2 Chronicleschapter 26

A.He sought God in the days of Zechariah, and God made him prospervv. 1-5

1 All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 2 Uzziah was the one who rebuilt Eloth and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah rested with his fathers. 3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 4 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. 5 He sought God throughout the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. And as long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.

B.Engines on the towers and a name spread far abroadvv. 6-15

6 Uzziah went out to wage war against the Philistines, and he tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built cities near Ashdod and among the Philistines. 7 God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs living in Gur-baal, and against the Meunites. 8 The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, for he had become exceedingly powerful. 9 Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and the angle in the wall, and he fortified them. 10 Since he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain, he built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns. And since he was a lover of the soil, he had farmers and vinedressers in the hill country and in the fertile fields. 11 Uzziah had an army ready for battle that went out to war by assigned divisions, as recorded by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officers. 12 The total number of family leaders of the mighty men of valor was 2,600. 13 Under their authority was an army of 307,500 trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. 14 Uzziah supplied the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and slingstones. 15 And in Jerusalem he made skillfully designed devices to shoot arrows and catapult large stones from the towers and corners. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was helped tremendously so that he became powerful.

C.Strong until he was proud: leprosy at the incense altarvv. 16-21

16 But when Uzziah grew powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 Then Azariah the priest, along with eighty brave priests of the LORD, went in after him. 18 They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD. Only the priests, the descendants of Aaron, are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully; you will not receive honor from the LORD God.” 19 Uzziah, with a censer in his hand to offer incense, was enraged. But while he raged against the priests in their presence in the house of the LORD before the altar of incense, leprosy broke out on his forehead. 20 When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw his leprous forehead, they rushed him out. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because the LORD had afflicted him. 21 So King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in isolation, leprous and cut off from the house of the LORD, while his son Jotham had charge of the royal palace to govern the people of the land.

D.Buried in a field, because he was a lepervv. 22-23

22 As for the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from beginning to end, they are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 23 And Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field of burial that belonged to the kings; for the people said, “He was a leper.” And his son Jotham reigned in his place.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

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Uzziah begins at sixteen and 'set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah… and as long as he sought Jehovah, God made him to prosper.' The record of that prosperity is unusually concrete: war against the Philistines and Arabians and Ammonites, towers in Jerusalem, husbandmen and vinedressers in the fertile fields, 'for he loved husbandry,' a standing army of three hundred thousand, and engines invented by skilful men to shoot arrows and great stones. 'His name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up': he burns incense in the temple, eighty priests withstand him, and leprosy breaks out on his forehead.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Ezra — 2 Chronicles overview

A. 1–5 He sought God in the days of Zechariah, and God made him prosper
B. 6–15 Engines on the towers and a name spread far abroad
C. 16–21 Strong until he was proud: leprosy at the incense altar
D. 22–23 Buried in a field, because he was a leper

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

2 Chronicles 255 verses
- 2 Chronicles 25:2And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.
- 2 Chronicles 25:16While he was still speaking, the king asked, “Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but he said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.”
- 2 Chronicles 25:19You have said, ‘Look, I have defeated Edom,’ and your heart has become proud and boastful. Now stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”
- 2 Chronicles 25:23There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits.
- 2 Chronicles 25:28They carried him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah.
- Read 2 Chronicles 25 →
2 Chronicles 212 verses
- 2 Chronicles 21:16Then the LORD stirred against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and Arabs who lived near the Cushites.
- 2 Chronicles 21:20Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He died, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
- Read 2 Chronicles 21 →
2 Kings 142 verses
- 2 Kings 14:13There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits.
- 2 Kings 14:21Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
- Read 2 Kings 14 →
2 Kings 152 verses
- 2 Kings 15:2He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem.
- 2 Kings 15:5And the LORD afflicted the king with leprosy until the day he died, so that he lived in a separate house while his son Jotham had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.
- Read 2 Kings 15 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

2 Chronicles 172 verses
- 2 Chronicles 17:11Some Philistines also brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabs brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats from their flocks.
- 2 Chronicles 17:14These are their numbers according to the houses of their fathers: From Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, and with him 300,000 mighty men of valor;
- Read 2 Chronicles 17 →
2 Kings 52 verses
- 2 Kings 5:2At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman’s wife.
- 2 Kings 5:25When Gehazi went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Gehazi, where have you been?” “Your servant did not go anywhere,” he replied.
- Read 2 Kings 5 →
Deuteronomy 282 verses
- Deuteronomy 28:22The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew; these will pursue you until you perish.
- Deuteronomy 28:35The LORD will afflict you with painful, incurable boils on your knees and thighs, from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.
- Read Deuteronomy 28 →
Isaiah 11 verse
- Isaiah 1:1This is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
- Read Isaiah 1 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.