Jeremiah 21:2

2 "Speak to the LORD on our behalf because Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar is attacking us. Perhaps the LORD will perform one of his mighty deeds and force him to withdraw from us."

Jeremiah 21:2 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 21:2

Inquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us
Or, "seek the Lord now for us" F14; seek the Lord by prayer and supplication for me and my people, for this city and the inhabitants of it; entreat him that he would appear for us, and deliver us out of the hands of the enemy; for this they said in the name of the king that sent them, who knew that the prophet had an interest at the throne of grace, and was a favourite of heaven; and therefore desired him to be an intercessor for them: for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us;
the same that is elsewhere called Nebuchadnezzar, commonly called by the Greeks Nebuchodonosor; he was now come up to Jerusalem, and was besieging it, as had been predicted: if so be the Lord will deal with us according to all his wondrous
works;
which he had done in times past for that nation; as by bringing them out of Egypt; driving out the Canaanites before them; delivering them out of the hands of their neighbours, time after time, when oppressed by them; and particularly by destroying the Assyrian army in Hezekiah's time, which was besieging the city of Jerusalem, and causing their king to depart and flee in haste; and their present case being similar to that, it is very likely that that was more especially in view: that he may go up from us;
namely, the king of Babylon; that he may rise up, and raise the siege, and depart into his own country, as Sennacherib did.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 (wndeb an vrd) "interroga nunc pro nobis", Vatablus: Pagninus; "inquire nunc", Montanus.

Jeremiah 21:2 In-Context

1 Jeremiah received the LORD's word when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur, Malchiah's son, and the priest Zephaniah, Maaseiah's son, to him with an appeal:
2 "Speak to the LORD on our behalf because Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar is attacking us. Perhaps the LORD will perform one of his mighty deeds and force him to withdraw from us."
3 Jeremiah answered them: This is what you should tell Zedekiah:
4 The LORD, the God of Israel, says: I'm going to turn your own weapons against you, yes, the weapons you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who have surrounded you! I will round them up in the center of the city.
5 Then I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and strong arm in fierce anger and rage.

Footnotes 1

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