But... ambassadors. — And... messengers.
What have I to do with thee? — Literally, what to me and to thee? Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί; (LXX.; and Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28).
I come not against thee. — So the old versions. The Hebrew is, “not against thee — thee — to-day,” The versions appear to have read ‘attâh, “thee,” with different points as ‘ôtheh, “coming.” (Comp. Syriac, ôthê ‘nû, “come I.”)
But against the house ... war. — A strange expression. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 18:10.) Probably the reading indicated by 3 Esdr. 1:25 is right (ὲπὶ γὰρ τοῡ Εὐφράτου δ πόλεμος μοῡ ἐστί), “but against the Euphrates is my war” (Perath for bêth). Josephus supports this. LXX. and Syriac omit; Vulg., “sed contra allain pugno domum.”
For God ... haste. — And God... The Egyptian kings, like those of Israel, consulted their prophets before undertaking any expedition. So did the Assyrians, as abundantly appears from their inscriptions. So, too, we read on the Moabite stone, “Chemosh said unto me, Go; take Nebo... Go up against Horonaim, and take it.” These facts sufficiently explain the text, without assuming that Necho had received an oracle from Jehovah, or was referring to the God of Israel. (Comp. Herod, ii. 158.)