Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

on the Whole Bible

Back to Biblesnet.com Home Page

---

[Table of Contents] [Previous] [Next]

Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1712)

---

J E R E M I A H.

CHAP. XLVII.

---

     

This chapter reads the Philistines their doom, as the former read the

Egyptians theirs and by the same hand, that of Nebuchadnezzar. It is

short, but terrible; and Tyre and Zidon, though they lay at some

distance from them, come in sharers with them in the destruction here

threatened.

I. It is foretold that the forces of the northern crowns should come

upon them, to their great terror,

ver. 1-5.

II. That the war should continue long, and their endeavours to put an

end to it should be in vain,

ver. 6-7.

The Judgment of the Philistines.	B. C. 588.

     

1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet

against the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote Gaza.

  2 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north,

and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land,

and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein:

then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall

howl.

  3 At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong

horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling

of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their

children for feebleness of hands;

  4 Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines,

and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that

remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant

of the country of Caphtor.

  5 Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off with the

remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?

  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.

  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.

     

As the Egyptians had often proved false friends, so the Philistines had

always been sworn enemies, to the Israel of God, and the more dangerous

and vexatious for their being such near neighbours to them. They were

considerably humbled in David’s time, but, it seems they had got head

again and were a considerable people till Nebuchadnezzar cut them off

with their neighbours, which is the event here foretold. The date of

this prophecy is observable; it was before Pharaoh smote Gaza.

When this blow was given to Gaza by the king of Egypt is not certain,

whether in his expedition against Carchemish or in his return thence,

after he had slain Josiah, or when he afterwards came with design to

relieve Jerusalem; but this is mentioned here to show that this word of

the Lord came to Jeremiah against the Philistines when they were in

their full strength and lustre, themselves and their cities in good

condition, in no peril from any adversary or evil occurrent. When no

disturbance of their repose was foreseen by any human probabilities,

yet then Jeremiah foretold their ruin, which Pharaoh’s smiting Gaza

soon after would be but an earnest of, and, as it were, the beginning

of sorrows to that country. It is here foretold,

1. That a foreign enemy and a very formidable one shall be brought upon

them: Waters rise up out of the north,
v. 2.

Waters sometimes signify multitudes of people and nations

(Rev. xvii. 15),

sometimes great and threatening calamities

(Ps. lxix. 1);

here they signify both. They rise out of the north, whence fair

weather and the wind that drives away rain are said to come; but now a

terrible storm comes out of that cold climate. The Chaldean army shall

overflow the land like a deluge. Probably this happened before the

destruction of Jerusalem, for it should seem that in Gedaliah’s time,

which was just after, the army of the Chaldeans was quite withdrawn out

of those parts. The country of the Philistines was but of small extent,

so that it would soon be overwhelmed by so vast an army.

2. That they shall all be in a consternation upon it. The men shall

have no heart to fight, but shall sit down and cry like children:

All the inhabitants of the land shall howl, so that nothing but

lamentation shall be heard in all places. The occasion of the fright is

elegantly described,

v. 3.

Before it comes to killing and slaying, the very stamping of the

horses and rattling of the chariots, when the enemy makes

his approach, shall strike a terror upon the people, to such a degree

that parents in their fright shall seem void of natural affection,

for they shall not look back to their children, to provide for

their safety, or so much as to see what becomes of them. Their

hands shall be so feeble that they shall despair of carrying

them off with them, and therefore they shall not care for seeing them,

but leave them to take their lot; or they shall be in such a

consternation that they shall quite forget even those pieces of

themselves. Let none be over-fond of their children, nor dote upon

them, since such distress may come that they may either wish they had

none or forget that they have, and have no heart to look upon them.

3. That the country of the Philistines shall be spoiled and laid

waste, and the other countries adjoining to them and in alliance with

them. It is a day to spoil the Philistines, for the Lord will spoil

them,
v. 4.

Note, Those whom God will spoil must needs be spoiled; for, if God

be against them, who can be for them? Tyre and Zidon were strong

and wealthy cities, and they used to help the Philistines in a strait,

but now they shall themselves be involved in the common ruin, and God

will cut off from them every helper that remains. Note, Those

that trust to help from creatures will find it cut off when they most

need it and will thereby be put into the utmost confusion. Who the

remnant of the country of Caphtor were is uncertain, but we find

that the Caphtorim were near akin to the Philistines

(Gen. x. 14),

and probably when their own country was destroyed such as remained came

and settled with their kinsmen the Philistines, and were now spoiled

with them. Some particular places are here named, Gaza, and

Ashkelon,
v. 5.

Baldness has come upon them; the invaders have stripped them of

all their ornaments, or they have made themselves bald in token of

extreme grief, and they are cut off, with the other cities that

were in the plain or valley about them. The products of their fruitful

valley shall be spoiled, and made a prey of, by the conquerors.

4. That these calamities should continue long. The prophet, in the

foresight of this, with his usual tenderness, asks them first

(v. 5),

How long will you cut yourselves, as men in extreme sorrow and

anguish do? O how tedious will the calamity be! not only cutting, but

long cutting. But he turns from the effect to the cause: They cut

themselves, for the sword of the Lord cuts them. And therefore,

(1.) He bespeaks that to be still

(v. 6):

O thou sword of the Lord! how long will it be ere thou be

quiet? He begs it would put up itself into the scabbard,

would devour no more flesh, drink no more blood. This expresses the

prophet’s earnest desire to see an end of the war, looking with

compassion, as became a man, even upon the Philistines themselves, when

their country was made desolate by the sword. Note, War is the sword

of the Lord; with it he punishes the crimes of his enemies and

pleads the cause of his own people. When war is once begun it often

lasts long; the sword, once drawn, does not quickly find the way into

the scabbard again; nay, some when they draw the sword throw away the

scabbard, for they delight in war. So deplorable are the

desolations of war that the blessings of peace cannot but be very

desirable. O that swords might be beaten into ploughshares!

(2.) Yet he gives a satisfactory account of the continuance of the war

and stops the mouth of his own complaint

(v. 7):

How can it be quiet, seeing the Lord hath given it a charge

against such and such places, particularly specified in its commission?

There hath he appointed it. Note,

[1.] The sword of war hath its charge from the Lord of hosts. Every

bullet has its charge; you call them blind bullets, but they are

directed by an all-seeing God. The war itself has its charge; he saith

to it, Go, and it goes–Come, and it comes–Do this, and it does

it; for he is commander-in-chief.

[2.] When the sword is drawn we cannot expect it should be sheathed

till it has fulfilled its charge. As the word of God, so his rod and

his sword, shall accomplish that for which he sends them.

---

[Table of Contents] [Previous] [Next]

Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1712)

---

Back to Bibles Net . Com – Online Christian Library Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary – Free Download Contact Us

---