Lexical Definition

‎נְכוֹ‎ Nᵉkôw (nek-o') Neco ^N:N-M-P
probably of Egyptian origin

Necho. Compare ‎פַּרְעֹה נְכֹה‎.

• § Necho = "lame"
• Neko, an Egyptian king

1) the Pharaoh of Egypt in the time of king Josiah of Judah

Extended Information

• A man of the Egyptians living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.23.29 also called Pharaoh at 2Ki.23.35 etc.

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎נְכוֺ‎, ‎נְכֹה‎ proper name, masculine Necho (II), king of Egypt (Egyptian Nkw, i.e (Steind^{BAS i. 346 f.}) Nekawœ; Assyrian Nikû Id.^ib. Schr^{COT 2Kgs 23:29} is grandfather of Bibl. Necho); — contemporary of Josiah and Nebuchadnezzar [ B.C. 611-605]: ‎נְכוֺ‎ 2Chr 35:20 (ᵐ5 θαραω Νεχαω), ‎נְכֹה‎ 2Chr 35:22; 2Chr 36:4 (ᵐ5 θαραω Νεχαω); ‎פַּרְעֹה נְכוֺ‎ Jer 46:2, ‎פַּרְעֹה נְכֹה‎ 2Kgs 23:29; 2Kgs 23:33; 2Kgs 23:34; 2Kgs 23:35 (all ᵐ5 id.). ‎נָכוֺן‎ proper name, masculine see below ‎כּון‎, and see ‎כִּידֹן‎.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • A Pharaoh • Egyptian Pharaoh during the reigns of Josiah and Jehoiakim.

Pharaoh living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Pharaoh Neco II, the ruler of Egypt, opposed King Josiah of Judah, installed Jehoiakim as a vassal king, and was later defeated by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

• An Egyptian Pharaoh living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.23.29;
• referred to as Neco נְכוֹ, or Pharaoh/ Neco (KJV= Pharaoh-nechoh, NIV= Pharaoh Necho) נְכוֹ פַּרְעֹה, or Pharaoh/ Neco (KJV= Pharaoh-nechoh, NIV= Pharaoh Necho) נְכוֹ פַּרְעֹה, or Pharaoh/ Neco (KJV= Pharaoh-nechoh, NIV= Pharaoh Necho) (=Alt tag) פַּרְעֹה נְכֹה, or Pharaoh פַּרְעֹה.

Pharaoh Neco II (also known as Necho II) was an Egyptian ruler of the 26th Dynasty who reigned from approximately 610 to 595 BC. He is mentioned in several passages in the Old Testament, primarily in relation to his interactions with the kingdom of Judah and his military campaigns against the Babylonians.

According to 2 Chronicles 35:20-24 and 2 Kings 23:29-30, Pharaoh Neco led his army to the Euphrates River to aid the Assyrians in their battle against the Babylonians. King Josiah of Judah, however, opposed Neco's advance and confronted him at Megiddo. Despite Neco's warning that he had no quarrel with Josiah, the Judean king persisted, and in the ensuing battle, Josiah was mortally wounded by the Egyptian archers. Josiah's death marked the end of his righteous reign and the beginning of a period of decline for Judah.

Following Josiah's death, Pharaoh Neco asserted his control over Judah. He deposed Josiah's son Jehoahaz, who had been made king by the people, and installed Jehoiakim, another of Josiah's sons, as a vassal king (2 Kings 23:31-35; 2 Chronicles 36:1-4). Neco imposed heavy tribute on Judah, which Jehoiakim exacted from the people of the land.

However, Pharaoh Neco's power was soon challenged by the rising Babylonian Empire. In the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign, Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon defeated Neco's army at the Battle of Carchemish, as recorded in Jeremiah 46:2. This decisive victory marked the end of Egyptian dominance in the region and paved the way for Babylonian control over Judah.

The prophet Jeremiah also mentions Pharaoh Neco in his prophecies against Egypt (Jeremiah 46:17, 25). These passages foretell the defeat and humiliation of Egypt at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, highlighting the shifting power dynamics in the ancient Near East.

Pharaoh Neco's interactions with Judah and his military campaigns against Babylon had significant consequences for the region. His defeat of Josiah and installation of Jehoiakim as a vassal king brought Judah under Egyptian influence, while his subsequent defeat at Carchemish marked the beginning of Babylonian dominance. These events set the stage for the eventual fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile, which had profound impacts on the history and religious development of the Jewish people.

All entries for Neco or Pharaoh: נְכוֹ ☩ נְכוֹ ☩ פַּרְעֹה נְכֹה ☩ פַּרְעֹה