2 Chronicles 26:20
in 2 Chronicles 26When 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out quickly from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because Jehovah had smitten him.
KJV
And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him.
⋯
This verse in 2 Chronicles 26
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Death was denounced by the Law against those who invaded the office of the priest; and death had been the actual punishment of Korah and his company. Uzziah feared lest from him also the extreme penalty should be exacted, and therefore hasted to quit the sacred building where his bare presence was a capital crime.
This site's exposition
Uzziah, with a censer in his hand
on 2 Chronicles 26:19-20
Leprosy breaks out on Uzziah's forehead while he rages against the priests “in the house of the LORD before the altar of incense”. Azariah and the priests see the disease and rush him out, and Uzziah himself “hurried to get out, because the LORD had afflicted him”.
This site's exposition
saw his leprous forehead
Barnes recalls that the law set death on anyone who took the priest's office, as Korah and his company found in Numbers 16. Uzziah hurries out in fear of the same end. The priests press him with urgent warning, for the king was already leaving.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
Remember Uzziah, how he entered the sanctuary; by seeking to seize the priesthood he lost his kingdom. Adam, by wishing to enrich himself, incurred a double loss. Recognize in the sanctuary the Tree, in the censer the fruit and in the leprosy the nakedness. From …
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsCONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 2.27 · Written before 380.
proposed
As, therefore, it was not lawful for one of another tribe that was not a Levite to offer anything or to approach the altar without the priest, so also do you do nothing without the bishop; for if anyone does anything without the bishop, he does it to no purpose. For it will not be esteemed as of any avail to him.… For as Uzziah the king, who was not a priest and yet would exercise the functions of the priests, was smitten with leprosy for his transgression; so every lay person shall not be unpunished who despises God, and is so mad as to affront his priests and unjustly to snatch that honor to himself: not imitating Christ, "who glorified not himself to be made an high priest" but waited till he heard from his Father, "The Lord swore and will not repent, You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." If, therefore, Christ did not glorify himself without the Father, how dare anyone thrust himself into the priesthood who has not received that dignity from his superior and do such things that it is lawful only for the priests to do?
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsCONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 3.10 · Written before 380.
proposed
Neither do we permit the laity to perform any of the offices belonging to the priesthood, as, for instance, neither the sacrifice, nor baptism, nor the laying on of hands nor the blessing, whether the smaller or the greater, for "no one takes this honor to himself, but he that is called of God." For such sacred offices are conferred by the laying on of the hands of the bishop. But a person to whom such an office is not committed but seizes on it for himself, he shall undergo the punishment of Uzziah.
In the midst of paradise God had planted the Tree of Knowledge to separate off, above and below, sanctuary from Holy of Holies. Adam made bold to touch and was smitten like Uzziah: the king became leprous, Adam was tripped. Being struck like Uzziah, he …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Thrust - Not by force, which needed not, for he voluntarily hasted away, as it follows; but by vehement persuasions and denunciations of God's farther judgments upon him, if he did not depart.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
he transgressed against the Lord, &c.--(See on 2Ki 15:5). This daring and wicked act is in both records traced to the intoxicating influence of overweening pride and vanity. But here the additional circumstances are stated, that his entrance was opposed, and strong remonstrances made (1Ch 6:10) by the high priest, who was accompanied by eighty inferior priests.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Because the Lord had smitten him - “Because the Word of the Lord had brought the plague upon him.” - T.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
and in his hand was a censer to burn and he wished to strike the priest who prevented him from burning incense.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּ֣פֶן | vaiyifen | and he turned | H6437 → | 135 times |
| אֵלָ֡יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עֲזַרְיָהוּ֩ | ʾazaryahu | Azariah | H5838 → | 49 times |
| כֹהֵ֨ן | khohen | [the] priest of | H3548 → | 750 times |
| הָרֹ֜אשׁ | harosh | the head | H7218 → | 599 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים | hakohanim | the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וְהִנֵּה־ | vehineh- | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| ה֤וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מְצֹרָע֙ | metzora' | [was] leprous | H6879 → | 20 times |
| בְּמִצְח֔וֹ | bemitzcho | on forehead his | H4696 → | |
| וַיַּבְהִל֖וּהוּ | vaiyavhiluhu | and they hastened him | H926 → | 39 times |
| מִשָּׁ֑ם | misham | from there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| וְגַם־ | vegam- | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| הוּא֙ | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| נִדְחַ֣ף | nidchaf | he hurried himself | H1765 → | |
| לָצֵ֔את | latzet | to go out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נִגְּע֖וֹ | nigeo | he had struck him | H5060 → | 150 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיִּ֣פֶןand he turned
vaiyifenH6437 →135 times
אֵלָ֡יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
עֲזַרְיָהוּ֩Azariah
ʾazaryahuH5838 →49 times
כֹהֵ֨ן[the] priest of
khohenH3548 →750 times
הָרֹ֜אשׁthe head
haroshH7218 →599 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
הַכֹּהֲנִ֗יםthe priests
hakohanimH3548 →750 times
וְהִנֵּה־and there!
vehineh-H2009 →843 times
ה֤וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
מְצֹרָע֙[was] leprous
metzora'H6879 →20 times
בְּמִצְח֔וֹon forehead his
bemitzchoH4696 →
וַיַּבְהִל֖וּהוּand they hastened him
vaiyavhiluhuH926 →39 times
מִשָּׁ֑םfrom there
mishamH8033 →834 times
וְגַם־and also
vegam-H1571 →769 times
הוּא֙he
hu'H1931 →1879 times
נִדְחַ֣ףhe hurried himself
nidchafH1765 →
לָצֵ֔אתto go out
latzetH3318 →1067 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
נִגְּע֖וֹhe had struck him
nigeoH5060 →150 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
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.
it leads to
- Amos 4:9
“I struck you with blight and mildew in your growing gardens and vineyards; the locust devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.
- Leviticus 26:16
then this is what I will do to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting disease, and fever that will destroy your sight and drain your life. You will sow your seed…
- Haggai 2:17
I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew, and hail, but you did not turn to Me, declares the LORD.
- 1 Kings 8:37
When famine or plague comes upon the land, or blight or mildew or locusts or grasshoppers, or when their enemy besieges them in their cities, whatever plague or sickness may come,
- Amos 4:9
Through
Esther 6:12Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 15:30
But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up,…
- Jeremiah 14:3–4
The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads.
- 2 Samuel 15:30
Through
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.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 28:27
The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors and scabs and itch from which you cannot be cured.
- Deuteronomy 28:27
Through
Leviticus 14:34“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a contamination of mildew into a house in that land,
it leads to
- Genesis 17:8
And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”
- Genesis 17:8
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Apostolic Constitutions, CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 2.27; Apostolic Constitutions, CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 3.10; Ephrem the Syrian, HYMNS ON PARADISE 12.4; Ephrem the Syrian, HYMNS ON PARADISE 3.14; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.