Bible Strands
Jeremiah 47:5
The people of Gaza will shave their heads in mourning; Ashkelon will be silenced. O remnant of their valley, how long will you gash yourself?
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The prophet delivers a pronouncement of imminent destruction against the Philistine cities of Gaza and Ashkelon. The declaration occurs as the day of judgment arrives and the LORD prepares to cut off their remaining allies.
The words — The Hebrew קָרְחָה (ka.re.Chah) denotes baldness adopted for mourning, while נִדְמְתָה (nid.me.Tah) literally means it will be silenced or rendered mute.
The thread — The motifs of head-shaving, hand-gashing, and sackcloth reappear in Jeremiah 48:37. The specific cities of Gaza and Ashkelon are listed alongside Ekron among the Philistine kings facing judgment in Jeremiah 25:20.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that divine judgment leaves no political refuge or cultural immunity. It forces the reader to confront the finality of prophetic declaration over human mourning rituals.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 48:37 For every head is shaved and every beard is clipped; on every hand is a gash, and around every waist is sackcloth.
- Jeremiah 25:20 all the mixed tribes; all the kings of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines: Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
- Jeremiah 41:5 eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their garments, and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, carrying grain offerings and frankincense for the house of the LORD.
- Micah 1:16 Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair in mourning for your precious children; make yourselves as bald as an eagle, for they will go from you into exile.
- Leviticus 19:28 You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
- Leviticus 21:5 Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.
- Deuteronomy 14:1 You are sons of the LORD your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead,
- Judges 1:18 And Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron—each with its territory.
- 1 Kings 18:28 So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.
- Isaiah 15:2 Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off.