Introduction: Prophecy Concerning the Philistines
Chapter 47 of Sefer Yirmiyahu is a brief and sharp prophecy concerning the Philistines - those dwelling in Gaza. The chapter depicts two blows: the first by Pharaoh, who struck Gaza, and the second, the primary one, by Nebuchadnezzar, who brought complete devastation upon the Philistines. The prophet emphasizes this second destruction in particular, because it was absolute, while Pharaoh's assault was merely a prelude to it. We yearn to see such a thing happen in our own days as well, but the vision is set for its appointed time.
אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דְבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֶל־פְּלִשְׁתִּים בְּטֶרֶם יַכֶּה פַרְעֹה אֶת־עַזָּה׃ - That which came as the word of Hashem to Yirmiyahu the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck Gaza.
The Malbim explains: Pharaoh struck Gaza when the Egyptians marched out to assist Tzidkiyahu. Afterwards, Pharaoh returned to his land, and on his way back he swept through Gaza, as recorded in Seder Olam. Subsequently, Nebuchadnezzar came and utterly devastated all of the Philistines.
And why was Nebuchadnezzar driven to go and destroy the Philistines? Because the Philistines were allies of Tyre and supported them, and Nebuchadnezzar was waging war against Tyre. The ally of my enemy is my enemy. Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Philistines so that when the Tyrians sought aid from the people of Gaza, they would find no one to assist them.
Waters Rising from the North
כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה הִנֵּה־מַיִם עֹלִים מִצָּפוֹן וְהָיוּ לְנַחַל שׁוֹטֵף וְיִשְׁטְפוּ אֶרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ עִיר וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ וְזָעֲקוּ הָאָדָם וְהֵילִל כֹּל יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ׃ - Thus said Hashem: Behold, waters are rising from the north and shall become an overflowing torrent, and they shall sweep away the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it; and people shall cry out, and every inhabitant of the land shall wail.
"Waters rising" refers to waters growing in intensity and surging, just as in the phrase "the battle mounted," which means the battle intensified. The Radak explains that the waters are a metaphor for the Kasdim (Babylonians), who come from the north like a sweeping flood. And just as rushing waters leave nothing behind and sweep away everything in their path, so Nebuchadnezzar will lay everything to waste.
The Malbim notes the twofold expression, "and they shall sweep away the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it": at first they will sweep across the open country - the fields and the vineyards; and afterwards they will inundate the fortified cities - "the city and those who dwell in it." Then "people shall cry out," just as when a flood of water arrives, people cry out to flee aboard ships, much like a tsunami where everyone runs for their lives. "And every inhabitant of the land shall wail" - from the word for lamentation; all the inhabitants of the land will wail over the loss of their possessions, the loss of their homes, and the loss of their wealth.
A Feebleness of Hands That Prevents Even Saving One's Children
מִקּוֹל שַׁעֲטַת פַּרְסוֹת אַבִּירָיו מֵרַעַשׁ לְרִכְבּוֹ הֲמוֹן גַּלְגִּלָּיו לֹא־הִפְנוּ אָבוֹת אֶל־בָּנִים מֵרִפְיוֹן יָדָיִם׃ - From the sound of the stamping of the hooves of his mighty steeds, from the rumbling of his chariots, the roar of his wheels, fathers do not turn back for their children, out of feebleness of hands.
Here the prophet comes to tell you: know that this will be far more severe and ferocious than a mere flood of water. "Stamping" refers to the horse pounding its hooves forcefully upon the ground. The sound of the stamping hooves of the mighty steeds, the rumbling of the chariot, and the roar of the wheels - all these will cause "fathers do not turn back for their children, out of feebleness of hands."
The Malbim explains: when a flood of mighty waters surges, every father turns to save his son, for in a time of trouble, one instinctively rushes to save those closest to him. But in this flood of invading legions washing over the land, their hands will be feeble. As long as a person retains some strength, he still looks out for his children, but when his strength is gone, he saves only himself; he enters survival mode, focused solely on how he might endure the calamity. This is the meaning of "fathers do not turn back to children out of feebleness of hands": because they will have no strength left, who could think of rescuing his children? A person will only think of how not to drown himself.
The Coming Day - Not Pharaoh's Strike, but Utter Devastation
עַל־הַיּוֹם הַבָּא לִשְׁדוֹד אֶת־כׇּל־פְּלִשְׁתִּים לְהַכְרִית לְצֹר וּלְצִידוֹן כֹּל שָׂרִיד עֹזֵר כִּי־שֹׁדֵד יְהֹוָה אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּים שְׁאֵרִית אִי כַפְתּוֹר׃ - Because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every surviving helper, for the Lord is plundering the Philistines, the remnant of the isle of Caphtor.
Lest you think that the prophecy delivered now describes what is happening right at this moment - since Pharaoh initially went and struck Gaza, leading one to think the prophecy refers to him - the prophet tells you: no. What Pharaoh did was on a minor scale, merely a preview of the one who will come and wash over everything, leaving nothing behind. The prophecy concerns what is yet to come - "Because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines." It is not about this current day when Pharaoh arrives and delivers only a light blow, but about the day when all the Philistines will be devastated.
And why plunder all the Philistines? "To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every surviving helper" - as we explained, there was concern that Tyre and Sidon would gain strength through the Philistines, and Nebuchadnezzar was waging war against Tyre and Sidon, so he set out to destroy their allies. Furthermore, there is a matter of Divine Providence at work here - "for the Lord is plundering the Philistines, the remnant of the isle of Caphtor," as the Philistines are brethren to Caphtor.
Baldness and Gashing - An Allegory of Mourning
בָּאָה קׇרְחָה אֶל־עַזָּה נִדְמְתָה אַשְׁקְלוֹן שְׁאֵרִית עִמְקָם עַד־מָתַי תִּתְגּוֹדָדִי׃ - Baldness has come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut down, the remnant of their valley; how long will you gash yourself?
Gaza had already been damaged by Pharaoh, and its "hair" was already thinned out. Now the prophet says: "Baldness has come" - someone will arrive who will shave it completely bald. Until now, a few sparse hairs remained, but now nothing at all will be left.
"Ashkelon is cut down [nidmeta]" - Ashkelon has already been plundered, and what was there has been silenced and severed. The Malbim explains that nidmeta is not related to imagination or likeness, but to being cut off, as in "the Lord has silenced us [hedimanu]" and other expressions we have seen, which signify destruction and cutting down. Thus, the valley is ruined and nothing remains - "the remnant of their valley" is completely wiped out.
"How long will you gash yourself [titgodadi]?" - The Malbim explains that this is a rhetorical, poetic figure. Having opened with the metaphor of baldness, implying that someone will come and shave you completely bald, he continues in that same vein: for whom was it their practice to make baldness? Over the dead. And it is written, "You shall not gash yourselves [lo titgodedu], nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead." The prophet says to them: baldness has already come upon you, you have already been made bald, and you will even gash yourselves. "Gashing" refers to the pagan practice of lacerating their flesh over the dead, cutting incisions into one's skin as a sign of grief. Since he began with the imagery of shaving bald, which expresses mourning, he continued with the imagery of gashing.
Ah, Sword of the Lord - How Long Will You Not Be Quiet?
הוֹי חֶרֶב לַיהֹוָה עַד־אָנָה לֹא תִשְׁקֹטִי הֵאָסְפִי אֶל־תַּעְרֵךְ הֵרָגְעִי וָדֹמִּי׃ - Ah, sword of the Lord, how long will you not be quiet? Gather yourself into your sheath; rest and be still!
The Malbim explains: After the sword of Hashem has struck them twice, the prophet now addresses it, as it were - when will the sword finally be quiet? "Withdraw into your sheath" is a figure of speech meaning that the destroyer should return to his land and no longer destroy, terrorize, or shake kingdoms. The ta'ar is the scabbard, the place into which the sword is inserted, as in the phrase: "A sword drawn from its sheath, unsheathed against your foes." And he adds: "Be tranquil and be silent" - an appeal to the sword that even if you are still outside your sheath, at the very least calm down a bit and be still, and do not kill unceasingly.
Why the Sword Cannot Rest
אֵיךְ תִּשְׁקֹטִי וַיהֹוָה צִוָּה־לָהּ אֶל־אַשְׁקְלוֹן וְאֶל־חוֹף הַיָּם שָׁם יְעָדָהּ׃ - How can it be quiet, when Hashem has commanded it? Against Ashkelon and against the sea coast, there He has designated it.
To the question, "How long will you not be quiet?" - how long will the sword continue to devour there in Ashkelon - the prophet replies that this is impossible. How can you expect the sword to rest, when Hashem has commanded it against Ashkelon and against the seashore, where He designated it? Hashem designated it and commanded it, and Nevuchadnezzar here is an emissary sent by Hashem to destroy kingdoms.
And there is an additional factor from a natural standpoint: "Against Ashkelon and against the sea coast, there He has designated it" - since Nevuchadnezzar was waging war against Tyre and Sidon, which were situated on the sea, and the Philistines lived on the coast and were aiding Tyre, he therefore directed his sword to cut off the coastal dwellers who were assisting Tyre. Thus, two dimensions converge here: a matter of Divine providence from Heaven, and a natural factor - that Nevuchadnezzar did not want allies aiding his enemies, and so he set out to destroy Ashkelon. There are two powerful reasons here, one natural and one heavenly, to bring the sword upon Ashkelon. Therefore, do not ask, "How long will you not be quiet?": until Nevuchadnezzar completes his mission, the sword will not rest.
In summary:
The chapter depicts the destruction of the Philistines in two stages: Pharaoh striking Gaza, which was merely a prelude, and the complete destruction wrought by Nevuchadnezzar, who arrives from the north like an overflowing river. The torrent sweeps first over the fields and then through the cities, and the clamor of chariots and horses causes such feebleness of hands that even fathers do not turn back to save their children. The prophet portrays the destruction through the imagery of mourning - baldness and gashes - and concludes with the answer to why the sword cannot rest: both by Divine providence, as Hashem commanded and designated it, and through natural causes, as Nevuchadnezzar came to cut off the allies of Tyre and Sidon. And until Nevuchadnezzar fulfills his mission - the sword will not return to its sheath.