2 Kings 23:29

Pharaoh-nechoh. The well-known Necho II of Egypt’s Twenty-sixth Dynasty, who reigned from 610 to 595 B.C.

Went up. Assyria and Egypt were at this time in alliance against Babylon. Under Nabopolassar (626-605), Babylon had taken the place of Assyria as the great military power of the world. Nineveh fell in 612, and a small remnant of Assyrians now held out several years longer in Haran. They had the assistance of Egypt against the rising power of Babylon, which was swiftly carrying all the world before it.

Against the king of Assyria. Actually, Necho marched northward to assist the Assyrians against Babylon (see 2 Chron. 35:20). Either: (1) the Heb. ‘al, “against,” is to be read ‘el, “towards” or “for the sake of,” as is frequently done in the Dead Sea Scrolls, or (2) the term “Assyria” is used to designate Babylon as the power now ruling most of the territory formerly belonging to the Assyrian Empire. The classical writers often use Assyria in this sense (see Herodotus i. 178).

Euphrates. It was evidently en route to Mesopotamia to help the Assyrians attack Haran that Necho went against Carchemish (2 Chron. 35:20). This city became an Egyptian stronghold for several years, until Nebuchadnezzar defeated Necho there in 605 B.C., as is now known from the Babylonian Chronicle.

Josiah went against him. Necho at this time had no quarrel with Josiah (2 Chron. 35:21), but wished simply to get to the Euphrates to engage the forces of Babylon.

Megiddo. The important fortress in the southern part of the plain of Esdraelon, on the caravan route from Egypt to northern Syria. Josiah presumably took up his position at a point where the road emerges onto the plain, in order to strike as the Egyptians issued from the pass.