2 Please inquire of Yahweh for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us: perhaps Yahweh will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Nebuchadrezzar - A more correct way of spelling the name than Nebuchadnezzar.
According to all his wondrous works - The king and his envoys expected some such answer as Isaiah had given on a former occasion Isaiah 37:6.
Inquire, I pray thee - See whether God intends to deliver us into or out of the hand of the Chaldeans.
(a) Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; it may be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.
(a) Not that the king was touched with repentance of his sins and so sought God, as did Hezekiah when he sent for Isaiah, (2-Kings 19:1; Isaiah 37:2) but because the prophet might pray to God to take this present plague away, as Pharaoh sought Moses (Exodus 9:28).
Inquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us,.... Or, "seek the Lord now for us" (n); 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.
(n) "interroga nunc pro nobis", Vatablus: Pagninus; "inquire nunc", Montanus.
Nebuchadrezzar--the more usual way of spelling the name in Jeremiah than Nebuchadnezzar. From Persiac roots, meaning either "Nebo, the chief of the gods," or, "Nebo, the god of fire." He was son of Nabopolassar, who committed the command of the army against Egypt, at Carchemish, and against Judea, to the Brown prince.
according to all his wondrous works--Zedekiah hopes for God's special interposition, such as was vouchsafed to Hezekiah against Sennacherib (2-Kings 19:35-36).
he--Nebuchadnezzar.
go up from us--rise up from the siege which he sat down to lay (Jeremiah 37:5, Jeremiah 37:11, Margin; Numbers 16:24, Numbers 16:27; 1-Kings 15:19, Margin).
Enquire - Zedekiah, as he was none of the best, so he was none of the worst of the kings of Judah. Having some reverence of God, he sends the prophet to enquire of the Lord.
*More commentary available at chapter level.