Jeremiah 47:1-7
Waters from the North
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.”
Berean Standard Bible
Before Pharaoh struck Gaza, the word of the LORD came concerning the Philistines. Waters rise from the north like an overflowing torrent, covering the land, the cities, and their inhabitants. People cry out, and the fathers have no strength to turn back for their children.
The day comes to destroy the Philistines and cut off every helper from Tyre and Sidon. The LORD is destroying the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor. Gaza shaves its head, and Ashkelon is silenced.
Jeremiah's own heart asks how long the sword of the LORD will continue. The answer is that it cannot be quiet because the LORD has commanded it against Ashkelon and the seacoast.
The poem is brief and severe. It lets us hear the human cry beneath the military announcement and reminds us that judgment is not painless simply because the judged people are not Judah.
Questions
1 How is the invading force pictured?
AnswerIt is pictured as waters rising from the north and covering the land like a flood.
2 Which people are named?
AnswerThe Philistines, Gaza, Ashkelon, Tyre, Sidon, and the coastland of Caphtor are named.
3 What do the fathers lack?
AnswerThey lack the strength to turn back for their children when the disaster comes.
4 Why can the sword not be quiet?
AnswerIt cannot be quiet because the LORD has commanded judgment against the coastland.
What This Means for Us
Jeremiah does not invite us to enjoy the collapse of a rival people. Even a judgment announcement contains the cries of parents and children.
When your household hears of an enemy's suffering, resist mockery. Tell the truth about evil, but let compassion keep you from treating human grief as a victory celebration.
Prayer
God of justice, hear the cries of families caught in war. Keep us from celebrating suffering, give us truthful compassion, and bring an end to violence in your time. Amen.