King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 21:2 Mean?

Jeremiah 21:2 in the King James Version says “Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LO...” — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 21 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“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.”

Jeremiah 21:2 · KJV

Prayer

Context

1

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

2

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.

3

Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

4

Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

Read Jeremiah 21 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us—Zedekiah's request uses darash (דָּרַשׁ, to seek, inquire, consult), the technical term for seeking prophetic revelation. For Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us—the spelling 'Nebuchadrezzar' (instead of Nebuchadnezzar) reflects the Babylonian pronunciation Nabu-kudurri-usur. The present tense 'maketh war' conveys the active, ongoing siege with armies at the gates.

If so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us—here lies Zedekiah's fatal misunderstanding. He hopes for niphla'otayv (נִפְלְאֹתָיו, wonderful/miraculous works) like God performed for previous generations: the Exodus plagues, Jericho's walls, Sennacherib's defeat. The phrase 'that he may go up from us' (ya'aleh me'alenu, יַעֲלֶה מֵעָלֵינוּ) means 'that he [Nebuchadnezzar] may withdraw from us.' Zedekiah wants deliverance without repentance, miraculous intervention without covenant faithfulness. He treats God like a tribal deity obligated to defend His people regardless of their behavior. This presumption ignores decades of prophetic warning. God's 'wondrous works' in the past came when His people trusted Him; now Jerusalem faces judgment for persistent rebellion. The irony is devastating: the coming 'wonder' would be God fighting for Babylon against His own people (v. 5).

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Historical & Cultural Context

Zedekiah's hope was not unfounded historically. When Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem in 701 BC, God miraculously destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night, vindicating Hezekiah's faith (2 Kings 19:35). But critical differences existed: Hezekiah trusted God and obeyed the prophet Isaiah, while Zedekiah had rebelled against Babylon in violation of his sworn oath (Ezekiel 17:13-18) and repeatedly rejected Jeremiah's counsel. Moreover, God had explicitly declared through Jeremiah that seventy years of Babylonian dominance were decreed (Jeremiah 25:11-12). Zedekiah confused God's past grace with guaranteed future intervention, failing to recognize that judgment had been pronounced and the time for repentance had passed. The Babylonian siege lasted approximately eighteen months, with brief interruption when Egypt marched north, causing temporary Babylonian withdrawal (Jeremiah 37:5-11)—but Babylon returned to complete Jerusalem's destruction in 586 BC.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does Zedekiah's request reveal the danger of presuming upon God's past mercies while ignoring present disobedience?
  2. In what ways might we wrongly expect God to 'perform wonders' to rescue us from consequences of persisting in sin?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 19 words
דְּרָשׁ1 of 19

“Enquire”

H1875

properly, to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by implication, to seek or ask; specifically to worship

נָ֤א2 of 19
H4994

'i pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the imperative or future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction

בַעֲדֵ֙נוּ֙3 of 19

“for us”

H1157

in up to or over against; generally at, beside, among, behind, for, etc

אֶת4 of 19
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

יְהוָ֤ה5 of 19

“I pray thee of the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

כִּ֛י6 of 19
H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר7 of 19

“for Nebuchadrezzar”

H5019

nebukadnetstsar (or nebukadretsts(-ar, or)), king of babylon

מֶֽלֶךְ8 of 19

“king”

H4428

a king

בָּבֶ֖ל9 of 19

“of Babylon”

H894

babel (i.e., babylon), including babylonia and the babylonian empire

נִלְחָ֣ם10 of 19

“maketh war”

H3898

to feed on; figuratively, to consume

עָלֵ֑ינוּ11 of 19
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

אוּלַי֩12 of 19
H194

if not; hence perhaps

יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה13 of 19

“will deal”

H6213

to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

יְהוָ֤ה14 of 19

“I pray thee of the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

אוֹתָ֙נוּ֙15 of 19
H854

properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc

כְּכָל16 of 19
H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

נִפְלְאֹתָ֔יו17 of 19

“with us according to all his wondrous works”

H6381

properly, perhaps to separate, i.e., distinguish (literally or figuratively); by implication, to be (causatively, make) great, difficult, wonderful

וְיַעֲלֶ֖ה18 of 19

“that he may go up”

H5927

to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative

מֵעָלֵֽינוּ׃19 of 19
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 21:2 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Jeremiah 21:2 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jeremiah 37:3Jeremiah 37:7Ezekiel 20:1-3Jeremiah 42:4-61 Samuel 28:6Psalms 44:1-4

Places in This Verse

Babylon 1Settlement · Modern: Babylon · 32.54°N, 44.42°E296 verses across 15 books
View all places in Jeremiah 21 →

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