The pharaoh of the 26th Dynasty, mainly remembered in the OT as the killer of Josiah in a battle at Megiddo (2 Ki 23, 2 Chron 35, Jer 46) and who, for a short time afterwards held Judah vassal.
Necho's father, Psammeticus, was a vassal of Tirhakah, the last pharaoh of 25th Dynasty. Captured, among other princelings, by Assurbanipal for formenting rebellion against their neighbouring Assyrian vassals, Psammeticus and Necho were, for reasons unknown, shown mercy and reinstated to their office. Tirhakah's final defeat at Thebes by the Assyrians opened the way for Psammeticus to establish the 26th Dynasty, centered at Saite on the Nile Delta.
The need, or urge, to push against the Assyrians, however, seemed not to have died in Psammeticus despite the mercy shown to him and his son earlier. But already the Assyrians were facing trouble on almost every frontier of her vast empire. Soon after Asshurbanipal's death, civil war broke out. Soon the empire began to crumple as she lost one major centre of power after another. By 612 BC her capital Nineveh was taken, and she had to retreat to Haran to make a last stand.
Necho, newly succeeding his father, now marched north. The general understanding of most historians is that his intention was not to aid in the final destruction of the most feared empires but to aid her. If Assyrian could be kept 'alive' enough to keep the rising Babylonians from becoming the new superpower in the north, then the south would be open to Egyptian influence. As Necho and his troops marched through Judah, Josiah decided to engage them in battle at Megiddo. Josiah's reason/s for doing so remains unknown. Josiah was killed, to be succeeded by his son, Jehoahaz. A short while later Necho replaced Johoahaz with Jehoiakim, and made Judah an Egyptian vassal. Necho continued north but arrived too late to save the last remnants of the Assyrians and, instead, was beaten back at the Battle of Carchemish, 605 BC. Necho's ambition for Judah were never fulfilled. The Babylonian had so clearly established themselves by then she could impose her will anywhere easily; Judah became her vassal, and Necho was left only to foment rebellion against the Babylonians in any way she could. Necho died in 595; the dynasty established by his father limped along as Egypt faded into the sunset of her glory.
CONCORDANCE (NIV)
Necho occurs 10x, spread over 9v, in the NIV.
2 Ki. 23:29 — While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Necho faced him and killed him at Megiddo.
2 Ki. 23:33 — Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
2 Ki. 23:34 —Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, and there he died.
2 Ki. 23:35 —Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Necho the silver and gold he demanded. In order to do so, he taxed the land and exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land according to their assessments.
2 Chr. 35:20 — After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Necho king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle.
2 Chr. 35:21 — 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."
2 Chr. 35:22 — Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Necho had said at God's command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo.
2 Chr. 36:4 — The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. But Necho took Eliakim's brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.
Jer. 46:2 — Concerning Egypt: This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:
©ALBERITH
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