2 Chronicles 35:21

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 35:20-27

It was thirteen years from Josiah's famous passover to his death. During this time, we may hope, thing went well in his kingdom, that he prospered, and religion flourished; yet we are not entertained with the pleasing account of those years, but they are passed over in silence, because the people, for all this, were not turned from the love of their sins nor God from the fierceness of his anger. The next news therefore we hear of Josiah is that he is cut off in the midst of his days and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Chronicles 35:21

God commanded me to make haste - The Targum gives a curious turn to this and the following verse: "My idol commanded me to make haste; refrain therefore from me and my idol which is with me, that he betray thee not. When he heard him mention his idol, he would not go back; and he hearkened not unto the words of Necho, which he spake concerning his idol." Here is the rabbinical excuse for the conduct of Josiah. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Chronicles 35:1-27

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Chronicles 35:20-27

The lamentations for Josiah's death. Some cloud of mystery, but, so far as we can see, none of shame, hangs over the closing events of Josiah's reign and life. His determined resolution to oppose Necho King of Egypt, when he came to "Charchemish by Euphrates," with the view of engaging in battle with the forces of Babylon or Assyria, had no doubt some strong motive, It is not at all impossible to imagine and even to assign some alternative motives as those most probably at work. One... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Chronicles 35:20-27

The death of Josiah. I. JOSIAH 'S MILITARY EXPEDITION . ( 2 Chronicles 35:20 .) Seemingly the only expedition in his reign. 1 . When it took place. "After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple;" i.e. after the eighteenth year of his reign, in point of fact, thirteen years after ( 2 Chronicles 34:1 ). 2 . Against whom it was directed. Necho King of Egypt; in Egyptian, Neku, son of Psammatik I the illustrious founder of the Saitic or twenty-sixth dynasty, and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Chronicles 35:21

Not against thee this day . Possibly the suggestion couched in these last two words may have been the opposite of agreeable to King Josiah. For God commanded me to make haste . The margin reading of the Revised Version seems preferable, both for the Hebrew text and the connection, hath given command to speed me. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Chronicles 35:21

The house wherewith I have war - Necho viewed Babylon as the successor and representative of Assyria - the hereditary enemy of Egypt - and he means that he is merely continuing an old hostility with which Josiah has nothing to do. No doubt the Assyrian and Egyptian armies had often passed up and down Syria by the coast route, without approaching Jerusalem, or even touching the soil of Judaea.God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God - These are remarkable words in the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 2 Chronicles 35:21

2 Chronicles 35:21 . I come not against thee, but against the house wherewith I have war Against the house of the king of Assyria, between whom and me there is war. For God commanded me to make haste Therefore, give me no hinderance. Some think he only pretended this, because he knew Josiah had a great reverence for God, and in obedience to him might desist from his purpose. And the Targum, with some of the Jews, thinks he called his own idol by the name of God; though Kimchi thinks, and... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 2 Chronicles 35:1-27

The final reform (34:1-35:27)Another reform swept Judah during the reign of Josiah (34:1-33; see notes on 2 Kings 22:1-23:20). As with the reform of Hezekiah, the climax in the eyes of the Chronicler was a great Passover Feast in Jerusalem.After returning the ark to its rightful place in the temple, the priests and Levites prepared themselves for their duties. Josiah arranged them in divisions as Hezekiah had done earlier, so that the music, singing, sacrifices and other rituals could be... read more

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