Jeremiah 47:6 kjv
O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.
Jeremiah 47:6 nkjv
"O you sword of the LORD, How long until you are quiet? Put yourself up into your scabbard, Rest and be still!
Jeremiah 47:6 niv
"?'Alas, sword of the LORD, how long till you rest? Return to your sheath; cease and be still.'
Jeremiah 47:6 esv
Ah, sword of the LORD! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still!
Jeremiah 47:6 nlt
"Now, O sword of the LORD,
when will you be at rest again?
Go back into your sheath;
rest and be still.
Jeremiah 47 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 47:6 | "‘Ah, sword of the LORD, how long will you be unrestrained? Return to your sheath..." | Jeremiah 47:6 |
| Isaiah 10:25 | "...for in a very short time my anger will cease and my fury will be directed..." | Isaiah 10:25 |
| Isaiah 10:5-6 | "“Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger... I will send him against a hypocritical nation..." | Isaiah 10:5-6 |
| Jeremiah 1:12 | "Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that..." | Jeremiah 1:12 |
| Psalms 7:12-13 | "If a man does not repent, God will sharpen his sword; he has bent and strung his bow..." | Psalms 7:12-13 |
| Jeremiah 25:31-33 | "The LORD will roar from on high; he will thunder from his holy dwelling; he will..." | Jeremiah 25:31-33 |
| Amos 1:3 | "“This is what the LORD says: “'For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will..." | Amos 1:3 |
| Amos 3:11 | "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “An enemy is coming against you..." | Amos 3:11 |
| Ezekiel 14:17 | "“Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout..." | Ezekiel 14:17 |
| Revelation 6:4 | "Another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from..." | Revelation 6:4 |
| Revelation 6:8 | "I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades..." | Revelation 6:8 |
| Luke 21:24 | "They will fall by the sword and be captured as exiles into all the nations..." | Luke 21:24 |
| Jeremiah 51:20 | "“You are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy..." | Jeremiah 51:20 |
| 2 Samuel 24:16 | "When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented..." | 2 Samuel 24:16 |
| 1 Chronicles 21:15 | "And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was about to do so, the..." | 1 Chronicles 21:15 |
| Psalm 18:14 | "He shot his arrows and scattered them; he flashed his lightning and routed them." | Psalm 18:14 |
| Isaiah 34:5 | "For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see how it descends on Edom, on the..." | Isaiah 34:5 |
| Jeremiah 12:12 | "Sowers of wind reap a whirlwind..." | Jeremiah 12:12 |
| Isaiah 14:27 | "For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out..." | Isaiah 14:27 |
| Ezekiel 25:13 | "therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “I will stretch out my hand against..." | Ezekiel 25:13 |
Jeremiah 47 verses
Jeremiah 47 6 Meaning
The verse speaks of a sword's divine command to return to its scabbard. This implies a cessation of a divinely appointed judgment or destruction. The sword, representing military force and its destructive power, is being told to halt its devastating work.
Jeremiah 47 6 Context
This verse is found within the prophecy against the Philistines, delivered by Jeremiah. The preceding verses (47:1-5) describe the invasion of the Philistines by the Babylonians (often referred to as "the people from the north"). God is using the Babylonian army as an instrument of judgment against various nations, including the Philistines, for their transgressions.
The prophet is declaring that the devastating invasion, spearheaded by a powerful army (likened to a "sword of the LORD"), will consume Philistia. The nation is described as being overthrown and emptied, and its cities deserted. This specific verse, however, marks a turning point in the prophetic declaration regarding this particular judgment.
Jeremiah 47 6 Word Analysis
- Ah (הוֹי - hoy): An exclamation of lament or woe, commonly used by prophets to introduce a severe judgment or declaration of doom. It conveys a sense of urgency and sorrow concerning the subject matter.
- sword (חֶרֶב - ḥereḇ): A common Hebrew word for a sword, a weapon of war and destruction. In prophetic language, "sword" often represents divine judgment, war, or the instrument of God's wrath.
- of the LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH): Directly attributes the sword's action and power to the LORD (Yahweh). This emphasizes that the devastating invasion is not merely a human military action but a divine decree.
- how long (עַד־מָתַי - ʻad-māṯay): A rhetorical question expressing the extent or duration of the sword's unrestrained activity. It questions the ongoing nature of the judgment.
- will you be unrestrained (תִּשְׁקְטִי - tišəqəṭî): The verb "shakat" (שׁקט) primarily means "to be quiet," "to rest," or "to cease." Used here with "unrestrained," it signifies not being brought to rest or ceasing from its destructive work. The form is Hiphil imperfect, third person feminine singular, indicating an action caused by another. However, the Qal (simple) form could imply simply not ceasing. Scholars debate the precise nuance; some see it as actively "being made to be at rest," while others understand it as "you will not rest/cease." The context suggests the latter – the sword has not yet ceased its devastation.
- Return (שׁוּבִי - šûḇî): A command, in the Hiphil imperative form, meaning "cause to return" or "bring back." The directive is for the sword to be returned.
- to your sheath/dwelling (מִדָּמִיךְ - midāmîḵ): "Damah" (דמה) can mean "to be like," but in this context, "midāmîḵ" likely refers to "your resting place" or "your dwelling." It's a poetical way of referring to the scabbard, where a sword rests when not in use. Some translations interpret it as "your place of blood" which aligns with the sword's function. The Hebrew is somewhat obscure here. A related word, "dami," can mean blood. However, the sense of returning to a place of rest or stillness is prevalent.
The structure of the sentence is a divine imperative addressed to the personified "sword of the LORD." It acknowledges the sword's activity as God's instrument and commands its cessation.
Jeremiah 47 6 Bonus Section
The concept of God directly commanding elements or instruments of His judgment is seen elsewhere. For example, the Lord commands the winds and the sea through Jesus in the New Testament (Mark 4:39), showing His ultimate authority over creation and even the forces of nature unleashed for judgment. Similarly, God can speak to and control armies, nations, or specific weapons as His tools, as seen in the commissioning of figures like Cyrus the Great (Isaiah 45:1). The language used here also reflects a personification of abstract concepts or instruments, a common literary device in Hebrew poetry and prophecy to make divine actions vivid and understandable. The sword represents not just physical warfare but also the devastating consequences of sin and disobedience.
Jeremiah 47 6 Commentary
This verse is remarkable as it represents God speaking directly to His own instrument of judgment, the sword. It implies that God is sovereign over even the instruments of war and can command their actions to stop. The Philistines, long-standing adversaries of Israel, are facing a severe divine judgment delivered by the Babylonians. However, this particular command to the "sword" suggests that the period of intense, unbridled devastation against them is coming to an end. It signifies a pause or termination of the divine wrath upon that specific occasion. It’s not an indefinite peace, but a specific instruction to halt. The prophetic message often includes cycles of judgment and restoration, and this verse points to the cessation of one phase of judgment.