2 Chronicles 35:20

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.)

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

2 Chronicles 35:20 In-Context

18 No pask was like this in Israel, from the days of Samuel, the prophet; but neither any of the kings of Israel made pask as Josiah did, to [the] priests and deacons, and to all Judah and Israel, that was found there, and to the dwellers of Jerusalem. (There was no Passover like this in Israel, since the days of the prophet Samuel; nor did any of the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah did, with the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel, who were found there, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.)

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.)