2 Chronicles 26: Uzziah's strength, and the incense in the temple
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What happens?
The people of Judah make Uzziah king at sixteen. He seeks God in the days of Zechariah and God makes him prosper: God helps him against the Philistines, Arabians and Meunites, the Ammonites pay tribute, and he builds towers, digs cisterns, raises an army and makes war engines. When he is strong his heart is lifted up, and he goes into Yahweh's temple to burn incense. Azariah the priest and eighty priests resist him, leprosy breaks out on his forehead, and he lives in a separate house until his death while his son Jotham judges the people.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words of his own in this chapter. In verse 18 Azariah and the eighty priests speak to Uzziah. In verse 23 the words "He is a leper" are what the people say when they bury him. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah.
In plain English: All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
Good to know: and call him Azariah, and and call him Uzziah. The text does not explain the two names. The priest Azariah in is another man.
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2He built Eloth and restored it to Judah. After that the king slept with his fathers.
In plain English: He built Elath (this Bible: Eloth) and restored it to Judah, after the king lay down with his ancestors.
Good to know: has nearly the same words, spelled Elath. later says Rezin of Syria recovered Elath.
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3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jechiliah, of Jerusalem.
In plain English: Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecholiah, from Jerusalem.
Good to know: gives the same age and the same fifty-two years, but spells his mother's name Jecoliah.
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4He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.
In plain English: He did what was right in Yahweh's eyes, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.
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5He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God; and as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him prosper.
In plain English: He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who understood the seeing (or: vision) of God. As long as he sought Yahweh, God made him prosper.
The Hebrew words: "In the vision of God" is word for word "in the seeing of God". The text says no more about this Zechariah, gives no father's name, and does not link him to another man of that name.
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6He went out and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the country of Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
In plain English: He went out and fought against the Philistines. He broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities in the region of Ashdod and among the Philistines.
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7God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal, and the Meunim.
In plain English: God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal, and against the Meunites.
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8The Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah. His name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt, for he grew exceedingly strong.
In plain English: The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah. His name went out to the entrance of Egypt, for he showed great strength.
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9Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
In plain English: Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the buttress (this Bible: the turning of the wall), and he made them strong.
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10He built towers in the wilderness, and dug out many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowlands and in the plains. He had farmers and vineyard keepers in the mountains and in the fruitful fields, for he loved farming.
In plain English: He built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, for he had much livestock, in the lowland and in the plain. He had farmers and vinedressers in the mountains and in the orchards, for he loved the ground (or: farming).
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11Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men who went out to war by bands, according to the number of their reckoning made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains.
In plain English: Uzziah had an army that went out to war in troops, by the number of their muster made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's officials.
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12The whole number of the heads of fathers’ households, even the mighty men of valor, was two thousand six hundred.
In plain English: The whole number of the heads of the fathers' houses, the mighty men of strength, was two thousand six hundred.
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13Under their hand was an army, three hundred seven thousand five hundred, who made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.
In plain English: Under their hand was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, who made war with mighty power to help the king against the enemy.
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14Uzziah prepared for them, even for all the army, shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging.
In plain English: Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows and stones for slings.
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15In Jerusalem, he made devices, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and on the battlements, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. His name spread far abroad, because he was marvelously helped until he was strong.
In plain English: In Jerusalem he made war engines, the invention of an inventor (or: skilled man), to be on the towers and on the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. His name went out far away, for he was wonderfully helped until he was strong.
The Hebrew word: "Devices" is chishshabon, which the dictionary gives as "a contrivance, i.e. actual (a warlike machine) or mental (a machination)". The text says only that they were put on the towers and corners to shoot arrows and large stones.
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16But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly and he trespassed against Yahweh his God, for he went into Yahweh’s temple to burn incense on the altar of incense.
In plain English: But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, until he did corruptly. He acted unfaithfully against Yahweh his God, and went into Yahweh's temple to burn incense on the altar of incense.
The Hebrew words: "Did corruptly" is shachath, and "acted unfaithfully" is ma'al. The WEB has "trespass*" for ma'al in 31 of its 35 verses (about 9 times out of 10); here it has "trespassed".
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17Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of Yahweh, who were valiant men.
In plain English: Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of Yahweh, men of strength.
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18They resisted Uzziah the king, and said to him, “It isn’t for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Yahweh, but for 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 Yahweh God.”
In plain English: They took their stand against Uzziah the king and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Yahweh, but for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully. It will not be for your honor from Yahweh God."
Good to know: The priests say it is for "the priests the sons of Aaron" to burn incense. says no one "who isn't of the offspring of Aaron" may come near to burn incense before Yahweh.
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19Then Uzziah was angry. He had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and while he was angry with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in Yahweh’s house, beside the altar of incense.
In plain English: Uzziah was enraged. He had a censer in his hand to burn incense. While he was enraged with the priests, leprosy (or: a skin disease; see the note) arose on his forehead before the priests in Yahweh's house, beside the altar of incense.
The Hebrew word: "Leprosy" is tsara'ath, which the dictionary gives as "leprosy". The WEB has "leprosy" in 27 of its 33 verses, and the word-by-word meaning in STEPBible is "skin disease", which is why the line gives both. The same word is in Leviticus 13 (19 verses) and 14 (8 verses). Whether this is the disease called leprosy today, the text does not say.
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20Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead; and they thrust him out quickly from there. Indeed, he himself also hurried to go out, because Yahweh had struck him.
In plain English: Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him, and there he was, leprous on his forehead. They hurried him out from there, and he himself also hurried to go out, because Yahweh had struck him.
The Hebrew word: "Leprous" and "leper" in verses 20, 21 and 23 are a related Hebrew word, tsara', which the dictionary gives as "to scourge, i.e. ... to be stricken with leprosy". The WEB has "leper*" for it in 13 of its 18 verses.
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21Uzziah the king was a leper to the day of his death, and lived in a separate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from Yahweh’s house. Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
In plain English: Uzziah the king was leprous until the day of his death. He lived in a separate house (literally: a house of separateness, or of sickness; see the note), leprous, for he was cut off from Yahweh's house. Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.
The Hebrew word: "A separate house" is word for word "the house of chophshuth", a word the dictionary gives as "prostration by sickness", while STEPBible gives "separateness". has the same word, spelled a little differently, and the WEB there has "lived in a separate house". says of one with the skin disease, "He shall dwell alone".
What changes: Read as "separateness", it is a house apart from others. Read as "sickness", it is a house of sickness. Either way he is cut off from Yahweh's house.
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22Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, wrote.
In plain English: The rest of Uzziah's acts, first and last, Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, wrote.
Good to know: names Uzziah among the kings of Judah in whose days Isaiah son of Amoz saw his vision. The verse here says Isaiah wrote the rest of Uzziah's acts, and does not name the writing.
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23So Uzziah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” Jotham his son reigned in his place.
In plain English: Uzziah lay down with his ancestors, and people buried him with his ancestors in the field of burial that belonged to the kings, for they said, "He is leprous." Jotham his son became king in his place.
Good to know: "In the field of burial that belonged to the kings" is this verse's wording. says they buried him "with his fathers in David's city". The text does not say if these are one place.
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