Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, November 15th, 2025
the Week of Proper 27 / Ordinary 32
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Jeremiah 47:6

"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?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - War;   Thompson Chain Reference - Sword of the Lord;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prophets;   Sword, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Philistines;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Philistia, philistines;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Prophecy;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Obadiah, Book of;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Scabbard;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Poetry of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Armor;   Jeremiah (2);   War;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Oh, sword of the Lord!How long will you be restless?Go back to your sheath;be still; be silent!
Hebrew Names Version
You sword of the LORD, how long will it be before you be quiet? put up yourself into your scabbard; rest, and be still.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
Ah, sword of the Lord ! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still!
New American Standard Bible
"Ah, sword of the LORD, How long will you not be quiet? Withdraw into your sheath; Rest and stay still.
New Century Version
"You cry, ‘Sword of the Lord , how long will you keep fighting? Return to your holder. Stop and be still.'
Amplified Bible
"O you sword of the LORD, How long will it be before you are quiet? Put yourself into your sheath; Rest and be still.
World English Bible
You sword of Yahweh, how long will it be before you be quiet? put up yourself into your scabbard; rest, and be still.
Geneva Bible (1587)
O thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be or thou cease! turne againe into thy scaberd, rest and be still.
Legacy Standard Bible
Ah, sword of Yahweh,How long will you not be quiet?Withdraw into your sheath;Be at rest and stay still.
Berean Standard Bible
'Alas, O sword of the LORD, how long until you rest? Return to your sheath; cease and be still!'
Contemporary English Version
You ask how long will I continue to attack you with my sword, then you tell me to put it away and leave you alone.
Complete Jewish Bible
Oh, sword of Adonai , how long till you can be quiet? Put yourself back in your scabbard! Stop! Be still!
Darby Translation
Alas! sword of Jehovah, how long wilt thou not be quiet? Withdraw into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Sword of the Lord , you have not stopped. How long will you keep fighting? Go back into your scabbard! Stop! Be still!
George Lamsa Translation
O, sword of the LORD, how long will it be till you be quiet and cease from destruction? put up yourself into your scabbard, rest and be still.
Good News Translation
You cry out, ‘Sword of the Lord ! How long will you go on slashing? Go back to your scabbard, stay there and rest!'
Lexham English Bible
Ah, sword of Yahweh, how long will you not be quiet? Gather to your sheath, keep quiet and stand still.
Literal Translation
O sword of Jehovah, until when will you not be quiet? Put yourself into your sheath; rest, and be still.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
O thou swearde off the LORDE? Turne agayne in to ye sheeth, reste, and leaue off.
American Standard Version
O thou sword of Jehovah, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard; rest, and be still.
Bible in Basic English
O sword of the Lord, how long will you have no rest? put yourself back into your cover; be at peace, be quiet.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
O thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put vp thy selfe into thy scabberd, rest and be still.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
O thou sworde of the Lorde, howe long wylt thou not ceasse? Turne againe into thy sheath, rest, and leaue of.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he came to Godolias to Massepha, and dwelt in the midst of his people that was left in the land.
English Revised Version
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Hou longe schalt thou falle doun, O! swerd of the Lord, hou long schalt thou not reste? Entre thou in to thi schethe, be thou refreischid, and be stille.
Update Bible Version
O you sword of Yahweh, how long will it be before you are quiet? put yourself up into your scabbard; rest, and be still.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
New English Translation
How long will you cry out, ‘Oh, sword of the Lord , how long will it be before you stop killing? Go back into your sheath! Stay there and rest!'
New King James Version
"O you sword of the LORD, How long until you are quiet? Put yourself up into your scabbard, Rest and be still!
New Living Translation
"Now, O sword of the Lord , when will you be at rest again? Go back into your sheath; rest and be still.
New Life Bible
O, sword of the Lord, how long will it be before you are quiet? Return to your holder. Be at rest and do not move.
New Revised Standard
Ah, sword of the Lord ! How long until you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard, rest and be still!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Ah! thou sword of Yahweh, How long, wilt thou not be quiet? Withdraw into thy scabbard, Rest thyself and be still.
Douay-Rheims Bible
O thou sword of the Lord, how long wilt thou not be quiet? Go into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.
Revised Standard Version
Ah, sword of the LORD! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard, rest and be still!
Young's Literal Translation
Ho, sword of Jehovah, till when art thou not quiet? Be removed unto thy sheath, rest and cease.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Ah, sword of the LORD, How long will you not be quiet? Withdraw into your sheath; Be at rest and stay still.

Contextual Overview

1 God 's Message to the prophet Jeremiah regarding the Philistines just before Pharaoh attacked Gaza. This is what God says: "Look out! Water will rise in the north country, swelling like a river in flood. The torrent will flood the land, washing away city and citizen. Men and women will scream in terror, wails from every door and window, As the thunder from the hooves of the horses will be heard, the clatter of chariots, the banging of wheels. Fathers, paralyzed by fear, won't even grab up their babies Because it will be doomsday for Philistines, one and all, no hope of help for Tyre and Sidon. God will finish off the Philistines, what's left of those from the island of Crete. Gaza will be shaved bald as an egg, Ashkelon struck dumb as a post. You're on your last legs. How long will you keep flailing? 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? 7 "But how can it quit when I, God , command the action? I've ordered it to cut down Ashkelon and the seacoast."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou sword: Jeremiah 12:12, Jeremiah 15:3, Jeremiah 25:27, Jeremiah 51:20-23, Deuteronomy 32:41, Deuteronomy 32:42, Psalms 17:13, Isaiah 10:5, Isaiah 10:15, Ezekiel 14:17, Ezekiel 21:3-5

how long: Jeremiah 4:21, Jeremiah 12:4, 2 Samuel 2:26

put up thyself: Heb. gather thyself

into: 1 Chronicles 21:27, Ezekiel 21:30, John 18:11

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 33:29 - the sword 1 Chronicles 21:12 - the sword Psalms 94:3 - Lord Psalms 114:5 - General Isaiah 10:6 - will I give Isaiah 23:9 - Lord Isaiah 27:1 - with his Isaiah 34:5 - my sword Jeremiah 34:17 - to the sword Jeremiah 50:35 - sword Ezekiel 33:2 - When I bring the sword upon a land Zephaniah 2:12 - my Zechariah 13:7 - O sword Matthew 8:9 - Go Matthew 24:6 - ye shall hear

Cross-References

Genesis 47:4
Joseph went to Pharaoh and told him, "My father and brothers with their flocks and herds and everything they own have come from Canaan. Right now they are in Goshen." He had taken five of his brothers with him and introduced them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked them, "What kind of work do you do?" "Your servants are shepherds, the same as our fathers were. We have come to this country to find a new place to live. There is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine has been very bad there. Please, would you let your servants settle in the region of Goshen?"
Genesis 47:11
Joseph settled his father and brothers in Egypt, made them proud owners of choice land—it was the region of Rameses (that is, Goshen)—just as Pharaoh had ordered. Joseph took good care of them—his father and brothers and all his father's family, right down to the smallest baby. He made sure they had plenty of everything.
Genesis 47:16
Joseph said, "Bring your livestock. I'll trade you food for livestock since your money's run out." So they brought Joseph their livestock. He traded them food for their horses, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. He got them through that year in exchange for all their livestock.
Genesis 47:18
When that year was over, the next year rolled around and they were back, saying, "Master, it's no secret to you that we're broke: our money's gone and we've traded you all our livestock. We've nothing left to barter with but our bodies and our farms. What use are our bodies and our land if we stand here and starve to death right in front of you? Trade us food for our bodies and our land. We'll be slaves to Pharaoh and give up our land—all we ask is seed for survival, just enough to live on and keep the farms alive."
Genesis 47:20
So Joseph bought up all the farms in Egypt for Pharaoh. Every Egyptian sold his land—the famine was that bad. That's how Pharaoh ended up owning all the land and the people ended up slaves; Joseph reduced the people to slavery from one end of Egypt to the other.
Genesis 47:29
When the time came for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said, "Do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh, a sign that you're loyal and true to me to the end. Don't bury me in Egypt. When I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me alongside them." "I will," he said. "I'll do what you've asked."
Genesis 47:31
Israel said, "Promise me." Joseph promised. Israel bowed his head in submission and gratitude from his bed.
1 Samuel 21:7
One of Saul's officials was present that day keeping a religious vow. His name was Doeg the Edomite. He was chief of Saul's shepherds.
Proverbs 21:1
Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God ; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses.
Proverbs 22:29

5

Observe people who are good at their work— skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don't take a backseat to anyone.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 47:6. O thou sword of the Lord — This is a most grand prosopopoeia-a dialogue between the sword of the Lord and the prophet. Nothing can be imagined more sublime.

Put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still. — Shed no more blood, destroy no more lives, erase no more cities, desolate no more countries. Rest:-hast thou not been long enough at this work of judgment? O be still:-let wars and desolations cease for ever.


 
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