Bible Commentaries

2 Chronicles 26:1. The people of Judah took Uzziah — Called also Azariah, 2 Kings 14:21; both names signifying the same thing, the strength, or help of God. Of this and 2 Chronicles 26:1; 2 Chronicles 26:3-4, see notes on 2 Kings 14:21-22; and 1 Kings 15:2-3.

2 Chronicles 26:5. He sought God in the days of Zechariah — Who was probably the son of that Zechariah whom his grand-father Joash slew. Who had understanding in the visions of God — Either the visions with which he himself was favoured, or the visions of the preceding prophets. He was well skilled in prophecy, and conversed much with the heavenly world; was an intelligent, devout, and good man; and had such influence on Uzziah, that while he lived he sought God, sought his favour, direction, and aid; trusted in him, cleaved to him, and persisted in his worship, and in the true religion. Happy are the great men who have such about them, and are willing to be advised by them: but unhappy those who seek God only while they have such with them, and have not a principle in themselves to bear them out to the end.

2 Chronicles 26:6. And brake down the wall of Gath — Which had been taken by Hazael, in the days of Joash his grand-father, chap. 2 Kings 12:17; but was either relinquished by him, because it lay so far from his other dominions; or retaken by the Philistines, who had now repaired its fortifications and kept it.

2 Chronicles 26:10-11. He built towers in the desert — Partly to guard his cattle from the inroads and depredations which the Arabians were accustomed to make: and partly to give notice of the approach of any enemy, and to put some stop to their march on that side. Uzziah had an army that went out to war by bands — Some bands at one time, and some at another, as occasion required.

2 Chronicles 26:11. Now therefore deliver the captives — Release your brethren, whom you have made prisoners, and send them home again with care. For the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you — And there is no other way of escaping it, but by showing mercy.

2 Chronicles 26:16. When he was strong — Strengthened in his kingdom, and free from the fear of any enemy; his heart was lifted up to his destruction — Thus the prosperity of fools, by puffing them up with pride, destroys them. He had done so much business, and attained so much honour, that he began to think no business, no honour too great, or too good for him; no, not that of the priesthood. He went unto the temple of the Lord — Into the holy place, where the altar of incense stood, and into which none but priests might enter, much less offer incense.

2 Chronicles 26:18. And they withstood Uzziah — Hebrew, stood up against Uzziah, not by force, or laying hands upon him to restrain him, for in the next verse we still find the censer in his hand; but only by admonition and reproof, which follows. Neither shall it be for thine honour, &c. — Expect that God will punish thee, or put some brand of infamy upon thee for this presumption. But this they express modestly, because they considered that he to whom they spake, though an offender, was their sovereign.

2 Chronicles 26:19. Then Uzziah was wroth — With the priests. While he was wroth the leprosy rose up in his forehead — So that he could not hide his shame: though it is probable it was also in the rest of his body. From beside the incense-altar — By a stroke from an invisible hand, coming from the altar; that he might be assured this was the effect of God’s displeasure.

2 Chronicles 26:20. They thrust him out from thence — Not by force, which needed not, for he voluntarily hasted away, as it follows; but by vehement persuasions and denunciations of God’s further judgments upon him, if he did not depart.

2 Chronicles 26:21. Uzziah was a leper unto the day of his death — God would have this leprosy to be incurable, as a lasting monument of his anger against such presumptuous invaders of the priest’s office. Dwelt in a several house, &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 was cut off from the house of the Lord — He dwelt in a several house, because he might not come into the temple and courts, nor consequently into any public assembly. So the punishment answers the sin, as face does to face in a glass. He thrust himself into the temple of God, whither the priests only had admission: and for that was thrust out of the very courts of the temple, into which the meanest of his subjects might enter. He invaded the dignity of the priesthood, to which he had no right, and is for that deprived of the royal dignity, to which he had an undoubted right.