Jeremiah 47:7

How can it be quiet, seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? there hath he appointed it.

Jeremiah 47:7 (KJV)

Context

Jeremiah 47:7 concludes a prophetic oracle against the Philistines, naming Ashkelon, one of their five principal cities, and the adjacent seacoast. The preceding verse cries out to the sword of the Lord, “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.” This verse answers that plea: the sword cannot rest because God has given it a charge.

Meaning

The rhetorical question “How can it be quiet?” expresses the futility of seeking peace when God has commanded judgment. The “it” is the sword of the Lord, and the charge against Ashkelon and the sea shore is a solemn, formal command. The closing phrase “there hath he appointed it” emphasizes that this judgment is not random human warfare but a divinely assigned mission. God’s decree is certain and unstoppable; no power can resist it.

Biblical connections

This oracle is set against the backdrop of Babylon’s expansion under Nebuchadnezzar, whom God used as an instrument of judgment against the nations. The verse teaches that God is sovereign over history and nations, and His judgments are purposeful and precise. The same divine authority that commands the sword here also governs all events, fulfilling His word in every generation.

Application

Readers should listen first for the claim the verse actually makes, then consider the response its setting calls for—such as repentance, faith, endurance, hope, or worship—without claiming more than the text establishes. The verse warns against assuming peace when God has decreed otherwise, and it calls for humble submission to His sovereign will.

Reflection

Read in this setting, Jeremiah 47:7 speaks through its own wording and context. Its claims and application begin with the KJV text above.