The shalom (“well-being, peace”) of the Lord will cover the earth, and tools of destruction will be used for peaceful activities. Ancient history, from its earliest records, tells of war and one group dominating others. Warfare and violence peaked in the Assyrian and Babylonian kingdoms.
swords into plowshares: Weapons will become tools for farming. Some scholars think this phrase means turning "swords into metal shards," making them useless.