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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 He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. |
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| 3 Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jechiliah, 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 that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. |
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| 5 And he set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God: and as long as he sought Jehovah, God made him to prosper. |
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| 6 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 he built cities in the country of 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 Meunim. |
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| 8 And the Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt; for he waxed exceeding strong. |
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| 9 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. |
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 wilderness, and hewed out many cisterns, for he had much cattle; in the lowland also, and in the plain: and he had husbandmen and vinedressers in the mountains and in the fruitful fields; for he loved husbandry. |
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| 11 Moreover Uzziah had a force of fighting men, that 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. |
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| 12 The whole number of the heads of fathers’ houses, even the mighty men of valor, was two thousand six hundred. |
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| 13 And under their hand was an armed force, three hundred seven thousand five hundred, that made war with powerful force, to help the king against the enemy. |
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| 14 And Uzziah prepared for them, even for all the host, shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and stones for slinging. |
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| 15 And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skilful men, to be on the towers and upon the battlements, wherewith to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong. |
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| 16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against Jehovah his God; for he 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 eighty priests of Jehovah, that were 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 unto him, It pertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto Jehovah, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are sanctified to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honor from Jehovah God. |
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 Then Uzziah was wroth; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense; and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy brake forth in his forehead before the priests in the house of Jehovah, beside the altar of incense. |
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 quickly from thence; yes, himself hasted also 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 unto 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 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write. |
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| 23 So 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: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead. |
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