Jeremiah 47:6 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 32:41 | If I sharpen My flashing sword And My hand takes hold... | God's active judgment likened to a sword. |
| Isa 10:5 | "Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger... | Foreign nation as God's instrument. |
| Jer 25:9 | I will send and take all the families of the north,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land... | Babylon as "My servant" and agent of judgment. |
| Jer 50:25 | The LORD has opened His armory And brought out the weapons of His indignation... | God deploying instruments of wrath. |
| Ezek 21:3 | Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I am against you; and I will draw My sword from its sheath and cut off every righteous person and every wicked person from you. | God's sword as symbol of indiscriminate judgment. |
| Rev 6:4 | And another horse, fiery red, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slaughter one another; and a great sword was given to him. | Sword representing war and removal of peace. |
| Psa 6:3 | My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O LORD—how long? | Direct echo of the "how long" lament. |
| Psa 13:1 | How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? | A cry for God's intervention to end suffering. |
| Hab 1:2 | How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? | Prophetic lament over continued injustice/suffering. |
| Isa 2:4 | They will hammer their swords into plowshares... | Prophecy of universal peace, cessation of war. |
| Mic 4:3 | They will beat their swords into plowshares... | Echoes Isaiah's prophecy of future peace. |
| Psa 46:9 | He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear... | God as the ultimate one who stops conflict. |
| Hos 2:18 | On that day I will make a covenant for them With the beasts of the field, The birds of the sky And the crawling things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land... | Future abolition of war. |
| Zech 9:10 | And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, And the horse from Jerusalem... and the battle bow will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations... | Removal of war instruments for universal peace. |
| Isa 11:9 | They will not hurt or destroy In all My holy mountain... | Ideal of perfect peace and safety in God's kingdom. |
| Psa 22:28 | For the kingdom is the LORD’s And He rules over the nations. | God's ultimate sovereignty over all earthly powers. |
| Isa 40:23 | He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth mere phantoms. | God's power over human authorities and nations. |
| Jer 18:7-10 | At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot... then I will reconsider... | God's sovereign right to determine the fate of nations. |
| Dan 2:21 | It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings... | God's absolute control over rulers and history. |
| Amos 1:8 | And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And him who holds the scepter, from Ashkelon... | Specific judgment against Philistine cities. |
| Zech 9:5-7 | Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. Gaza will writhe in agony... | Prophecy detailing judgment upon Philistia. |
| Rev 21:4 | And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain... | Ultimate cessation of all suffering and evil. |
Jeremiah 47 verses
Jeremiah 47 6 meaning
Jeremiah 47:6 is a vivid and dramatic personification of divine judgment as the "sword of the LORD." It represents a poignant cry, either by the prophet Jeremiah or, symbolically, by the afflicted nations themselves, yearning for the cessation of the immense destruction God is bringing upon the Philistines. The plea asks for the "sword" to return to its scabbard, signifying an end to war and the restoration of peace and stillness after the instrument of God's wrath has fulfilled its purpose. This verse captures the tension between the necessity of divine judgment and the human longing for an end to suffering.
Jeremiah 47 6 Context
Jeremiah chapter 47 is a prophecy concerning the Philistines, one of several prophecies in Jeremiah against foreign nations (chapters 46-51). This specific oracle warns of impending destruction, likely from the advancing Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar, which God uses as His instrument of judgment. The chapter begins by stating this prophecy came "before Pharaoh attacked Gaza," though many scholars identify the true destructive force as coming from "the North" – referring to Babylon. The Philistines, perennial adversaries of Israel and known for their idol worship, are about to face a sweeping invasion that will overwhelm their cities and bring an end to their proud history. Verse 6 stands out as a sudden shift from God's decree of judgment to a dramatic lament or plea for the cessation of this very divine wrath, emphasizing the terror and devastation to come. It serves to highlight the severe and total nature of the impending judgment.
Jeremiah 47 6 Word analysis
- O you sword: Hebrew הוֹי (hoy), often translated as "Ah!" or "Woe!" It functions here as an exclamation expressing strong emotion—either lament or solemn announcement. חֶרֶב (ḥerev), "sword," is a direct metaphor for God's judgment and the instrument through which it is carried out, specifically the Babylonian army.
- of the LORD: Hebrew יְהוָה (YHWH), God's covenant name. This emphasizes that the sword is not acting independently, but is an agent directly commissioned and controlled by the sovereign God of Israel. It asserts divine responsibility and authority behind the impending devastation.
- how long: Hebrew עַד-מָה (ʿad-mah). This is a common Hebrew interrogative expression indicating duration and frequently found in laments (e.g., in Psalms). It expresses exasperation, impatience, or intense yearning for an end to a difficult situation.
- till you have rest?: Hebrew תֵרָגְעִי (terogʿi), from the root רָגַע (ragaʿ), meaning "to settle down," "be at rest," or "be quiet." The question implies the destruction is relentless and the desire for it to subside.
- Put yourself into your scabbard: Hebrew הֵאָסְפִי אֶל-תַּעְרֵךְ (heʾasefi ʾel taʿrekh), literally "be gathered to your sheath/scabbard." הֵאָסְפִי (heʾasefi) is an imperative, calling for the sword to withdraw or collect itself. תַּעַר (taʿar) is a "sheath" or "scabbard," the place where a sword rests when not in use. It is a powerful image of war ceasing and instruments of war being laid down.
- cease: Hebrew שִׁקְטִי (shiqqiṭi), from the root שָׁקַט (shaqaṭ), meaning "to be quiet," "to be calm," "to rest," or "to be tranquil." This imperative reiterates the desire for the cessation of hostile action and a return to peace.
- and be still!: Hebrew וְדֹמִּי (v'domi), from the root דָּמַם (damam), meaning "to be silent," "to be still," "to perish," or "to cut off." This final imperative strongly reinforces the plea for the violence to completely stop, suggesting an end to the destruction and the return to absolute silence and calm.
- O you sword of the LORD: This phrase personifies the instrument of divine judgment, transforming a general idea into an active entity under God's command. It powerfully attributes the impending destruction not to mere human warfare, but to a divinely ordained instrument.
- how long till you have rest?: This reflects profound suffering and a desperate plea for the devastation to end. It's a question posed to the relentless "sword," seeking relief from its destructive activity.
- Put yourself into your scabbard; cease, and be still!: This triplet of commands, addressed directly to the personified sword, serves as an intensified appeal for the absolute cessation of hostilities. Each phrase builds upon the last, moving from returning to rest, to quieting down, and finally to complete stillness and silence, vividly portraying a longing for the full end of war.
Jeremiah 47 6 Bonus section
The sudden shift in Jer 47:6, from divine declaration of judgment to what appears to be a lament, is highly dramatic. While traditionally interpreted as the prophet Jeremiah's own empathic cry for the cessation of suffering, it could also be understood as the Philistines themselves, or humanity broadly, expressing a desperate plea in the face of overwhelming, divinely sanctioned destruction. This rhetorical device effectively magnifies the horror of the judgment described. The imagery of the sword is visceral and universally understood as an instrument of war and death. Its "resting" in the "scabbard" signifies not merely a temporary pause, but a complete and final end to its destructive function, reflecting a hope for lasting peace, however distant.
Jeremiah 47 6 Commentary
Jeremiah 47:6 serves as a striking poetic interjection amidst a prophecy of judgment. It articulates a powerful plea to the personified "sword of the LORD"—likely the Babylonian army—to cease its devastating work against the Philistines. This isn't a call to avert judgment, but rather a longing for its completion, reflecting an empathy for the suffering that even necessary divine judgment brings. The use of repeated imperatives like "Put yourself into your scabbard; cease, and be still!" underscores an intense desire for the finality of peace after the overwhelming chaos. Theologically, the verse affirms God's absolute sovereignty over nations and their conflicts, as He raises up and puts down powers, using even pagan empires as His tools to fulfill His righteous judgments, yet paradoxically, it also expresses a profound human desire for relief from such divine instruments.