Chapter 26
Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.
all the
Uzziah
2 Kings 14:21 15:1-7 1 Chronicles 3:12
Azariah
Ozias
Verse 2
He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
Eloth
Elath
restored.
Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.
A. M. 3194-3246. B.C. 810-758. Uzziah
Isaiah 1:1 6:1 Hosea 1:1 Amos 1:1 Zechariah 14:5
Jecoliah
Jecholiah
Verse 4
And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.
according to all
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.
he sought God
24:2 Judges 2:7 Hosea 6:4 Mark 4:16,17 Acts 20:30
had
Genesis 41:15,38 Daniel 1:17 2:19 5:16 10:1
visions
Heb. seeing. and as long.
15:2 25:8 1 Chronicles 22:11,13 Psalms 1:3
And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
warred against
the wall of Gath
2 Samuel 8:1 1 Chronicles 18:1
Jabneh
Jabneh, or Jamnia, was given to the tribe of Dan; and was situated between Lydda and Azotus. It is now called Yebna, and is described as "a village about twelve miles distant from Jaffa, (Joppa,) in a fine open plain, surrounded by hills, and covered by herbage. On sloping hills of easy ascent, by which the plains were bordered, Yebna, Ekron, Ashdod, and Askalon were in sight."
about
or, in the country of.
And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims.
God helped
14:11 1 Chronicles 5:20 12:18 Psalms 18:29,34,35 Isaiah 14:29 Acts 26:22
the Arabians
And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.
the Ammonites
20:1 Genesis 19:38 Deuteronomy 2:19 Judges 11:15-18 1 Samuel 11:1 2 Samuel 8:2
his name
Genesis 12:2 2 Samuel 8:13 1 Kings 4:31 Matthew 4:24
spread
Heb. went.
Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
the corner gate
25:23 2 Kings 14:13 Jeremiah 31:38 Zechariah 14:10
the valley gate
the turning
fortified
or, repaired.
Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.
digged many wells
or, cut out many cisterns.
he had much
2 Kings 3:4 1 Chronicles 27:26-31
Carmel
or, fruitful fields.
husbandry
Heb.ground.
Moreover Uzziah had an host 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.
went out
And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.
an army
Heb. the power of an army. three hundred.
And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones.
slings to cast stone
Heb. stones of slings.
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.
cunning men
to shoot arrows
These engines, it is probable, bore some resemblance to the balistÊ and catapultÊ of the Romans, which were employed for throwing stones and arrows, and were in reality the mortars and carcasses of antiquity. With respect to the towers which Uzziah built in the wilderness, (ver. 10,) Mr. Harmer appears to have given a truer view of the subject than commentators in general have done, who suppose that they were conveniences made only for sheltering the shepherds from bad weather, or to defend them from incursions of enemies; for they might rather be designed to keep the nations that pastured there in awe, and also to induce them quietly to pay the tribute to which the 8th verse seems to refer. William of Tyre describes a country not far from the Euphrates as inhabited by Syrian and Armenian Christians, who fed great flocks and herds there, but were kept in subjection to the Turks, in consequence of their living among them in strong places.
spread far
Heb. went forth.
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.
when he was
25:19 32:25 Deuteronomy 8:14,17 32:13-15 Proverbs 16:18 Habakkuk 2:4 Colossians 2:18
went into
to burn
Numbers 16:1,7,18,35 1 Kings 12:33 13:1-4
And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
Azariah
valiant men
And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.
withstood Uzziah
16:7-9 19:2 Jeremiah 13:18 Matthew 10:18,28 14:4 2 Corinthians 5:16 Galatians 2:11
not unto thee
to the priests
go out
neither shall it be
1 Samuel 2:30 Daniel 4:37 John 5:44 James 2:1
Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth 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.
he
even
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 thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.
hated also
the Lord
Leviticus 14:34 Deuteronomy 28:22,35
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.
A. M. 3239-3246. B.C. 765-758. Uzziah
dwelt
Leviticus 13:46 Numbers 5:2,3 12:15 2 Kings 7:3
several
Heb. free.
Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.
first
Isaiah
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.