CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
2 Chronicles 26
Chapter 26 of 36
Chapter Overview
What happens in 2 Chronicles 26
Uzziah becomes king at age 16 and reigns for 52 years. As long as he seeks God, he prospers greatly — building cities, defeating enemies, and creating an advanced military. But when he becomes powerful, his pride leads him to enter the temple to burn incense, and God strikes him with leprosy.
Scripture
2 Chronicles 26
Uzziah Seeks God and Prospers
Study note
Uzziah became king at 16 and reigned 52 years. He sought God during the lifetime of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. He defeated the Philistines, Arabians, and Meunites. The Ammonites paid him tribute. He built towers in Jerusalem and in the desert, dug many wells, and loved farming. He had a large, well-equipped army with advanced siege weapons. His fame spread far and wide.
1 Then all the people of Judah chose 16-year-old Uzziah and made him king to replace his father Amaziah. Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.
2 He rebuilt the town of Elath and brought it back under Judah's control after Amaziah died. He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
3 Uzziah was 16 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 52 years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. 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.
4 He did what the Lord considered right, following the example of his father Amaziah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.
5 He sought God during the life of Zechariah, who taught him to respect God. As long as he looked to the Lord, God gave him success. 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 He went to war against the Philistines and tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. He built new towns near Ashdod and in other Philistine areas. 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.
7 God helped him fight against the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gur-baal, and the Mehunims.
8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah. His fame spread to Egypt's border. He had become very strong. And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.
9 Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and at the angle of the wall. He made them strong. 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.
10 He also built towers out in the wilderness and dug many wells. He owned large herds of cattle in the foothills and on the plains. He had farmers and vineyard workers in the hill country and fertile lands because he loved farming. 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.
11 Uzziah had a well-trained army ready for battle. They were sorted into groups based on records kept by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer. Hananiah, one of the king's leaders, was in charge of them. 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.
12 There were 2,600 family leaders who were mighty warriors in total. The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred.
13 Under their command was an army of 307,500 trained soldiers. This was a powerful force that could help the king against his enemies. 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.
14 Uzziah gave the entire army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and stones for slings. And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones.
15 In Jerusalem, he had skilled workers build special machines to put on the towers and corners of the walls. These machines could shoot arrows and hurl large stones. His fame spread far and wide because he received amazing help and became very powerful. 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.
Uzziah's Pride and Punishment
Study note
When Uzziah became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He entered the temple to burn incense on the incense altar — a duty reserved only for the priests, the descendants of Aaron. Azariah the priest and 80 other brave priests confronted him and told him to leave. Uzziah became furious, and while he was raging at the priests with a censer in his hand, leprosy broke out on his forehead. The priests rushed him out, and he himself hurried to leave because the Lord had struck him. He lived as a leper in a separate house until he died.
16 But once he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God by going into the Lord's temple to burn incense on the incense altar himself. 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 Azariah the priest went in after him, along with 80 other brave priests of the Lord. And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
18 They stood up to King Uzziah and said, "It is not your place, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests, Aaron's descendants, who have been set apart for this duty, may burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, because you have been unfaithful! The Lord God will not honor you for this." 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.
19 Uzziah was holding a container of incense, ready to burn it. He became furious with the priests. Then, while he was raging at them beside the incense altar in the Lord's temple, a skin disease suddenly broke out on his forehead. 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.
20 When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw the disease on his forehead. They rushed him out of the temple. He himself hurried to get out because the Lord had struck him. 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.
21 King Uzziah had this skin disease for the rest of his life. He had to live in a separate house because his disease kept him away from the Lord's temple. His son Jotham took charge of the royal palace and governed the people. 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.
Uzziah's Death
Study note
The prophet Isaiah wrote the full account of Uzziah's reign. When Uzziah died, he was buried near the royal burial field but not in the tombs of the kings because he was a leper. His son Jotham became king after him.
22 Everything else that Uzziah did, from start to finish, was written down by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.
23 When Uzziah died, he was buried near his ancestors in a burial ground that belonged to the kings. People noted that he had a skin disease. His son Jotham became the next king. 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.
Key Themes
Themes in 2 Chronicles 26
Seeking God as the key to prosperityPride as the downfall of the successfulRespecting God's established boundariesSuccess does not entitle us to bypass God's commands
Apply This Today
Living 2 Chronicles 26
Uzziah prospered remarkably as long as He sought God, but His pride led Him to enter the temple to burn incense — a role reserved for priests. Success can breed a sense of entitlement that leads to crossing boundaries God has set. Stay humble no matter how much God blesses you.
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