The prophesies against the other nations continues...next is the Philistines.
This particular prophesy for the Philistines come before Pharaoh conquered Gaza (King Neco in 609 BC).
Thus says the Lord:
“Behold, waters rise out of the north,
And shall be an overflowing flood;
They shall overflow the land and all that is in it,
The city and those who dwell within;
Then the men shall cry,
And all the inhabitants of the land shall wail. Jeremiah 47:2
That's quite a poetic image: water rising and overflowing. Water flowing often depicts life and can be a calming image. But if you've ever been unfortunate enough to watch water rise or even seen the disaster video in areas that have flooded—watched houses and buildings float by; watched terrified victims atop their car or building praying for rescue—then you get a feel for the judgement coming from the north (Babylon/Chaldeans). And even more disheartening, if you've ever seen what's left when the water recedes.—deeply carved valleys, changed landscapes, human endeavors washed away, and debris everywhere.
Truly a terrifying prospects for the Philistines.
The prophesy goes on to describe the roar of sound coming from the invaders' horses and chariot is so scary men run away, limp wristed, without a glance back at their children.
Wow. Verse 4 is a promise to cut off Philistine completely, and even includes the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon as allies of Philistine.
Gaza and Ashkelon are in utter ruin.
Verse 6 is a plea, maybe from Jeremiah, speaking to God;s sword, begging it to return to it's sheath and be still.
Here's God's answer to the plea for His sword to be still:
How can it be quiet,
Seeing the Lord has given it a charge
Against Ashkelon and against the seashore?
There He has appointed it.”
It's a short chapter with a finality that leads me to believe it doesn't end well for the Philistines. I think these may still be leftovers from when the Hebrews entered the Promise Land and were supposed to completely subdue it. It looks like God's going to have to finish the job now that Israel and Judah have been shunted off the land.