The Closure of Josiah's Reign (2 Kings 23:28-30).
Josiah's glorious reign came to a sorry end when he made a fatal miscalculation without consulting YHWH. Assyria were by this time in dire straits after the sack of Nineveh and fighting for their very existence against the Babylonians, Medes and Scythians. The result of this was that Egypt decided in their own interests to aid Assyria's survival in order that they might act as a barrier between Egypt and the aggressors, and so as to ensure their own control over the lands south of the Euphrates. They did not want a powerful Assyrian empire to be replaced by an equally powerful Babylonian one on their own doorstep. So with this in mind Pharaoh Necoh marched his troops northward to Assyria's aid. But this meant that they passed through the plain of Esdraelon on Judah's borders (Megiddo, on the western side of the Vale of Esdraelon was probably already in Egyptian hands and fortified by them, having been taken over from the Assyrians. It had been the administrative centre of the Assyrian province of Megiddo). We are given no reason why he made his decision, but we learn here that for some reason Josiah decided that he must prevent Egypt's progress, evidently without consulting YHWH. This may simply have been a defensive move, with Josiah seeing Egypt's aim as control of all the lands south of the Euphrates, but the more probable reason was that he had some form of treaty with the Babylonian alliance (otherwise why not consult YHWH?). If so it was a fatal move. As Hezekiah had before him Josiah was dallying with major players who could swallow Judah up whole.
As so often in Kings the author tells us what happened historically but does so with a theological motive. He expects his readers to recognise in what happened the hand of YHWH, and clearly saw Josiah's action as a sin against YHWH, especially in view of YHWH's promise of peace in Josiah's day. The result would be the death of Josiah at a time when Judah could least afford it, surrounded as it was by powerful nations combating each other. Furthermore his decision to fight the Egyptians would give Egypt the excuse (if any were needed) to be the first to swallow up Judah.
Analysis.
a Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? (2 Kings 23:28).
b In his days Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt went up to meet the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates, and king Josiah went against him (2 Kings 23:29 a).
c And Pharaoh Necoh slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him (2 Kings 23:29 b).
b And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre (2 Kings 23:30 a).
a And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king instead of his father (2 Kings 23:30 b).
Note that in ‘a' we have the usual closing formula in which we are referred to the royal annals of the kings of Judah for the remainder of the acts of Josiah's reign, and in the parallel the description of the cessation of his reign. In ‘b' Josiah's aggression against Egypt is described and in the parallel we are informed of its consequence. Centrally in ‘c' we have described the death of Josiah, because he chose war and not peace.
‘Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?'
In accordance with the usual closing formula we are referred for the other activities of Josiah's reign to the official royal annals of the king's of Judah. This included the expanding of his kingdom by taking in much of what had been Samaria.
‘In his days Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt went up to meet the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates, and king Josiah went against him; and Pharaoh Necoh slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.'
As always in Kings any mention of an incident has theological reasons. It is clear therefore that the author did not approve of Josiah's action as described here and saw it as a sin against YHWH, a sin which resulted in his violent death. That is something confirmed in 2 Chronicles 35:20-25. As mentioned above Pharaoh Necoh was marching northward in order to assist the Assyrians in their rearguard action against the Babylonian/Medan alliance, no doubt with a view to ensuring Egypt's control over the lands south of the Euphrates, and so as to ensure that the alliance did not become too powerful. No reason is given for Josiah's action in opposing him, but it was either because he saw Egypt's advance through the Plain of Esdraelon as a major threat to Judah's future (which it may well have been), or because he was actually in alliance with the Babylonians and was acting on their behalf. Either way there is no suggestion that he consulted YHWH, in spite of the fact that YHWH had promised peace in his day. The result was that he was wounded in the subsequent battle, and later died of his wounds. His successful reign had culminated in an ignominious death.
‘Went up ‘al the king of Assyria.' At this time 'el and ‘al were virtually interchangeable. Thus ‘to meet with' rather than ‘against'. The Babylonian Chronicle makes clear that he was going to Assyria's assistance, simply in order to obtain control of lands south of the Euphrates (which in the past Egypt had always seen as within her sphere of influence), and because he wanted to stem the Medo-Babylonian tide which might then overflow on Egypt.
‘And his servants carried him in a chariot dying from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king instead of his father.'
Josiah's followers bore their mortally wounded king in a chariot from Megiddo and brought it to Jerusalem, and there he died and was buried in his own sepulchre. And the consequence was that ‘the people of the land' anointed Jehoahaz as king instead of his father. Jehoahaz was not the eldest son and may well have been chosen because of his anti-Egyptian attitude. The people of the land would not want to find themselves once again under Egyptian rule without a fight. Or it may simply be because he was seen as more suitable than Jehoiakim who would later prove so disreputable.