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2 Kings 15:5

in 2 Kings 15

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 of the land.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

And Jehovah smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the household, judging the people of the land.

KJV

And the Lord smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the house, judging the people of the land.

This verse in 2 Kings 15

Commentary

7 notes on this verse
The Lord smote the king, so that he was a leper - The circumstances under which this terrible affliction befel one of the greatest of the Jewish kings, are given at some length by the author of Chronicles (marginal reference), who supplies us with a tolerably full account of this important reign, which the writer of Kings dismisses in half-a-dozen verses. A several house - “A house of liberation,” or, freedom.

This site's exposition

right in the sight of the Lord

on 2 Kings 15:3-7

Azariah's reign is graded right, matched to his father Amaziah's, but the high places survive every reforming king before Hezekiah, and the people go on sacrificing where they are used to sacrificing. The Lord smites the king with leprosy; this chapter gives no reason, and 2 Chronicles 26:16-21 supplies one, that pride carried him past the priests into the sanctuary to burn incense, but Kings does not repeat that story here and the two books' separate telling is kept honest. He dwells in a several house, set apart as a leper, while Jotham his son governs from the house, and the closing formula and burial in the city of David end a reign longer than any other king of Judah's.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Ishodad of Merv

BOOKS OF SESSIONS 2 KINGS 15:3 · Written before 850.

proposed

In the book of Chronicles [it is written]: Uzziah "did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his father David, and God made him prosper." "He built" fortresses "and palaces and high towers which were reinforced with iron bolts." "But when …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And the Lord smote the king,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

(5.) That his son was his viceroy in the affairs both of his court (for he was over the house ) and of his kingdom (for he was judging the people of the land ); and it was both a comfort to him and a blessing to his kingdom that he had such a son to fill up his room.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Being a child only four years old when his father was murdered, a regency was appointed during Azariah's minority. began Azariah . . . to reign--The character of his reign is described by the brief formula employed by the inspired historian, in recording the religious policy of the later kings.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

The Lord smote the king, so that he was a leper - The reason of this plague is well told in the above quoted chapter, 2Ch 26:16. That his heart being elated, he went into the temple to burn incense upon the altar, assuming to himself the functions of the high priest; that Azariah the priest, with fourscore others, went in after him, to prevent him; and that while they were remonstrating against his conduct, the Lord struck him with the leprosy, which immediately appeared on his forehead; that they thrust him out as an unclean person; and that he himself hurried to get out, feeling that the Lord had smitten him; that he was obliged to dwell in a house by himself, being leprous, to the day of his death; and that during this time the affairs of the kingdom were administered by his son Jotham. […]

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיְנַגַּ֨עand he struck

    vaynaga'H5060

  • יְהוָ֜הYahweh

    yahwehH30686520 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H85310935 times

  • הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH44282525 times

  • וַיְהִ֤יand he was

    vayhiH19613559 times

  • מְצֹרָע֙having a skin disease

    metzora'H687920 times

  • עַד־until

    ʾad-H57041261 times

  • י֣וֹם[the] day of

    yomH31172304 times

  • מֹת֔וֹdeath his

    motoH4194156 times

  • וַיֵּ֖שֶׁבand he dwelt

    vaiyeshevH34271079 times

  • בְּבֵ֣יתin [the] house of

    beveitH10042046 times

  • הַחָפְשִׁ֑ית<the> separateness

    hachafeshitH2669

  • וְיוֹתָ֤םand Jotham

    veyotamH314724 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H11214930 times

  • הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king

    hamelekhH44282525 times

  • עַל־[was] over

    ʾal-H59215755 times

  • הַבַּ֔יִתthe house

    habayitH10042046 times

  • שֹׁפֵ֖טjudging

    shofetH8199202 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H85310935 times

  • עַ֥ם[the] people of

    ʾamH59711873 times

  • הָאָֽרֶץ׃the land

    haaretzH7762504 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    1 Kings 3:9

    Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”

    it leads to

    • James 1:5

      Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

    • Proverbs 16:16

      How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.

    • Hebrews 5:14

      But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

    • John 5:30

      I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

    • Proverbs 2:3–9

      if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,

  • Through

    Numbers 12:10

    As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous,

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 24:9

      Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the journey after you came out of Egypt.

    • 2 Kings 5:27

      Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever!” And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous—as white as snow.

  • Through

    1 Kings 3:28

    When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

    it leads to

    • 1 Kings 3:9–12

      Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”

About 2 Kings

Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ishodad of Merv, BOOKS OF SESSIONS 2 KINGS 15:3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.