2. Pharaoh-necho. On the meaning of the term “Pharaoh” see on Gen. 12:15. Necho II (610-595 ) came to the throne of Egypt at a time when the nation was undergoing a political, cultural, and economic rebirth. His father, Psamtik I (663-610 ), had enjoyed the political and military backing of Assyria against the Ethiopians, who had dominated Egypt for about a century. With the disintegration of the Assyrian Empire he had asserted his independence from Assyria and had established the Twenty-sixth, or Saïte, Dynasty. Trade with Greece and Phoenicia flourished and economic prosperity grew. Newly gained independence and prosperity revived a sense of national pride and power.
When Nineveh fell in 612 the Assyrian Empire, which had dominated Near Eastern affairs for more than two and a half centuries, came to an end, leaving a political vacuum. The Egyptians saw an opportunity in this situation to re-establish an empire in Western Asia. Shortly after Necho II succeeded his father in 610 , an Egyptian army was dispatched to aid the Assyrians, whom the Babylonians had ejected from an emergency capital set up at Haran. The campaign did not succeed in recapturing Haran. It was apparently at this time (609) that Necho, on his way through Palestine toward Haran, defeated the troops of Judah and killed King Josiah in the battle of Megiddo (2 Kings 23:29, 30; 2 Chron. 35:20-27), and then went north against the Babylonians in Syria to strengthen his headquarters at Carchemish on the Euphrates (2 Chron. 35:20). Three months later he returned, and at Riblah (2 Kings 23:31, 33) put Jehoahaz, the new king of Judah, in bonds and placed on the throne Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:34), who was evidently less nationalistic and more inclined to follow foreign leadership. (Dating these events in 609 —not, as formerly, in 608—shifts other reigns: Manasseh through the accession of Jehoiakim, also several contemporary pharaohs.)
Four years later Necho’s armies were expelled from Carchemish.
Carchemish. A town on the western bank of the Euphrates, commanding one of the river’s most important fords. It was the natural crossing point into Mesopotamia for armies invading from the West, and was thus a place of great strategic and commercial importance.
Nebuchadrezzar. See also the comment on Dan. 1:1. It was Nebuchadnezzar’s father, Nabopolassar (626-605 ), who, with the Medes and Scythians, accomplished the destruction of the Assyrian Empire. Holding the eastern half of the Fertile Crescent, he would naturally desire to rule the Westland also. He thus became the chief opponent of Necho, who was trying to reestablish control over Palestine and Syria.
Until 1956 there were no known contemporary records of Nabopolassar’s later years. But a newly found chronicle (see 756) tells how the crown prince, Nebuchadnezzar, won the decisive battle with Egypt in 605, and was immediately recalled by his father’s death. This new chronicle gives us the Babylonian version of the events back of several Biblical narratives: the death of Josiah, the battle of Carchemish, the invasions in which Daniel, Jehoiachin, and Ezekiel were taken captive. The capture of Jehoiachin (unnamed) is mentioned, and dated Adar 2 (approximately March 16, 597 ).
Fourth year of Jehoiakim. According to 25:1, the fourth year of Jehoiakim was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, 604 Therefore many have accepted 604 as the date of the battle of Carchemish.
The difficulty, however, with this view is that the chronicle (like Berosus; see on Dan. 1:1) places this battle before the accession of Nebuchadnezzar, whereas this verse is generally taken to mean that the accession of Nebuchadnezzar, whereas Jeremiah states that the battle of Carchemish was fought in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, at least some months after he had come to the throne. Josephus (Antiquities x. 6. 1) thus interprets Jeremiah as dating the battle after Nebuchadnezzar’s accession.
Formerly, before the chronicle was known, when historical sources for the years 609-604 were lacking for events in Palestine and Syria, it was thought that soon after the battle of Megiddo (now dated in 609 ) the Babylonians had taken over Palestine and Syria, and that Berosus spoke of a rebellion against them.
Some have solved the problem by equating the 4th year of Jehoiakim with the accession year (before the 1st) of Nebuchadnezzar.
But another explanation has been offered. The phrase “in the fourth year of Jehoiakim” can just as logically be taken as the date, not of the battle, but of the message ( 1) that came to the prophet “against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt … in the fourth year.” In that case, the two intervening relative clauses introduced by “which” can be taken as parenthetical, an allusion to the well-known battle of the preceding year. The Hebrew without the punctuation will allow this interpretation, which leaves the battle undated in Jeremiah’s account, and thus eliminates the difficulty.
