· Translation: KJV

Jeremiah 47:6You sword of Yahweh, how long will it be before you be quiet? Put up yourself into your scabbard; rest, and be still.

The setting

Gaza Strip, Palestine, ~587 BC. Jeremiah personifies God's sword of judgment, pleading with it to rest after devastating the Philistines...

The emotion here: exhausted by endless cycles of violence and judgment

The original word

chereb (חֶרֶב) — sword, but here representing divine judgment as an unstoppable force

Why it matters

Ancient Near Eastern warfare often lasted for months with siege tactics that starved entire populations

Read with care

What most readers miss in Jeremiah 47:6

Jeremiah is literally arguing with God's instrument of judgment, like pleading with a hurricane to stop

Common misconceptionMany think this shows Jeremiah opposing God's will, but it actually shows his humanity — even prophets get weary of delivering hard messages.

Bible Genome reading

Jeremiah 47:6 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerJeremiah
EraExile
Primary emotiongrieving
Literary typepsalm
MarkPrayer
MarkCommand

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability40%
Memorability50%
Crisis relevance60%
Standalone50%
Themes:exhaustionplea for peacedivine instrument

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Jeremiah 47

Jeremiah 47:6 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to Jeremiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include exhaustion, plea for peace, divine instrument. Notable phrases: sword of Yahweh; how long; rest and be still. This verse is a prayer. This verse contains a command.

Your reflection

What does Jeremiah 47:6 mean to you, today?

A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.

Speak your heart →

Get 3 verses for "grieving"

Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.