Uzziah, succeeding and reigning well in the days of Zechariah, prospers, 1-15. Growing proud, he invades the priest's office and is smitten with leprosy, 16-21. He dies and Jotham succeeds him, 22, 23.
1 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. 3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did. 5 And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God. And as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.
6 And he went forth and warred against the Philistines and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities around Ashdod and among the Philistines. 7 And God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabians who dwelt in Gur-baal, and the Mehunims. 8 And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah. And his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt, for he strengthened himself exceedingly. 9 Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them. 10 Also, he built towers in the desert and dug many wells, for he had many cattle, both in the low country and in the plains, and also farmers and vine-dressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved farming. 11 Moreover, Uzziah had an army of fighting men that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains. 12 The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valor was two thousand and six hundred. 13 And under their hand was an army, three hundred and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14 And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the army shields, spears, helmets, habergeons, bows, and slings to cast stones. 15 And he made war machines in Jerusalem, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad, for he was helped in a wonderful manner until he was strong.
16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense. 17 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of the LORD who were valiant men. 18 And they withstood Uzziah the king and said to him, "It does not appertain to you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed. It will not be for your honor from the LORD God." 19 Then Uzziah was angry and had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar. 20 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 there. Indeed, he himself hastened to go out, because the LORD had smitten him. 21 And Uzziah the king was a leper to the day of his death and dwelt in a separate 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.
22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, were written by Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amos. 23 So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings, for they said, "He is a leper." And Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
Matthew Henry Commentary - 2nd Chronicles, Chapter 26[➚]