דברי הימים ב, פרק ל״ה, פסוק כ׳

After years of spiritual renewal and efforts to restore the Temple, a sudden and tragic shift takes place. King Josiah had just completed extensive preparations for the sanctuary, which included reinforcing its structure, securing its foundation, and organizing the daily shifts of the priests [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Yet, a profound sense of grief hangs over the events that follow. Despite Josiah's deep righteousness, God did not grant him a miraculous deliverance as He had done for King Hezekiah under similar circumstances [רש״י].

The crisis begins when the king of Egypt, identified as Pharaoh Necho, marches north [רלב״ג, רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. His title, Necho, actually points to a physical flaw, indicating that he was lame or crippled, as the name stems from a root meaning to strike or break [רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. The Egyptian army had no intention of attacking the kingdom of Judah. Their destination was Carchemish, near the Euphrates River, where they planned to clash with the king of Assyria and the northern empires [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, because Egypt is in the south and the Euphrates is in the north, the Egyptian forces had to march directly through the Land of Israel to reach their battlefield [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Even though the foreign army meant no harm to Judah, Josiah marched out to block their path [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Josiah's bold decision was rooted in his absolute trust in the Torah's promise that no sword would pass through the land. He understood this as a strict prohibition against any foreign military presence in the country, even an army passing through peacefully on its way to another war. Tragically, Josiah made this stand without knowing the true spiritual condition of his own people. He was completely unaware of the hidden sins of his generation, who continued to worship idols in secret behind the closed doors of their homes. Because the nation was quietly failing in its devotion, divine protection was lifted, leaving the righteous king vulnerable in the coming battle [רש״י].