2 Chronicles 35 · Verse 21

2 Chronicles 35:21

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.
2 Chronicles 35:21, King James Version

2 Chronicles 35:21 in other translations

BSBBut Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What is the issue between you and me, O king of Judah? I have not come against you today, but I am fighting another dynasty. God told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or He will destroy you!”
WEBBut he sent ambassadors to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, you king of Judah? I come not against you today, but against the house with which I have war. God has commanded me to make haste. Beware that it is God who is with me, that he not destroy you.”
ASVBut 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; and God hath commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.
YLTand he sendeth unto him messengers, saying, ‘What--to me and to thee, O king of Judah? not against thee do I come to-day, but unto the house with which I have war, and God said to haste me; cease for thee from God who is with me, and He doth not destroy thee.'
DARBYAnd he sent messengers 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 with which I have war; and God has told me to make haste: keep aloof from God who is with me, that he destroy thee not.
BBEBut he sent representatives to him, saying, What have I to do with you, O king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against those with whom I am at war; and God has given me orders to go forward quickly: keep out of God's way, for he is with me, or he will send destruction on you.
WebsterBut he sent embassadors 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 with which I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he may not destroy thee.

What does 2 Chronicles 35:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Chronicles 35:21-22
21-22. 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 he merely used the name of God as an authority that Josiah would not refuse to obey. As he could not know the truth of Necho's declaration, Josiah did not sin in opposing him; or, if he sinned at all, it was a sin of ignorance. The engagement took place. Josiah was mortally wounded [2Ch 35:23].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

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

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…

Read the full comment on 2 Chronicles 35:20-27 →

2 Chronicles 35:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשְׁלַ֣חvai.yish.Lachand he sentH7971
אֵלָ֣יו'e.Lavto himH413
מַלְאָכִ֣ים\׀mal.'a.KhimmessengersH4397
לֵאמֹר֩\׀le.Mor<to> sayingH559
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
לִּ֨יli[is] to <the> me
וָלָ֜ךְva.Lakhand to <the> you
מֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekhO king ofH4428
יְהוּדָ֗הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
עָלֶ֨יךָ'a.Lei.khaon youH5921
אַתָּ֤ה'a.TahyouH859
הַיּוֹם֙hai.yOmthis dayH3117
כִּ֚יkiforH3588
אֶל\־'el-againstH413
בֵּ֣יתbeit[the] house ofH1004
מִלְחַמְתִּ֔יmil.cham.Tibattle myH4421
וֵאלֹהִ֖יםve.lo.Himand GodH430
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe has saidH559
לְבַֽהֲלֵ֑נִיle.va.ha.Le.nito hurry IH926
חֲדַל\־cha.dal-ceaseH2308
לְךָ֛le.Kha<for> yourself
מֵאֱלֹהִ֥יםme.'E.lo.Himfrom GodH430
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whoH834
עִמִּ֖י'i.Mi[is] with meH5973
וְאַל\־ve.'al-and may notH408
יַשְׁחִיתֶֽךָ\׃yash.chi.Te.khahe destroy youH7843

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Chronicles 35:21

  • 2 Chronicles 25:19

    Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

  • 2 Kings 18:25

    Am I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

  • Isaiah 36:10

    And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? the Lord said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

  • John 2:4

    Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

  • 2 Samuel 16:10

    And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?

  • Matthew 8:29

    And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
What.
2Sa 16:10; Mt 8:29; Joh 2:4
house wherewith I have war. Heb. house of my war. God.
2Ki 18:25; Isa 36:10
forbear thee.
25:19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Chronicles 35:20

    After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.

  • 2 Chronicles 35:21

    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.

  • 2 Chronicles 35:22

    Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

Read all of 2 Chronicles 35

2 Chronicles 35:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y él le envió embajadores, diciendo: ¿Qué tenemos yo y tú, rey de Judá? Yo no vengo contra ti hoy, sino contra la casa que me hace guerra: y Dios dijo que me apresurase. Déjate de meterte con Dios, que es conmigo, no te destruya.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Neco lui envoya des messagers, disant: Qu’y a-t-il entre moi et toi, roi de Juda? Ce n’est pas contre toi que je viens aujourd’hui, mais contre la maison avec laquelle je suis en guerre, et Dieu m’a dit de me hâter. Désiste-toi de t’opposer à Dieu, qui est avec moi, afin qu’il ne te détruise pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sandte er Boten zu ihm und ließ ihm sagen: Was haben wir miteinander zu schaffen, König von Juda? Nicht wider dich komme ich heute, sondern wider das Haus, mit dem ich Krieg führe; und Gott hat gesagt, daß ich eilen sollte. Stehe ab von Gott, der mit mir ist, daß er dich nicht verderbe!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		At ille, missis ad eum nuntiis, ait: Quid mihi et tibi est, rex Juda? non adversum te hodie venio, sed contra aliam pugno domum, ad quam me Deus festinato ire præcepit: desine adversum Deum facere, qui mecum est, ne interficiat te.