2 Kings 23 Footnotes

23:8 “Geba to Beer-sheba” were the official northern and southern boundaries of Judah.

23:15 Bethel was not a part of Judah. Here Josiah stepped beyond his authority as a vassal of Assyria.

23:19 Nineveh fell to the Babylonians and Medes (Persians) in 612 BC. Assyria was completely under Babylonian control by 609 BC, and its hold on Aram and northern Israel faded. For the first time since Solomon, the king could treat the northern kingdom just like the south.

23:29 With Assyria weakening and Babylon on the ascendancy, Egypt saw its chance to retake control of Palestine all the way up to the Euphrates. Why did Josiah confront Neco? He perhaps was pro-Babylon like his great-grandfather, Hezekiah. More likely, he wanted to contest Egypt’s bid for control of the former northern kingdom of Israel.

23:31 Jehoahaz became king in 609 BC.

23:36 Jehoiakim reigned “eleven years,” from 609–598 BC.