The people of Gaza will shave their heads in mourning;In ancient Near Eastern cultures, shaving one's head was a common expression of grief and mourning. This act symbolized deep sorrow and was often performed during times of national calamity or personal loss. Gaza, one of the principal cities of the Philistines, faced impending destruction, as prophesied by Jeremiah. The Philistines were long-standing enemies of Israel, and their cities were often targets of divine judgment due to their idolatry and opposition to God's people. The mourning in Gaza signifies the severity of the judgment they were to experience.
Ashkelon will be silenced.
Ashkelon, another major Philistine city, was known for its strength and strategic location along the Mediterranean coast. The prophecy of silence indicates total desolation and the cessation of all activity, including commerce and daily life. This silence is a metaphor for the complete overthrow and destruction that would leave the city devoid of its inhabitants and vitality. The silencing of Ashkelon reflects the broader theme of divine retribution against nations that opposed Israel and defied God's commands.
O remnant of their valley,
The "remnant of their valley" refers to the survivors or remaining inhabitants of the Philistine territories, particularly those in the coastal plains and valleys where these cities were located. The term "remnant" often carries a dual meaning in biblical prophecy, indicating both those who survive judgment and those who are left to witness the aftermath. This phrase highlights the few who remain after the devastation, emphasizing the completeness of the destruction.
how long will you gash yourself?
Gashing oneself was a pagan mourning practice, often associated with rituals to appease deities or express extreme grief. This practice was forbidden in Israelite law (Leviticus 19:28) as it was linked to idolatrous customs. The rhetorical question "how long" suggests the futility of such actions in the face of divine judgment. It underscores the hopelessness of relying on pagan practices for deliverance and points to the need for repentance and turning to the true God. This phrase serves as a reminder of the ineffectiveness of human efforts to avert God's decreed plans.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
GazaA major city of the Philistines, often at odds with Israel. Known for its strategic location and significance in trade and military endeavors.
2.
AshkelonAnother prominent Philistine city, known for its fortifications and cultural influence. It was a center of Philistine power and worship.
3.
PhilistinesAn ancient people, often in conflict with Israel. They inhabited the coastal regions of Canaan and were known for their military prowess.
4.
JeremiahThe prophet who conveyed God's messages to the nations, including judgments and calls for repentance.
5.
Remnant of their valleyRefers to the remaining people in the Philistine territories, particularly those who survived previous devastations.
Teaching Points
Understanding Divine JudgmentThe imagery of baldness and silence in Gaza and Ashkelon symbolizes the completeness of God's judgment. It serves as a reminder of the consequences of persistent sin and rebellion against God.
Cultural Expressions of MourningThe act of gashing oneself was a common mourning practice in ancient cultures. This highlights the depth of despair and hopelessness that comes with divine judgment.
The Remnant's HopeEven in judgment, there is often a remnant. This concept encourages believers to seek God's mercy and remain faithful, trusting in His ultimate plan for restoration.
God's Sovereignty Over NationsThe prophecy against the Philistines underscores God's control over all nations. It reminds us that no power is beyond His reach and that He holds all accountable.
Call to RepentanceThe passage serves as a warning to turn from sin and seek God's forgiveness, emphasizing the importance of repentance in avoiding judgment.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Jeremiah 47:5?
2.How does Jeremiah 47:5 illustrate God's judgment on the Philistines?
3.What can we learn about God's sovereignty from Jeremiah 47:5?
4.How does Jeremiah 47:5 connect with God's promises in Genesis 12:3?
5.How should Jeremiah 47:5 influence our understanding of divine justice today?
6.How can we apply the lessons from Jeremiah 47:5 in our daily lives?
7.What historical events does Jeremiah 47:5 refer to in the context of Philistine destruction?
8.How does Jeremiah 47:5 reflect God's judgment on nations opposing Israel?
9.What is the significance of baldness in Jeremiah 47:5?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 47?
11.Jeremiah 47:5 – Why does the prophecy mention baldness at Gaza and Ashkelon’s demise if records indicate these cities continued to exist beyond the period of Jeremiah’s ministry?
12.What is Ashkelon's biblical significance?
13.How do we reconcile Jeremiah 47's severe judgments on the Philistines with sources suggesting a gradual decline instead of sudden annihilation?
14.What is Ashkelon's biblical significance?What Does Jeremiah 47:5 Mean
The people of Gaza will shave their heads in mourning• Shaving the head was a visible sign of grief and humiliation (Jeremiah 16:6;Micah 1:16).
• God foretells that the Philistine stronghold of Gaza will experience such devastating judgment that its inhabitants will adopt this extreme act of sorrow.
• The prophecy came to pass when Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian armies swept through the Philistine plain (Jeremiah 25:20).
• Scripture consistently warns that sin brings tangible, historical consequences; here the warning is literal and specific to Gaza.
Ashkelon will be silenced• “Silenced” pictures a once–boisterous port reduced to ruin and emptiness (Zephaniah 2:4;Amos 1:8).
• Ashkelon’s life, commerce, and pagan worship would cease under the same Babylonian onslaught that struck Gaza.
• The LORD’s word is certain: the fall of one city is not random but part of His comprehensive judgment on persistent idolatry (Jeremiah 47:1-4).
O remnant of their valley• “Valley” points to the coastal plain—the fertile lowland where Philistine cities thrived (Joshua 13:3).
• Even the survivors (“remnant”) who escape initial destruction are addressed directly. God sees them, knows their location, and calls them to account (Jeremiah 44:28).
• This echoes earlier promises and warnings that no pocket of resistance or survival lies outside His sovereign reach (Zephaniah 2:7).
How long will you gash yourself?• Self-cutting was a pagan mourning ritual the LORD expressly forbade Israel (Leviticus 19:28;Deuteronomy 14:1). Philistine culture embraced it as they pleaded with powerless gods.
• By asking “how long,” God exposes the futility of self-harm as a means of securing deliverance. It only deepens pain and rebellion (1 Kings 18:28;Jeremiah 16:6).
• The call implies an invitation: turn from empty rituals and acknowledge the one true God who alone can save—even at this late hour.
summaryJeremiah 47:5 delivers a fourfold picture of Philistine judgment. Gaza’s shaved heads and Ashkelon’s silence portray real, historic ruin. The remaining inhabitants of the coastal valley are singled out, showing that God’s eye misses no survivor. Their continued self-mutilation underlines the hopelessness of pagan practices. The verse stands as a sober reminder that the LORD’s word is literal, precise, and unfailing—and that genuine repentance, not destructive ritual, is the only path to mercy.
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Baldness is come upon Gaza.--The baldness is the outward sign of extremest mourning (
Jeremiah 48:37;
Isaiah 15:2-3), perhaps, also, of extremest desolation (
Isaiah 7:20).
Ashkelon is cut off . . .--Better, perhaps,Ashkelon is speechless.The LXX. apparently followed a different text, and gives "the remnant of the Anakim" instead of "the remnant of their valley." Hitzig adopts this rendering, and connects it with the known fact that a remnant of the old gigantic non-Semitic race had taken refuge among the Philistines (1Samuel 17:4;2Samuel 21:22;1Chronicles 20:5-8) after they had been driven from Hebron (Joshua 14:12-15;Joshua 15:13-14). Others, without adopting the LXX. reading, interpret the word rendered "their valley" as meaning, as inIsaiah 33:19, those that speak an unintelligible language, barbarians (Amakim),and suppose this form to have passed in the LXX. into the more familiar form of Anakim. The English version, however, is accepted by many critics, and may refer to Ashkelon and Gaza as the "remnant," the last resource of the valley (Emek) or low-country of the Philistines, more commonly known as theShephelah. . . .
Verses 5-7. - The prophet changes his style. In ecstasy or imagination, he sees the calamity which he has foretold already come to pass. Philistia is not, indeed, altogether annihilated; it was not the will of God to make a full end as yet with any of the nations round about. But it is reduced to extremities, and fears the worst.
Verse 5. -
Baldness. A sign of the deepest sorrow (comp. on Jeremiah 16:6).
Ashkelon is cut off. Ruins of Ashkelon are still visible. "It is evident that the walls of the old city were built on a semicircular range of rocky hills, which ended in perpendicular cliffs of various heights on the seashore. Wherever nature failed, the weak places were strengthened by the help of earthworks or masonry. On the southern and southeastern sides, the sand has penetrated the city by means of breaches in the walls, and every day it covers the old fortifications more and more, both within and without. The ancient towns alone rise distinctly, like rocky islands, out of the sea of sand. The ruins on the north are bordered by plantations of trees. They lie in such wild confusion that one might suppose that they were thrown down by an earthquake. There is no secure landing place; the strip of sand at the foot of the western wall is covered at high tide, when the waves beat against the cliffs. Still J.G. Kinnear, in 1841, found some remains of a mole, and this discovery is confirmed by Schick [the able German architect now at Jerusalem]." Thus writes Dr. Guthe, in the Journal of the German Palestine Exploration Society (1880), remarking further that, in a few generations, the ruins of Ashkelon will be buried under the drifting sand. It is partly the sand hills, partly the singular fragmentariness of the ruins of Ashkelon, which gives such an air of desolation to the scene, though, where the deluge of sand has not invaded, the gardens and orchards are luxuriant. Dr. W.M. Thomson, in the enlarged edition of 'The Land and the Book' (London, 1881, p. 173), observes that "the walls and towers must have been blown to pieces by powder, for not even earthquakes could throw these gigantic masses of masonry into such extraordinary attitudes. No site in this country has so deeply impressed my mind with sadness."
With the remnant of their valley. "With" should rather be "even." "Their valley" means primarily the valley of Ashkelon; but this was not different from the valley or low-lying plain (more commonly called the
Shefelah) of the other Philistian towns; and the whole phrase is an enigmatical, poetic way of saying "the still surviving population of Philistia." But this addition certainly weakens the passage, and leaves the second half of the verse abnormally short. It is far better to violate the Massoretic tradition, and attach "the remnant," etc., to the second verse half. But "their valley" is still a rather feeble expression; a proper name is what we look for to make this clause correspond to those which have gone before. The Septuagint reads differently, for it renders
καὶ τὰ κατὰλοιπαἘνακείμ. We know from
Joshua 11:22 that some of the Anakim were left "in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod;" and in David's time the Philistines could still point to giants in their midst (
1 Samuel 17:4;
2 Samuel 21:16-22), who, like the Anakim (
Deuteronomy 2:20), are called in the Hebrew, Rephaim. It may be objected, indeed (as it is by Keil), that the Anakim would not be traceable so late as Jeremiah's time; but Jeremiah was presumably a learned man, and was as likely to call the Philistines Anakim, as an English poet to call his countrymen Britons. No one who has given special attention to the phenomena of the Hebrew text elsewhere can doubt that "their valley" is a corruption; the choice lies between the "Anakim" of the Septuagint and the plausible correction of a Jewish scholar (A. Krochmal), "Ekron."
How long wilt thou cut thyself? Shall thy lamentation never cease? (comp. on Jeremiah 16:6). The question is in appearance addressed to "the remnant" (personified as a woman), but in reality the judicial Providence who sends the calamity.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
The people of Gazaעַזָּ֔ה(‘az·zāh)Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5804:A Philistine citywill shave their heads in mourning;קָרְחָה֙(qā·rə·ḥāh)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7144:Baldness, bald spotAshkelonאַשְׁקְל֖וֹן(’aš·qə·lō·wn)Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 831:Ashkelon -- a city of the Philistineswill be silenced.נִדְמְתָ֥ה(niḏ·mə·ṯāh)Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1820:To be dumb, silent, to fail, perish, trans, to destroyO remnantשְׁאֵרִ֣ית(šə·’ê·rîṯ)Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7611:Rest, residue, remnant, remainderof their valley,עִמְקָ֑ם(‘im·qām)Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6010:A valehow longעַד־(‘aḏ-)Preposition
Strong's 5704:As far as, even to, up to, until, whilewill you gash yourself?תִּתְגּוֹדָֽדִי׃(tiṯ·gō·w·ḏā·ḏî)Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 1413:To crowd, to gash
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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 47:5 Baldness is come on Gaza (Jer.) 
