2 Kings 22:20

“Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, etc.] To his godly ancestors, to share with them in eternal life and happiness; otherwise it could be no peculiar favour to die in common, as his fathers did, and be buried in their sepulchres: and thou shall be gathered into thy grave in peace; in a time of public peace and tranquillity; for though he was slain in battle with the king of Egypt, yet it was what he was personally concerned in, and it was not a public war between the two kingdoms, and his body was carried off by his servants, and was peaceably interred in the sepulchre of his ancestors, (<122329>2 Kings 23:29,30), as well as he died in spiritual peace, and entered into…”

“In peace - The death of Josiah in battle 2 Kings 23:29 is in verbal contradiction to this prophecy, but not in real opposition to its spirit, which is simply that the pious prince who has sent to inquire of the Lord, shall be gathered to his fathers before the troubles come upon the land which are to result in her utter desolation. Now those troubles were to come, not from Egypt, but from Babylon; and their commencement was not the invasion of Necho in 608 B.C., but that of Nebuchadnezzar three years later. Thus was Josiah “taken away from the evil to come,” and died “in peace” before his city had suffered attack from the really formidable enemy. return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright…”

“In peace - That is, in a time of public peace: for otherwise he died in battle. Besides, he died in peace with God, and was by death translated to everlasting peace. Next: 4 Kings (2 Kings) Chapter 23”

“I will gather: Gen 25:8; Deu 31:16; Ch1 17:11; Ch2 34:28 thou shalt: During thy life, none of these calamities shall fall upon thee nor thy people; no adversary shall be permitted to disturb the peace of Judea; and thou shalt at last "be gathered into thy grave in peace." Now, though it is stated that Pharaoh-Necho slew him at Megiddo, yet the Assyrians and the Jews were at peace; and though Josiah might feel it his duty to oppose the Egyptian king's going against his friend and ally, and that, in his endeavours to oppose him, he was mortally wounded at Megiddo, yet certainly he was not killed there, but was brought to Jerusalem, where he died in peace. gathered: Kg2 23:29, Kg2 23:30; Psa…”

“To gather to his fathers means merely to let him die, and is generally applied to a peaceful death upon a sick-bed, like the synonymous phrase, to lie with one's fathers; but it is also applied to a violent death by being slain in battle ( Kg1 22:40 and Kg1 22:34), so that there is no difficulty in reconciling this comforting assurance with the slaying of Josiah in battle ( Kg2 23:29). בּשׁלום, in peace, i.e., without living to witness the devastation of Jerusalem, as is evident from the words, "thine eyes will not see," etc. Next: 4 Kings (2 Kings) Chapter 23”