we live under grace through Christ, the reality of divine judgment remains. We should be humbled by the scope of God's sovereignty and moved to gratitude that we are hidden in Christ. Furthermore, Jeremiah's warnings to nations we may have forgotten should prompt us to take God's Word seriously: what He speaks comes to pass. Finally, the inevitability of God's purposes should turn our hearts away from pride and toward submission to His will, asking daily that His kingdom come and His will be done on earth.