2 Chronicles 26

Uzziah rules Judah

1 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was 16 years old, and made him king after his father Amaziah.

2 He rebuilt Eloth, restoring it to Judah after King Amaziah had lain down with his ancestors.

3 Uzziah was 16 years old when he became king, and he ruled for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem.

4 He did what was right in the LORD's eyes, just as his father Amaziah had done.

5 He sought God as long as Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, was alive. And as long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.

6 He marched against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines.

7 God helped him against the Philistines, the Arabs who inhabited Gur, and the Meunites.

8 The Meunites paid taxes to Uzziah, whose fame spread even to Egypt because he had grown so powerful.

9 He built towers in Jerusalem, at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and at the Angle, and reinforced them.

10 He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many wells for his large herds in the lowlands and the plain. He had many workers who tended his farms and vineyards, because he loved the soil.

11 Uzziah had a standing army equipped for combat whose units went to war according to the number determined by the scribe Jeiel and Maaseiah, an officer under the authority of Hananiah, one of the king's officials.

12 The grand total of family heads in charge of these courageous warriors was twenty-six hundred.

13 They commanded an army of three hundred seven thousand five hundred. They formed a powerful force that could support the king against the enemy.

14 Uzziah supplied the entire force with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and sling stones.

15 He set up clever devices in Jerusalem on the towers and corners of the wall designed to shoot arrows and large stones. And so Uzziah's fame spread far and wide, because he had received wonderful help until he became powerful.

16 But as soon as he became powerful, he grew so arrogant that he acted corruptly. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God by entering the LORD's sanctuary to burn incense upon the incense altar.

17 The priest Azariah, accompanied by eighty other of the LORD's courageous priests, went in after him

18 and confronted King Uzziah. "You have no right, Uzziah," he said, "to burn incense to the LORD! That privilege belongs to the priests, Aaron's descendants, who have been ordained to burn incense. Get out of this holy place because you have been unfaithful! The LORD God won't honor you for this."

19 Then Uzziah, who already had a censer in his hand ready to burn the incense, became angry. While he was fuming at the priests, skin disease erupted on his forehead in the presence of the priests before the incense altar in the LORD's temple.

20 When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests turned and saw the skin disease on his forehead, they rushed him out of there. Uzziah also was anxious to leave because the LORD had afflicted him.

21 King Uzziah had skin disease until the day he died. He lived in a separate house, diseased in his skin, because he was barred from the LORD's temple. His son Jotham supervised the palace administration and governed the people of the land.

22 The rest of Uzziah's deeds, from beginning to end, were written down by the prophet Isaiah, Amoz's son.

23 Uzziah died and was buried with his ancestors in a field belonging to the kings, because people said, "He had skin disease." His son Jotham succeeded him as king.

2 Chronicles 26 Commentary

Chapter 26

Uzziah's good reign in Judah. (1-15) Uzziah's attempt to burn incense. (16-23)

Verses 1-15 As long as Uzziah sought the Lord, and minded religion, God made him to prosper. Those only prosper whom God makes to prosper; for prosperity is his gift. Many have owned, that as long as they sought the Lord, and kept close to their duty, they prospered; but when they forsook God, every thing went cross. God never continues either to bless the indolent or to withhold his blessing from the diligent. He will never suffer any to seek his face in vain. Uzziah's name was famed throughout all the neighbouring countries. A name with God and good people makes truly honourable. He did not delight in war, nor addict himself to sports, but delighted in husbandry.

Verses 16-23 The transgression of the kings before Uzziah was, forsaking the temple of the Lord, and burning incense upon idolatrous altars. But his transgression was, going into the holy place, and attempting to burn incense upon the altar of God. See how hard it is to avoid one extreme, and not run into another. Pride of heart was at the bottom of his sin; a lust that ruins many. Instead of lifting up the name God in gratitude to him who had done so much for him, his heart was lifted up to his hurt. Men's pretending to forbidden knowledge, and seeking things too high for them, are owing to pride of heart. The incense of our prayers must be, by faith, put into the hands of our Lord Jesus, the great High Priest of our profession, else we cannot expect it to be accepted by God, ( Revelation 8:3 ) . Though Uzziah strove with the priests, he would not strive with his Maker. But he was punished for his transgression; he continued a leper to his death, shut out from society. The punishment answered the sin as face to face in a glass. Pride was at the bottom of his transgression, and thus God humbled him, and put dishonour upon him. Those that covet forbidden honours, forfeit allowed ones. Adam, by catching at the tree of knowledge which he might not eat of, debarred himself of the tree of life which he might have eaten of. Let all that read say, The Lord is righteous. And when the Lord sees good to throw prosperous and useful men aside, as broken vessels, if he raises up others to fill their places, they may rejoice to renounce all worldly concerns, and employ their remaining days in preparation for death.

Footnotes

• [a]. Uzziah is usually named Azariah in 2 Kgs 14:21; 15:1, 6-7.
• [b]. LXX; MT visions
• [c]. Tg; MT Gur-baal
• [d]. LXX; MT Ammonites
• [e]. The precise meaning is uncertain; traditionally leprosy—a term used for several different skin diseases. Also in 26:21-20, 23.
• [f]. Heb uncertain

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 26

This chapter relates the good reign of Uzziah, 2Ch 26:1-5, his wars and victories, his buildings, the number of his soldiers, and his military stores, 2Ch 26:6-15, his invasion of the priest's office, in attempting to offer incense, for which he was smitten with a leprosy, which continued to his death, 2Ch 26:16-23.

the three following verses, see the notes on 2Ki 14:21,22, 15:2,3 where Uzziah is called Azariah. \\See Gill on "2Ki 14:21"\\ \\See Gill on "2Ki 14:22"\\ \\See Gill on "2Ki 15:2"\\ \\See Gill on "2Ki 15:3"\\ 19692-950125-1735-2Ch26.2