The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote Gaza.
The opening line introduces a prophecy against the Philistines, or Philistia, that belongs to the closing series of prophecies against foreign nations. In one reckoning that closing series is Jeremiah 46 to 51, directed against Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Damascus, and above all Babylon. In another reckoning Jeremiah 47 stands among the closing chapters from Jeremiah 40 through Lamentations 2, which cover Jeremiah's personal experiences and his going into Egypt. Those chapters contain prophecies that Egypt, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, and Elam would fall before the mighty conqueror Nebuchadnezzar, along with prophecies concerning Babylon and the doom of Babylon.
Jeremiah's prophecies are not arranged in chronological order in the book. This order does not change their teaching, since the chapter itself usually makes its chronology clear. In a proposed chronological arrangement, Jeremiah 47 is placed after chapters 40-45 and before chapter 46.
The opening line introduces a prophecy against the Philistines, or Philistia, that belongs to the closing series of prophecies against foreign nations. In one reckoning that closing series is Jeremiah 46 to 51, directed against Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Damascus, and above all Babylon. In another reckoning Jeremiah 47 stands among the closing chapters from Jeremiah 40 through Lamentations 2, which cover Jeremiah's personal experiences and his going into Egypt. Those chapters contain prophecies that Egypt, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, and Elam would fall before the mighty conqueror Nebuchadnezzar, along with prophecies concerning Babylon and the doom of Babylon.
Jeremiah's prophecies are not arranged in chronological order in the book. This order does not change their teaching, since the chapter itself usually makes its chronology clear. In a proposed chronological arrangement, Jeremiah 47 is placed after chapters 40-45 and before chapter 46.