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