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| 1 And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. |
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| 2 It was he that built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. |
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| 3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. |
Fifty and two years – Link No.36 in the chain of Bible chronology. B50; R1980:4
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| 4 And he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. |
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| 5 And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and in the days that he sought Jehovah, God made him to prosper. |
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| 6 And he went forth and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines. |
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| 7 And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gur-Baal, and the Maonites. |
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| 8 And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad to the entrance of Egypt; for he became exceeding strong. |
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| 9 And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the angle, and fortified them. |
Fortified them – It was quite proper for the kings of Israel and Judah to defend the land which the Almighty had specially given to their nation. R4786:2
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| 10 And he built towers in the desert and digged many cisterns; for he had much cattle, both in the lowland and on the plateau, husbandmen also and vinedressers on the mountains and in Carmel; for he loved husbandry. |
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| 11 And Uzziah had an army 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. |
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| 12 The whole number of the chief fathers of the mighty men of valour was two thousand six hundred. |
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| 13 And under their hand was an army-host of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, that made war with mighty power to help the king against the enemy. |
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| 14 And Uzziah prepared for them, throughout the host, shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and even slinging-stones. |
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| 15 And he made in Jerusalem machines invented by skilful men, to be upon the towers and upon the bulwarks, wherewith to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he became strong. |
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| 16 But when he became strong his heart was lifted up to his downfall; and he transgressed against Jehovah his God, and went into the temple of Jehovah to burn incense upon the altar of incense. |
To his destruction – "Pride goeth before destruction." (Prov. 16:18). R4786:2
Went into the temple – Uzziah evidently felt that God was proud of him and would be pleased to have him enter the Temple after the manner of the priests. R4786:2
Many successful people fall into the same error in their approach to God. R4786:2
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| 17 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him priests of Jehovah, eighty valiant men; |
Valiant men – Courageous men. King Uzziah was likely to resent any interference. R4786:6
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| 18 and they withstood Uzziah the king, and said to him, It is not for thee, Uzziah, to burn incense to Jehovah, but for the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast transgressed; neither shall it be for thine honour from Jehovah Elohim. |
Not unto thee – The great King Eternal has rules and regulations governing all attempts to approach him. R4786:3
But to the priests – Recognizing Jesus as the great antitypical Priest none should intrude into the divine presence in prayer other than through him. R4786:5
Thou hast trespassed – If the king had good intentions they should have guided him to a study of the divine arrangements. Ignorance of the Law is no excuse. R4786:6
Honour from the LORD – True honor cannot be found in opposition to the divine arrangements. R4786:6
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| 19 And Uzziah was wroth; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense; and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of Jehovah, beside the incense altar. |
Leprosy – Typifying sin. R4786:5
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| 20 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; even he himself hasted to go out, because Jehovah had smitten him. |
LORD had smitten him – Signifying typically that whoever with knowledge would approach God aside from his ordained priest would come under divine sentence as a wilful sinner. R4786:5
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| 21 And Uzziah the king was a leper to the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of Jehovah. And Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land. |
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| 22 And the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz write. |
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| 23 And Uzziah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the burial-ground of the kings, for they said, He is a leper. And Jotham his son reigned in his stead. |
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