ירמיהו, פרק מ״ז, פסוק ו׳

A dramatic and vivid plea is directed at the weapon of destruction, personifying it and begging it to halt its endless campaign of death. This expresses deep pain over the ongoing devastation falling upon the Philistines. The weapon is recognized as belonging to God, emphasizing that the ruin is not a regular act of war, but a calamity directed by divine providence and decreed from above. It is a force brought into the world by God Himself.

The prophet cries out in anguish, asking how long the weapon will continue to strike without finding rest. The primary approach among commentators is that this plea arises because God's sword has already struck the Philistines in the past, prompting the desperate question of when the killing will finally cease. [רד״ק] notes that this is the voice of someone groaning and aching for the Philistines, directly asking the weapon when it will at last find peace.

A demand is then made for the weapon to return to its scabbard. [מלבי״ם] understands this as a metaphor, representing a plea for the invading enemy to return to their own land and stop disrupting the surrounding kingdoms. Following this is a request for the weapon to simply relax, find calm, and be silent. [מלבי״ם] points out a clear progression in these requests. Initially, the hope is for the weapon to be completely put away. However, if it refuses and remains drawn, the final plea is that it should at least calm down slightly and not continue its constant killing.