Jeremiah 47:6

6 “ ‘Alas, sword of the LORD, how long till you rest? Return to your sheath; cease and be still.’

Jeremiah 47:6 in Other Translations

6 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.

6 Ah, sword of the LORD! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still!

6 “Now, O sword of the LORD, when will you be at rest again? Go back into your sheath; rest and be still.

6 "Oh, Sword of God, how long will you keep this up? Return to your scabbard. Haven't you had enough? Can't you call it quits?

6 O thou sword of Jehovah, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard; rest, and be still.

6 You cry out, "Sword of the LORD, how long will you keep on fighting? Go back into your scabbard. Stay there and rest!"

6 Ah, sword of the Lord! How long will you be restless? Go back to your scabbard; be still; be silent!

6 " 'Sword of the Lord!' you cry out. 'How long will it be until you rest? Return to the place you came from. Stop killing us! Be still!'

Jeremiah 47:6 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 47:6

O thou sword of the Lord
For though it was the sword of the Chaldeans, yet being appointed and sent by the Lord, and having a commission from him, and being ordered and directed in his providence to do his will, it is called his sword: how long [will it be] ere thou be quiet?
and cease from destroying men; wilt thou not cease till thou hast no more to destroy? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still;
and make no more havoc among the people: these are either the words of the Philistines, entreating a stop might be put to the ravages of the sword, and that the war might cease, and the desolations of it; or rather of the prophet, commiserating their state as a man, though they had been the avowed enemies of his people; to which the following words of him are an answer, either to the Philistines, showing why their request could not be granted, or as correcting himself.

Jeremiah 47:6 In-Context

4 For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines and to remove all survivors who could help Tyre and Sidon. The LORD is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.

5 Gaza will shave her head in mourning; Ashkelon will be silenced. You remnant on the plain, how long will you cut yourselves?

6 “ ‘Alas, sword of the LORD, how long till you rest? Return to your sheath; cease and be still.’

7 But how can it rest when the LORD has commanded it, when he has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”

Cross References

• 1. S Isaiah 34:5; Jeremiah 12:12; Jeremiah 48:10; Jeremiah 50:35
• 2. Ezekiel 21:30