100 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTSEdom-extending his influence east of Edom into Kedar, which is in the
Syrian-Arabian desert. The two kings embarked on an extensive building
program, making Babylon one of the great cities-perhaps the greatest-in
the ancient world (see Notes for 50:1and51:58).
The spelling of Nebuchadrezzar's name with an r instead of an n finds
confirmation in the Babylonian Chronicle (BM 21946 obv. l; Wiseman 1956:
66-67), where Akk Nabii-kudurri-u$ur is now agreed to mean "Nabu, protect
the (eldest) son!" Earlier kudurru was taken to mean "boundary" (Tallqvist
1914: 152-53), but now it is translated "(eldest) son" (AHw 1: 500 kudurru III;
CAD 8: 497 kudurru C). In Jeremiah 27-29, and only there in the book, the
spelling "Nebuchadnezzar" (with an n) occurs 8 times (27:6, 8, 20; 28:3, 11,
14; 29: 1, 3). This spelling occurs also in Daniel, while in Ezekiel it is with an
r. In Jer 29:21, and 28 other times in the book (including the present verse),
the spelling is with an r, which is older and doubtless correct. Spellings else-
where in the OT vary, with variations occurring also in Heb MSS. Even in
Akkadian texts the spellings vary. Van Selms ( 197 4) thinks the spelling with
an n comes from a nickname, since Akk kudannu means "mule" ("Nabu,
protect the mule!"). For a good summary of Nebuchadrezzar's reign as
known from the Bible and the Babylonian Chronicle, see Fensham 1982.
perhaps Yahweh will do for us according to all his extraordinary deeds, and he
will go away from us. The LXX omits >otanu, "(for) us," which is the less com-
mon, plene form. Yahweh is known in Israel for his "extraordinary deeds"
(nipla>ot) in history (Exod 34:10; Pss 40:6[Eng 40:5]; 72:18; 78:4; 86:10; 96:3;
and often in the Psalms), particularly in the Exodus (Pss 78:11; 106:22; cf.
Exod 3:20). But in the back of Zedekiah's mind-and the minds of all devout
people-was doubtless Hezekiah's embassy to Isaiah during the Sennacherib
crisis (701 B.c.), the favorable answer then received, and Yahweh's miraculous
deliverance of Jerusalem (2 Kings 19 =Isaiah 37). This is now the theme of the
false prophets against whom Jeremiah has to contend.
perhaps. Hebrew Ulay. Hezekiah, too, was tentative about Yahweh's possible
intervention in the crisis he faced: "Perhaps (ulay) Yahweh your God heard
(all) the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent
to mock the living God, and will rebuke with words that which Yahweh your
God has heard" (2 Kgs 19:4 =Isa 37:4).
and he will go away. The verb CZh has the meaning "go away" in 8: 18; 34:21;
3 7: 5 and 11. See also 2 Kgs 12: 18. Zedekiah is hoping that the Babylonians will
lift the siege and go home.
- But Jeremiah said to them, Thus you shall say to Zedekiah. Jeremiah does
not go himself to the king but sends a message back through the messengers.
Calvin thinks that this was an act of contempt on Jeremiah's part, but not nec-
essarily. Jeremiah may not have been invited into the king's presence. Hebrew
to>merun ("you shall say") has the final nun (Nun paragogicum; GKC §47m),
which occurs often (over 300 times) in older books of the OT. Here it is writ-
ten defectively (usually it is to>merun). The LXX adds "king of Judah" after
"Zedekiah" (see v 7).