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Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

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NECHO*, NECHOH*, NECO, NECOH*

Pharaoh of the 26th dynasty of the Saite kings, who succeeded his father, Psammetichus, in 610 BC. Psammetichus had ruled 54 years over Egypt and was instrumental in the renewal of archaic art forms and in the revival of religious fervor. In addition to this, Psammetichus had fortified the borders with garrisons and driven the Assyrians beyond the northeast border into Canaan. The alliance of the Babylonians and Medes made Psammetichus realize the potential threat to Egypt’s independence, and he allied himself with Assyria, his former enemy.

Neco fell heir to the accomplishments of his father and to an international political scene out of which he could not easily withdraw. He was allied with a losing power, as Nineveh, Assyria’s capital, fell in 612 BC. Neco was called upon to assist the king of Assyria, who had retreated to Harran from the Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar. Neco moved his troops through Judah on his way to Carchemish to engage in battle with the Babylonians. As the troops moved through the Megiddo pass, they were ambushed by Judean troops under King Josiah. Neco had requested safe passage, but Josiah foolhardily refused. Josiah was killed in the field (2 Kgs 23:29-30; cf. 2 Chr 35:20-25). Neco continued onward to Carchemish. The battle (605 BC) turned out to be a great victory for the young Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar recorded it in glowing terms: “As for the rest of the Egyptian army which had escaped from the defeat . . . the Babylonian troops overtook and defeated them; so that not a single man escaped to that country.” The OT briefly observes: “The king of Egypt never returned after that” (2 Kgs 24:7, NLT).

Neco strengthened Egypt by a policy of isolation. He made Judah a buffer zone and fortified the borders successfully in order to keep the Babylonians from penetrating into Egypt. He had deposed Jehoahaz, the newly enthroned king of three months, brought him to Riblah in Syria, and later to Egypt (2 Kgs 23:33-34). Jehoiakim succeeded to the Davidic throne in Jerusalem, and Judah was forced to pay a tribute of 100 talents of silver and a talent of gold (vv 33-36). When Judah fell to Babylon, the Judeans considered the Egyptian interest in their survival as vital to Egypt’s independence and requested help against Babylonia. The prophet Jeremiah strongly spoke against this dependence on Egypt (Jer 46:17-24). Whether Neco risked his forces to penetrate into Judah, a Babylonian province, is not certain. Nebuchadnezzar quickly moved his forces to Judah, exiled Jehoiakim to Babylon, and enthroned Zedekiah (597 BC). Shortly thereafter, Neco died (595 BC). His son, Psammetichus II, succeeded him.

See also Egypt, Egyptian; Israel, History of; Josiah #1.