The Meaning of Jeremiah 21:2 Explained

Jeremiah 21:2

KJV: Inquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.

YLT: 'Inquire, we pray thee, for us at Jehovah, for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath fought against us; perhaps Jehovah doth deal with us according to all His wonders, and doth cause him to go up from off us.'

Darby: Inquire, I pray thee, of Jehovah for us; for Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that Jehovah will deal with us according to all his marvellous works, that he may go up from us.

ASV: Inquire, I pray thee, of Jehovah for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us: peradventure Jehovah will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Enquire,  I pray thee, of the LORD  for us;  for Nebuchadrezzar  king  of Babylon  maketh war  against us; if so be that the LORD  will deal  with us according to all his wondrous works,  that he may go up  from us. 

What does Jeremiah 21:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Zedekiah asked Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord whether He would give Judah deliverance from Nebuchadnezzar as He had delivered His people in the past. King Hezekiah had sent a similar group to Isaiah inquiring about the approaching Assyrian army ( 2 Kings 19:2; Isaiah 37:2). Nebuchadnezzar, sometimes referred to as Nebuchadrezzar (the spelling nearer to the Babylonian form of his name), ruled Babylon from605 to562 B.C. He succeeded his father, Nabopolassar, the first king of the Neo-Babylonian empire, who ruled from626 to605 B.C. This is the first reference to Nebuchadnezzar in Jeremiah.
Zedekiah may have been hoping for a miraculous deliverance such as Jehoshaphat experienced from the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites ( 2 Chronicles 20). Hezekiah had also experienced supernatural deliverance when Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem ( 2 Kings 19; Isaiah 37).

Context Summary

Jeremiah 21:1-14 - The Folly Of Idolatry
Jeremiah 10:1-10
We are here introduced into an idol-factory. Contrasted with the manufactured idols is the majesty of our God. There is none like Him. His name is great in might; He is the King of the nations, the true and living God, and the everlasting King! Christian, fear not or be dismayed when enemies plot against you. It is a vain device that they frame. To hide in God is a sure defence from all that man can do for our hurt. O thou true and living Savior, in thy wounds harried and faithful souls become strong and brave again.
Jeremiah 10:19-25
The prophet now bids the people prepare for their captivity. Their city would be as when a shepherd removed his slight and insubstantial tent, leaving no trace. But Jeremiah's soul is lacerated and torn with the message he must needs announce. Are we called to be shepherds? Let us see to it that we seek the Lord; so only shall our flocks not be scattered, Jeremiah 10:21. Are we in perplexity as to our path in life? It is not for us to direct ourselves, but to look up for God's sure guidance, which will be given to the soul that waits for it, Jeremiah 10:23. Are we being corrected? Let us be patient; it is only when we endure without complaining that our trial works out the highest good, and God will not give us more than we can bear, Jeremiah 10:24. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 21

1  Zedikiah sends to Jeremiah to enquire the event of Nebuchadnezzar's war
3  Jeremiah foretells a hard siege and miserable captivity
8  He counsels the people to fall to the Chaldeans;
11  and upbraids the King's house

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 21:2 mean?

inquire please for us - of Yahweh for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us Perhaps will deal Yahweh with us according to all His wonderful works that [the king] may go away from us -
דְּרָשׁ־ נָ֤א בַעֲדֵ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־ יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֛י נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־ בָּבֶ֖ל נִלְחָ֣ם עָלֵ֑ינוּ אוּלַי֩ יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה יְהוָ֤ה אוֹתָ֙נוּ֙ כְּכָל־ נִפְלְאֹתָ֔יו וְיַעֲלֶ֖ה מֵעָלֵֽינוּ ס

דְּרָשׁ־  inquire 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.
נָ֤א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
בַעֲדֵ֙נוּ֙  for  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: בַּעַד 
Sense: behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר  Nebuchadnezzar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר 
Sense: the great king of Babylon who captured Jerusalem and carried Judah captive.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בָּבֶ֖ל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
נִלְחָ֣ם  makes  war 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
עָלֵ֑ינוּ  against  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אוּלַי֩  Perhaps 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אוּלַי  
Sense: perhaps, peradventure.
יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה  will  deal 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אוֹתָ֙נוּ֙  with  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
כְּכָל־  according  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נִפְלְאֹתָ֔יו  His  wonderful  works 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּלָא  
Sense: to be marvellous, be wonderful, be surpassing, be extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action.
וְיַעֲלֶ֖ה  that  [the  king]  may  go  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
מֵעָלֵֽינוּ  from  us 
Parse: Preposition-m, first person common plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation