Jeremiah 21:2

“Please ask the Lord to come and help us, ¹  because King Nebuchadnezzar ²  of Babylon is attacking us. Maybe the Lord will perform one of his miracles as in times past and make him stop attacking us and leave.” ³ 

Ex 14:1-15:27; Jos 10:1-11:23; Jud 4:1-5:31; Jud 20:27; 1Sa 7:10-12; 1Sa 10:22; 1Sa 14:6-14; 1Sa 17:45-50; 1Sa 28:6,15; 1Ki 14:2,3; 1Ki 22:3-8; 2Ki 1:3; 2Ki 3:11-14; 2Ki 22:13,14; 2Ki 25:1,2; 2Ch 14:9-13; 2Ch 20:1-30; 2Ch 32:21; Ps 44:1-4; Ps 46:8-11; Ps 48:4-8; Ps 105:5-45; Ps 136:1-26; Isa 59:1,2; Jer 32:24; Jer 37:3,7; Jer 38:14-27; Jer 39:1,2; Jer 42:4-6; Jer 52:3-6; Eze 14:3-7; Eze 20:1-3

¹ tn The verb used here is often used of seeking information through a prophet (e.g., 2 Kgs 1:16; 8:8) and hence many translate “inquire of the Lord for us.” However, it is obvious from the following that they were not seeking information but help. The word is also used for that in Pss 34:4 (34:5 HT); 77:2 (77:3 HT).

² tn The dominant spelling of this name is actually Nebuchadrezzar which is closer to his Babylonian name Nebu kudduri uzzur. An alternate spelling which is found 6 times in the book of Jeremiah and 17 times elsewhere is Nebuchadnezzar which is the form of the name that is usually used in English versions.

sn Nebuchadnezzar was the second and greatest king of Babylon. He is known in the Bible both for his two conquests of Jerusalem in 597 b.c. (2 Kgs 24:10-17) and 587 b.c. (2 Kgs 25:1-7) and for his having built Babylon the Great (Dan 4:28-30).

³ tn Heb “Perhaps the Lord will do according to his miracles that he may go up from against us.”

sn The miracles that they may have had in mind would have included the Exodus, the conquest of Jericho, the deliverance of Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 20:1-30), etc., but predominant in their minds was probably the deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib in the times of Hezekiah (Isa 37:33-38).