אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דְבַר־ה' אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֶל־פְּלִשְׁתִּים בְּטֶרֶם יַכֶּה פַרְעֹה אֶת־עַזָּה

The word of the Lord that was with Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh smote, conquered and destroyed, Gaza. The Philistines, who dwelled in the cities on the coast, from Tyre southward, were a collection of small, independent kingdoms which were not always under the control of the more powerful rulers of the region to the north and south. Apparently, at that time, they took a hostile stance against Pharaoh, which is why he came and attacked them.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנֵּה־מַיִם עֹלִים מִצָּפוֹן וְהָיוּ לְנַחַל שׁוֹטֵף וְיִשְׁטְפוּ אֶרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ עִיר וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ וְזָעֲקוּ הָאָדָם וְהֵילִל כֹּל יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ

So said the Lord: Behold, waters rise from the north, the army of Nebuchadnezzar, which will later fight the Philistines, or the army of Pharaoh, mentioned in the previous verse, which will attack the Philistines on its return from the campaigns in the north. And these waters shall become a torrential stream, and they will overflow the land and that which fills it, the city and its inhabitants. The people will cry out, as the tragedy will encompass the world like rising waters that wash everything away. And all the inhabitants of the land will wail

מִקּוֹל שַׁעֲטַת פַּרְסוֹת אַבִּירָיו מֵרַעַשׁ לְרִכְבּוֹ הֲמוֹן גַּלְגִּלָּיו — לֹא־הִפְנוּ אָבוֹת אֶל־בָּנִים מֵרִפְיוֹן יָדָיִם

at the sound of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions, at the noise of his chariots, the rumbling of their wheels; fathers will not turn to children to help them, due to the feebleness of their hands, as they do not have the strength to do anything. The noises of the vessels of war, the iron hoofs of the horses, and the wheels of the chariots were designed, among other things, to instill fear into the enemy.

עַל־הַיּוֹם הַבָּא לִשְׁדוֹד אֶת־כָּל־פְּלִשְׁתִּים לְהַכְרִית לְצֹר וּלְצִידוֹן כֹּל שָׂרִיד עֹזֵר כִּי־שֹׁדֵד ה' אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּים שְׁאֵרִית אִי כַפְתּוֹר

The crying and wailing (verse 2) will occur on the day that is coming to plunder all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and from Sidon every remnant of help. The strike against the Philistines will also severely damage Tyre and Sidon, who would receive support from the Philistine cities, as the Lord is plundering the Philistines, who are the remainder of the isle of Kaftor, Crete.

בָּאָה קָרְחָה אֶל־עַזָּה נִדְמְתָה אַשְׁקְלוֹן שְׁאֵרִית עִמְקָם – עַד־מָתַי תִּתְגּוֹדָדִי !

Baldness has come to Gaza, along with destruction and desolation, Ashkelon has been eradicated, the remnant of their valley, the region where the Philistines lived; until when will you cut yourself as a sign of mourning? It is possible that this mention of a valley is a general reference to a fertile area.

הוֹי חֶרֶב לַה' עַד־אָנָה לֹא תִשְׁקֹטִי! הֵאָסְפִי אֶל־תַּעְרֵךְ הֵרָגְעִי וָדֹמִּי

The prophet turns to God, addressing Him poetically: Alas, sword of the Lord, the retribution decreed from up high, until when will you not rest? You strike over and over again, without pause. Gather yourself into your scabbard; calm down, and be still.

אֵיךְ תִּשְׁקֹטִי — וַה' צִוָּה־לָהּ אֶל אַשְׁקְלוֹן וְאֶל חוֹף הַיָּם שָׁם יְעָדָהּ

This verse answers the previous one: How can you be quiet when the Lord has commanded it, the sword, against Ashkelon and against the seashore? There He directed it, giving it a target for the slaughter.