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2 Chronicles 26

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:1-5
  ¹And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. ²He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. ³Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem. ⁴He did right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Amaziah had done. ⁵He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God prospered him.

26:1 "Uzziah" In 2 Kgs. 15:1 he is called Azariah (also note 1 Chr. 3:12). It is possible that the Chronicler uses Uzziah because of the possible confusion with the name of the High Priest, Azariah (cf. 2 Chr. 26:17,20; so named only in Chronicles).

Almost everything we know about Uzziah (BDB 739) is from Chronicles.

26:2 "Eloth" This is an alternate name for Elath, a city at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, close to Ezion-geber. Solomon had started a commercial fleet in this area (1 Kgs. 9:26-28) and Jehoshaphat tried to restart it, but failed (2 Chr. 20:35-37). Apparently Uzziah was also attempting to restart these lucrative trade routes. Edom had earlier captured this area but Amaziah defeated Edom and his son recaptured the area.

"after the king slept with his fathers" This would refer to the king of Edom.

The term "slept" is a Hebraic idiom for burial, not a comment on the state of the dead.

26:3 The phrase "who was sixteen years old" is repeated and looks like a hint at the combination of two historical documents.

2 Chronicles 26:2 is typical introductory pattern.

1. age at ascension
2. length of reign
3. mother's name

"he reigned fifty-two years" However, the number includes

1. co-reign with his father Amaziah
2. co-reign with his son, Jotham

26:4 "He did right in the sight of the Lord" See full note at 2 Chr. 25:2.

Uzziah's life, like his father Amaziah, can be seen as an early faithful period and a later faithless period. This is characteristic of how the Chronicler deals with the Judean kings of this period.

26:5 "He continued to seek God" See full note at 2 Chronicles 7:14.

"in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God" YHWH spoke to Uzziah, both by prophet and by priest (cf. 2 Chr. 26:17). Initially he listened to Zechariah but later rejected the message of Azariah, the High Priest (v. 19).

"as long as he sought the Lord, God prospered him" This is a central theme of Chronicles. It expresses the performance-based Mosaic covenant (i.e., the two ways, cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28; 30:15,19; Psalm 1). Notice the "blessings" are conditional through time (cf. 2 Chr. 15:2).

Notice how the two most common names for Deity are paralleled.

1. YHWH ‒ see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D
2. Elohim ‒ see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:6-15
  ⁶Now he went out and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the Philistines. ⁷God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. ⁸The Ammonites also gave tribute to Uzziah, and his fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. ⁹Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and fortified them. ¹⁰He built towers in the wilderness and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. ¹¹Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready for battle, which entered combat by divisions according to the number of their muster, prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's officers. ¹²The total number of the heads of the households, of valiant warriors, was 2,600. ¹³Under their direction was an elite army of 307,500, who could wage war with great power, to help the king against the enemy. ¹⁴Moreover, Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows and sling stones. ¹⁵In Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

26:6 The list of Uzziah's successes demonstrates YHWH's blessings.

1. defeated the Philistines, 2 Chr. 26:6
2. built Judean cities in the Philistine area, 2 Chr. 26:6
3. defeated other groups in the same area
   1. the Arabs in Gur-baal, v. 7
   2. the Meunites, v. 7 (cf. 2 Chr. 20:1)
   3. the Ammonites, v. 8 (see note at v. 8)
4. fortified the walls of Jerusalem, v. 9 (possibly repairs from 2 Chr. 25:23)
5. had extensive agricultural enterprise
   1. livestock
   2. crops
   3. vineyards
6. developed a large and effective army, vv. 11-13
7. armed his army well, v. 14 (see full note at 2 Chr. 25:5)
8. designed and manufactured war machines, v. 15
   1. arrows
   2. stones (the NASB Study Bible, p. 617, mentions that since catapults were not invented until 300 years later, this may refer to defensive structures that protected those shooting arrows and throwing stones)

The UBS Text Project, p. 476, gives "Meunites" a "C" rating (considerable doubt). Notice how close the names are in Hebrew.

1. Ammonites ‒ העמונים
2. Meunites ‒ המעונים

Josephus has "Ammonites," cf. Antiq. 9.10.3.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:16-21
  ¹⁶But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. ¹⁷Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the Lord, valiant men. ¹⁸They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the Lord God." ¹⁹But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the altar of incense. ²⁰Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because the Lord had smitten him. ²¹King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived 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.

26:16 Uzziah's successes caused his heart to be proud (also note 2 Chr. 25:19; 32:25), which means he did not recognize YHWH's benefits (i.e., Deut. 8:11-20). He thought his successes were of his doing.

It is possible that he attempted to join the office of priest and king (i.e., Psalm 110; Zechariah 3-4). Melchizedek is an example of a Canaanite priest/king. He later became a type of the Messiah (i.e., Hebrews 7).

"he acted corruptly" This unfaithful act is described in 2 Chr. 26:16-23. It involved his attempting to offer incense in YHWH's temple, which was the job of the priests (v. 18). Saul did this same type of violation (i.e., 1 Sam. 13:9).

"the altar of incense" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ALTAR OF INCENSE.

26:17 "valiant men" This is literally "sons of strength" (BDB CONSTRUCT BDB 298, used of the army in 2 Chr. 26:11). The JPSOA translation calls them "brave." They were willing to confront an arrogant king with unlimited power. They were to

1. support Azariah the High Priest
2. protect the sacred precincts
3. try to keep Uzziah from sinning

26:18 Azariah the High Priest had a stern message for arrogant Uzziah.

1. "Get out" ‒ BDB 422, KB 425, Qal IMPERATIVE
2. "for you have been unfaithful" ‒ BDB 591, KB 612, Qal PERFECT

   It is used of

   1. Moses ‒ Deut. 32:51
   2. trans-Jordan tribes ‒ 1 Chr. 5:25
   3. Rehoboam ‒ 2 Chr. 12:2
   4. Ahaz of Judah ‒ 2 Chr. 28:22
   5. Hezekiah, in a warning ‒ 2 Chr. 30:7

   All involved disobedience to YHWH or His law.

26:19 Uzziah was "enraged" (BDB 277, KB 277), used twice in v. 19 (Qal IMPERFECT with waw and Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT). This same anger against YHWH's spokesman is seen in 2 Chr. 16:10. Proverbs 19:3 expresses the folly of withstanding the Lord.

Uzziah was warned but still intended to follow his own thoughts/plans. But YHWH steps in (cf. 2 Chr. 26:20)! Uzziah became a leper. From this historical account, later Judaism saw leprosy (cf. Leviticus 13-14) as a divinely given disease (cf. Num. 12:10).

Josephus, Antiq. 9.10.4., adds an interesting note:

"Accordingly, when a remarkable day was come, and a general festival was to be celebrated, he put on the holy garment, and went into the temple to offer incense to God upon the golden altar, which he was prohibited to do by Azariah the high priest, who had fourscore priests with him, and who told him that it was not lawful for him to offer sacrifice, and that 'none besides the posterity of Aaron were permitted so to do.' And when they cried out, that he must go out of the temple, and not transgress against God, he was wroth at them, and threatened to kill them, unless they would hold their peace. In the meantime, a great earthquake shook the ground, and a rent was made in the temple, and the bright rays of the sun shone through it, and fell upon the king's face, insomuch that the leprosy seized upon him immediately; and before the city, at a place called Eroge, half the mountain broke off from the rest on the west, and rolled itself four furlongs, and stood still at the east mountain, till the roads, as well as the king's gardens, were spoiled by the obstruction. Now, as soon as the priests saw that the king's face was infected with the leprosy, they told him of the calamity he was under, and commanded that he should go out of the city as a polluted person."

It is based on

1. both Amos (i.e., 1:1) and Zechariah (i.e., 14:5) mention an earthquake at this time
2. the term "leprosy" (BDB 280) can also refer to the sun shining; this is how Josephus took the word

"on his forehead" This would be visible to all. No way to hide it.

26:21 Uzziah's disobedience in the temple caused him to be forever excluded from the temple (i.e., Num. 5:2). Even after death he was excluded from the royal tombs (2 Chr. 26:23).

"lived in a separate house" This term (BDB 345) may be from Ugaritic literature , "house of pollution" (AB, p. 151).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:22-23
  ²²Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first to last, the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written. ²³So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, "He is a leper." And Jotham his son became king in his place.

26:22 "the prophet Isaiah" This is surprising since Uzziah is mentioned only as a way to date something else (cf. Isa. 1:1; 7:1). Isaiah surely does not record Uzziah's life "first to last."

Both the Jewish Study Bible and the NASB Study Bible suggest that this refers, not to the canonical book of Isaiah, but another written source available to the Chronicler.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. How are the names "Uzziah" and "Azariah" related? Why does the Chronicler use "Uzziah"?
2. Who was Zechariah?
3. List the ways God blessed him.
4. What did Uzziah do to be called "unfaithful"? Why was this such a problem?
5. How is 2 Chr. 26:19 related to Korah (Numbers 16)?

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