2 Chronicles 26:18

18 and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, ¹"It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, ²but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the LORD God."

2 Chronicles 26:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 26:18

And they withstood Uzziah the king
They not only stood against him, but stood about him, surrounded him, so as to hinder him from approaching the altar of incense:

and said unto him, it appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn
incense unto the Lord;
it did not belong to his office as a king, it was no part of it

but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn
incense;
and to them only; for even the Levites might not do it, only those of the tribe of Levi, that descended from Aaron, see ( Numbers 16:35 ) ,

go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed;
by going into that:

neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God;
but to his hurt, and be a brand of infamy upon him; for more is designed than is expressed, and as the event showed.

2 Chronicles 26:18 In-Context

16 But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.

17 But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the LORD who were men of valor,

18 and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the LORD God."

19 Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the LORD, by the altar of incense.

20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the LORD had struck him.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 16:40; Numbers 18:7
• 2. Exodus 30:7, 8