2 Chronicles 35:21

21 And Necho said by messengers sent to Josiah, King of Judah, what cause of strife is to me and to thee? I come not against thee today, but I fight against another household, to which God bade me go in haste; cease thou to do thus against God, that is with me, lest he slay thee. (And Necho sent messengers who said to Josiah, King of Judah, what cause of strife is there between me and thee? I did not come against thee today, but I fight against another household, to whom God hath ordered me to go in haste; cease thou to do thus against God, who is with me, lest he kill thee.)

2 Chronicles 35:21 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 35:21

But he sent ambassadors to him
That is, Necho sent to Josiah:

saying, what have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah?
signifying he had no quarrel with him, he did not come to fight with him, and he had no business to intermeddle between him and another prince:

I come not against thee this day;
in an hostile manner:

but against the house wherewith I have war;
the king of Assyria:

for God commanded me to make haste;
and oppose his enemy: according to the Targum, it was his idol; and which is the sense of other Jewish writers ^F25; but the true God might have appeared to him in a dream, or sent a prophet to him; or at least he might pretend this, that it might have the greater effect on Josiah; and indeed it seems to be real from the following verse:

forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy
thee not;
he concluded God was with him, and would succeed him, because he had put him upon this enterprise, and hastened him to it; therefore Josiah, in opposing him, might expect to be resisted by him, and fall.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 22. 2.

2 Chronicles 35:21 In-Context

19 This pask was hallowed in the eighteenth year of the realm of Josiah. (This Passover was kept in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign.)

20 After that Josiah had repaired the temple, Necho, the king of Egypt, went up to fight in Charchemish beside Euphrates; and Josiah went forth into his meeting. (After that Josiah had repaired the Temple, Necho, the king of Egypt, went up to fight in Charchemish, which was on the banks of the Euphrates River; and Josiah went out against him.)

21 And Necho said by messengers sent to Josiah, King of Judah, what cause of strife is to me and to thee? I come not against thee today, but I fight against another household, to which God bade me go in haste; cease thou to do thus against God, that is with me, lest he slay thee. (And Necho sent messengers who said to Josiah, King of Judah, what cause of strife is there between me and thee? I did not come against thee today, but I fight against another household, to whom God hath ordered me to go in haste; cease thou to do thus against God, who is with me, lest he kill thee.)

22 But Josiah would not turn again, but he made ready battle against him; and he assented not to the words of Necho, by God's mouth, but he went for to fight in the field of Megiddo. (But Josiah would not turn back, but he prepared battle array against him; and he assented not to the words of Necho, which were from God's mouth, but he went out to fight in the field of Megiddo.)

23 And there he was wounded of archers, and Josiah said to his servants, Lead ye me out of the battle, for I am wounded greatly. (And there he was wounded by archers, and Josiah said to his servants, Lead ye me out of the battle, for I am greatly wounded.)