2 Chronicles 35:21

2 Chronicles 35:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.
• New International Version (NIV)But Necho sent messengers to him, saying, “What quarrel is there, king of Judah, between you and me? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But he sent envoys to him, saying, "What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But he sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.”

Context of 2 Chronicles 35:21

19In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign this Passover was celebrated. 20After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt came up to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. But Neco sent messengers to Josiah, saying, “What business do we have with each other, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today, but against the house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not destroy you.” 22Yet Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight against him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight against him on the plain of Megiddo. 23The archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.”

2 Chronicles 35:21 word by word

וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח אֵלָ֣יו מַלְאָכִ֣ים׀ לֵאמֹר֩׀ מַה־לִּ֨י וָלָ֜ךְ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֗ה לֹא־עָלֶ֨יךָ אַתָּ֤ה הַיּוֹם֙ כִּ֚י אֶל־בֵּ֣ית מִלְחַמְתִּ֔י וֵאלֹהִ֖ים אָמַ֣ר לְבַֽהֲלֵ֑נִי חֲדַל־לְךָ֛ מֵאֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־עִמִּ֖י וְאַל־יַשְׁחִיתֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But he sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• ambassadorsמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messengerH4397
• to him, sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• What have I to do with thee, thou kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• not against thee this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
• but against the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• wherewith I have warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• for Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• me to make hasteבָּהַלbâhal · to dismayH926
• forbearחָדַלchâdal · to ceaseH2308
• with me, that he destroyשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843

Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 35:21

• 2 Samuel 16:10But the king said, “What business is this of yours, O sons of Zeruiah? If Shimei is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ then who should say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”
• Matthew 8:29And they screamed out, “What business do we have [in common] with each other, Son of God? Have You come to torment us before the appointed time [of judgment]?”
• John 2:4Jesus said to her, “[Dear] woman, what is that to you and to Me? My time [to act and to be revealed] has not yet come.”
• 2 Kings 18:25Now have I come up against this place to destroy it without the Lord’s approval? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’ ” ’ ”
• Isaiah 36:10Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have now come up against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’ ” ’ ”
• 2 Chronicles 25:19You say, ‘See, I have struck down and defeated Edom.’ Your heart lifts you up to boast [about your victory]. Now stay at home; why should you meddle and court disaster so that you, even you, will fall and Judah with you?”

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 35:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21God 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 the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21The 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…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-27Verses 20-27 The Scripture does not condemn Josiah's conduct in opposing Pharaoh. Yet Josiah seems to deserve blame for not inquiring of the Lord after he was warned; his death might be a rebuke for his rashness, but it was a judgment on a hypocritical and wicked people. He that lives a life of repentance, faith, and obedience, cannot be affected by the sudden manner in which he is removed. The people lamented him. Many mourn over sufferings, who will not…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-24The story skips from Josiah’s eighteenth year in 622 BC to the year he died in 609 BC. As the Assyrian Empire weakened, Egypt and Babylon, once under Assyrian control, clashed. King Neco of Egypt, who had allied with Assyria to resist Babylon's growth, asked Josiah to let his army pass freely. Josiah's decision to block them might have been due to an alliance with Babylon or his own effort to gain independence from Egypt. Josiah died because he ignored a…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2221-22. But he sent ambassadors ... What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah?--Not wishing to spend time, or strength in vain, Necho informed the king of Judah that he had no intention of molesting the Jews; that his expedition was directed solely against his old Assyrian enemy; and that he had undertaken it by an express commission from God. Commentators are not agreed whether it was really a divine commission given him through Jeremiah, or whether…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Chronicles 35:21

• Egyptians
• Josiah
• Pharaoh
• Rashness

In the dictionaries

• God
• Judah
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Ambassador
• Esdraelon
• Forbear
• Josiah
• Lament

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 35

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings