Their nobles. — Literally, His glorious one, as pointing to some single ruler. The word is the same as the “excellent” of Psalms 8:1.
Who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? — The question points to the ruler of the house of David whom the prophet sees in visions — in other words, to the far-off Messiah. So in Isaiah we have a like introduction of the figure of the conqueror, “Who is this that cometh from Edom?” (Isaiah 63:1). As in Isaiah 11:1-3; Isaiah 42:1-4, the dominant thought is that of one who will not be treacherous or faithless, like the degenerate heirs of the house of David whom Jeremiah had known, but one who would “engage” (literally, pledge, or give as security) his heart and soul to the service of Jehovah. In the advent of such a king the true relation between God and His people (Hosea 1:10; Jeremiah 24:7) should yet be re-established. In the words “to approach unto me” we have the germ of the thought that the true King will also be a priest, and will enter, as others could not enter, into the Holy Place (see Note on Jeremiah 35:19, and Numbers 16:5); a priest, such as Psalms 110:4 had spoken of, after the order of Melchizedek.