King Nebuchadrezzar was the Babylonian king who destroyed Jerusalem in July 587 or 586 B.C. (see 2Kgs 25.1-11; 2Chr 36.17-21). There are a few places in the book of Jeremiah where the king is called “Nebuchadnezzar,” but Jeremiah evidently prefers the form “Nebuchadrezzar.” However, throughout the remainder of the Old Testament, “Nebuchadnezzar” is the preferred form, and Good News Translation follows the procedure of using the better known spelling in all of its occurrences.

Is making war against us can be rendered as “is attacking us” (New International Version). Attacking a walled city like Jerusalem involved besieging it, as is clear in verse 4, and which Good News Translation makes clear here.

Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds is more naturally expressed as “Perhaps the LORD will perform a miracle as he has done in times past” (Revised English Bible) or “Maybe the LORD will perform one of his miracles for us” (Good News Translation). The Hebrew word translated wonderful deeds is used in Exo 3.20 of the miracles that the LORD performed in Egypt and in Job 37.14 of the “miracles” of nature, which the LORD constantly performs.

Will make him withdraw: The pronoun refers to Nebuchadnezzar, as Good News Translation makes clear.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .