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Major Prophets · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Jeremiah 47

A prophet warns Judah, laments its fall, and announces a promised new covenant.

Jeremiah overview
Old Testament

Jeremiah 47

1The LORD’s word that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck Gaza.

2The LORD says: “Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and will become an overflowing stream, and will overflow the land and all that is therein, the city and those who dwell therein. The men will cry, and all the inhabitants of the land will wail.

3At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers don’t look back for their children because their hands are so feeble,

4because of the day that comes to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains; for the LORD will destroy the Philistines, the remnant of the isle of Caphtor.

5Baldness has come on Gaza; Ashkelon is brought to nothing. You remnant of their valley, how long will you cut yourself?

6“‘You sword of the LORD, how long will it be before you are quiet? Put yourself back into your scabbard; rest, and be still.’

7“How can you be quiet, since the LORD has given you a command? Against Ashkelon, and against the seashore, there he has appointed it.”

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

A prophet warns Judah, laments its fall, and announces a promised new covenant. Read Jeremiah 47 within the complete Jeremiah overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Jeremiah 47

Jeremiah 47 contains 7 verses and about 206 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “The LORD’s word that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck Gaza.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 7 closes: ““How can you be quiet, since the LORD has given you a command? Against Ashkelon, and against the seashore, there he has appointed it.”” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, philistines, gaza, land, therein, back. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Jeremiah 47

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Jeremiah 47:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

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