2 Chronicles 26:21
in 2 Chronicles 26So 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of Jehovah: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
KJV
And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 26
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A several house - See the marginal reference “q” note; and compare Ps. 88, which is supposed by some to refer to Uzziah.
This site's exposition
dwelt in a several house
Uzziah lives out his reign a leper, cut off from the house of the Lord and confined to a several house under the law of Leviticus 13, while Jotham his son governs as regent, judging the people of the land. This matches 2 Ki 15:5 almost word for word; Chronicles adds nothing new to the fact here but has already supplied the reason Kings never states. Henry calls it a punishment that answered the sin as face answers face in a glass.
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 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.
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?
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
Dwelt, &c. - As he was obliged to do by law, which he durst not now resist, being under the hand of God, and under the fear of worse plagues, if he did not so. For - He dwelt in a several house, because he might not come into the temple or courts, nor consequently into any publick assembly. So the punishment answered the sin, as face does to face in a glass.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper,.... See Gill on 2Ki 15:5, for he was cut off from the house of the Lord; not, suffered to enter into that, because of his uncleanness: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land; see 2Ki 15:5.
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
And dwelt in a several house - He was separated, because of the infectious nature of his disorder, from all society, domestic, civil, and religious. Jotham - was over the king’s house - He became regent of the land; his father being no longer able to perform the functions of the regal office.
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִי֩ | vayhi | and he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עֻזִּיָּ֨הוּ | ʾuziyahu | Uzziah | H5818 → | 27 times |
| הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| מְצֹרָ֣ע׀ | metzora' | leprous | H6879 → | 20 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| י֣וֹם | yom | [the] day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| מוֹת֗וֹ | moto | death his | H4194 → | 156 times |
| וַיֵּ֜שֶׁב | vaiyeshev | and he dwelt | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בֵּ֤ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הַֽחָפְשִׁית֙ | hachafeshut | <the> separateness | H2669 → | |
| מְצֹרָ֔ע | metzora' | leprous | H6879 → | 20 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נִגְזַ֖ר | nigzar | he was cut off | H1504 → | |
| מִבֵּ֣ית | mibeit | from [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְיוֹתָ֤ם | veyotam | and Jotham | H3147 → | 24 times |
| בְּנוֹ֙ | beno | son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [was] over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| שׁוֹפֵ֖ט | shofet | judging | H8199 → | 202 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַ֥ם | ʾam | [the] people of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
וַיְהִי֩and he was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
עֻזִּיָּ֨הוּUzziah
ʾuziyahuH5818 →27 times
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
מְצֹרָ֣ע׀leprous
metzora'H6879 →20 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
י֣וֹם[the] day of
yomH3117 →2304 times
מוֹת֗וֹdeath his
motoH4194 →156 times
וַיֵּ֜שֶׁבand he dwelt
vaiyeshevH3427 →1079 times
בֵּ֤ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
הַֽחָפְשִׁית֙<the> separateness
hachafeshutH2669 →
מְצֹרָ֔עleprous
metzora'H6879 →20 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
נִגְזַ֖רhe was cut off
nigzarH1504 →
מִבֵּ֣יתfrom [the] house of
mibeitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְיוֹתָ֤םand Jotham
veyotamH3147 →24 times
בְּנוֹ֙son his
benoH1121 →4930 times
עַל־[was] over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
שׁוֹפֵ֖טjudging
shofetH8199 →202 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַ֥ם[the] people of
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the land
haaretzH776 →2504 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
2 Kings 7:3Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die?
it leads to
- Leviticus 13:45–46
A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’
- Numbers 5:2–4
“Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a skin disease, anyone who has a bodily discharge, and anyone who is defiled by a dead body.
- Leviticus 13:45–46
Through
Leviticus 13:46As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 7:3
Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die?
- 2 Kings 15:5
And 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…
- Numbers 12:14–15
But the LORD answered Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days;…
- Numbers 5:1–4
Then the LORD said to Moses,
- 2 Kings 7:3
Through
Numbers 12:15So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was brought in again.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 24:8–9
In cases of infectious skin diseases, be careful to diligently follow everything the Levitical priests instruct you. Be careful to do as I have commanded them.
- Lamentations 3:32
Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.
- Deuteronomy 24:8–9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
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 3.10; Apostolic Constitutions, CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 2.27; 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.