Original Word: כַּרְכְּמְישׂ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Karkmiysh
Pronunciation: kar-keh-MEESH
Phonetic Spelling: (kar-kem-eesh')
KJV: Carchemish
NASB: Carchemish
Word Origin: [of foreign derivation]

1. Karkemish, a place in Syria

Carchemish

Of foreign derivation; Karkemish, a place in Syria -- Carchemish.

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
a city on the Euphrates
NASB Translation
Carchemish (3).

כַּרְכְּמִישׁ כַּרְכְּמִשׁ proper name, of a location, city on Euphrates (Assyrian kargamis, Gargamis, compare Dl^{Par 265 ff.}; Egyptian †a-rï-‡a-maï(?)-ša WMM^{Asien U. Europa 263}; etymology dubious; according to Hoffm^{Auszuge act. Pers. Mart. 163} RS^{Proh. i. n. 5} = 'Castle of Mish,' compare Dl^l.c.); — כַּרְכְּמִישׁ Isaiah 10:9; 2Chronicles 35:20 (ᵐ5^L Ξαρχαμεις), כַּרְכְּמִשׁ Jeremiah 46:2 (ᵐ5 Ξαρμεις Καρχαμεις). Hittite capital, East bank of Euphrates, Modern Jerabîs, or Jerbâs; Schr^{KGF 221 ff.}; COT, on Isaiah 10:9 Dl^l.c.., Jen^{ZA vii. (1892), 365} thinks he reads G(K)ar-g(k)a-mi-si(e)-ras = 'king of Karkemish' on ('Hittite') inscription from Karkemish.

Geographical Setting

Carchemish stood on the western bank of the Euphrates River at a strategic ford, roughly opposite modern Jerablus on the Syria–Turkey border. The city commanded the main land route that linked Mesopotamia with the Levant, making it a natural military and commercial crossroads. Whoever controlled Carchemish effectively regulated movement between the great powers of the Fertile Crescent.

Historical Overview

Originally part of the Hittite sphere, the city later came under Neo-Assyrian control and served as the seat of an Assyrian crown prince. After Assyria’s collapse, Egypt pushed northward to occupy Carchemish, only to be met by the rising Neo-Babylonian Empire. The decisive Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC—when Nebuchadnezzar II routed Pharaoh Necho II—signaled the transfer of imperial supremacy from Egypt to Babylon and set the stage for Judah’s eventual exile.

Biblical Occurrences

• 2 Chronicles 35:20 records that “Necho king of Egypt marched up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him in battle”. Josiah’s ill-fated intervention cost him his life and weakened Judah.
• Isaiah 10:9 places Carchemish in a list of conquered cities, illustrating the Assyrian king’s boast that no fortress can withstand him. The mention highlights both Carchemish’s reputation as a stronghold and the Assyrian arrogance God would soon judge.
• Jeremiah 46:2 introduces the oracle “concerning Egypt … beside the Euphrates River at Carchemish,” announcing beforehand Egypt’s humiliating defeat by Babylon. The prophecy’s fulfillment only a few years later validated Jeremiah’s calling and underscored divine sovereignty over international events.

Prophetic Fulfilment and Theological Themes

1. Sovereignty over Nations: The fall of Carchemish demonstrates the Lord’s prerogative to “appoint over kingdoms to uproot and tear down” (Jeremiah 1:10).
2. The Peril of Pride: Assyria’s boast (Isaiah 10) and Egypt’s confidence (Jeremiah 46) alike ended in judgment, a warning against trusting military might rather than the Lord (Psalm 20:7).
3. Covenant Consequences: Josiah’s death at Megiddo while trying to impede Necho en route to Carchemish hastened Judah’s slide into political chaos, illustrating how national decisions intersect with God’s redemptive timetable.

Archaeological Insights

Excavations led by D. G. Hogarth, C. L. Woolley, and T. E. Lawrence (1911–1914) uncovered massive fortifications, royal palaces, and reliefs inscribed with Luwian-Hittite hieroglyphics, confirming an advanced, long-inhabited metropolis consistent with the biblical portrayal of a fortified, highly valued city. Assyrian annals and Babylonian chronicles corroborate the campaigns mentioned in Scripture, especially the 605 BC battle.

Ministry Reflections

• Leadership Discernment: Josiah’s zeal was commendable, yet acting without clear divine mandate brought unintended national loss; leaders must seek God’s counsel before engaging cultural or political battles.
• Confidence in Prophecy: Jeremiah’s accurate prediction concerning Carchemish encourages believers today to trust every promise of God, whether warning or comfort.
• God’s Global Purposes: The shifting empires around Carchemish prepared the historical stage for the exile, the return, and ultimately the coming of Messiah. Recognizing that divine purposes span nations and centuries fosters patient faith amid current upheavals.

בְּכַרְכְּמִ֑שׁ בְּכַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ בכרכמיש בכרכמש כְּכַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ ככרכמיש bə·ḵar·kə·miš bə·ḵar·kə·mîš becharkeMish bəḵarkəmiš bəḵarkəmîš kə·ḵar·kə·mîš kecharkeMish kəḵarkəmîšInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts