2 Chronicles 35:20

20 After all this, when Yoshiyahu had prepared the temple, Nekho king of Mitzrayim went up to fight against Karkemish by the Perat: and Yoshiyahu went out against him.

2 Chronicles 35:20 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 35:20

After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple
Purified it, and cleansed it from the filth in it, and from all idolatry, and had repaired it, and put the service of it in good order, and on a good footing, after which great prosperity in church and state might have been expected:

Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates;
now called Querquisia, supposed by some to be the same with the Cadytis of Herodotus, which that historian calls a great city of Syria, whither he says Necho went after the battle with the Syrians ^F24; of which (See Gill on Isaiah 10:9) and of this king of Egypt, (See Gill on 2 Kings 23:29) (See Gill on Jeremiah 46:2)

and Josiah went out against him;
or to meet him, and stop him from going through his land, which lay between Egypt and Syria; Egypt being on the south of Israel, and Euphrates on the north of it, as Jarchi observes.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F24 Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 159. & Galei not. in ib.

2 Chronicles 35:20 In-Context

18 There was no Pesach like that kept in Yisra'el from the days of Shemu'el the prophet; neither did any of the kings of Yisra'el keep such a Pesach as Yoshiyahu kept, and the Kohanim, and the Levites, and all Yehudah and Yisra'el who were present, and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.

19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Yoshiyahu was this Pesach kept.

20 After all this, when Yoshiyahu had prepared the temple, Nekho king of Mitzrayim went up to fight against Karkemish by the Perat: and Yoshiyahu went out against him.

21 But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with you, you king of Yehudah? [I come] not against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; and God has commanded me to make haste: forbear you from [meddling with] God, who is with me, that he not destroy you.

22 Nevertheless Yoshiyahu would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and didn't listen to the words of Nekho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.