2 Chronicles 26

This chapter is one of the accounts of the kings of Judah that continue through the latter part of 2 Chronicles. The reign of Amaziah ends in the preceding chapter, 2 Chronicles 25, and this chapter continues with the reign of his son Uzziah. A brief account of the same king also appears in 2 Kings 15, where he is usually called "Azariah."

Outline

• Verses 1–5 Uzziah becomes king at sixteen and reigns fifty-two years in Jerusalem. He builds Eloth and restores it to Judah. He seeks God during the days of Zechariah, and as long as he does so, God makes him prosper.
• Verses 6–8 He makes war against the Philistines, breaking down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod, and he also defeats the Arabians of Gurbaal and the Mehunims. The Ammonites pay tribute, and his fame spreads as far as the border of Egypt.
• Verses 9–10 He builds towers at the gates of Jerusalem and in the wilderness and digs many wells. He keeps livestock and promotes agriculture.
• Verses 11–15 He commands 2,600 heads of families and an army of 307,500 men, and he equips them with weapons. He also makes engines to shoot arrows and great stones from the walls.
• Verses 16–21 Once he becomes strong, he grows proud and attempts to burn incense on the altar of incense in the temple himself. When Azariah the priest and eighty other priests oppose him, Uzziah becomes angry, and at that moment leprosy breaks out on his forehead. He lives alone in a separate house until his death, and his son Jotham governs the kingdom.
• Verses 22–23 The acts of Uzziah are said to have been recorded by the prophet Isaiah. Because he was a leper, he is buried in a field near the burial place of the kings, and Jotham succeeds him as king.

Key Verses

• 2 Chronicles 26:5 "As long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper": This verse serves as the interpretive key to the entire chapter.
• 2 Chronicles 26:16 "But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up": This verse marks the turning point from prosperity to downfall.
• 2 Chronicles 26:18 "It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD": This verse defines the boundary between royal authority and the duties of the priest.

People and Places

• Uzziah: King of Judah.
• Amaziah: Uzziah's father and predecessor.
• Jecoliah: Uzziah's mother, a native of Jerusalem.
• Zechariah: A man "who had understanding in the visions of God." He is not the same person as the author of the prophetic book bearing that name.
• Jeiel, Maaseiah, and Hananiah: Officials who mustered and commanded the army.
• Azariah: The high priest who opposed Uzziah.
• Jotham: Uzziah's son, who became the next king.
• Isaiah the prophet: The prophet said to have recorded Uzziah's acts.
• Eloth: A port town on the coast of the Red Sea.
• Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod: Philistine towns.

Points for Reflection

• Translating "leprosy": The older Korean Revised Version renders the term mundungbyeong (an older word for leprosy); the Revised New Korean Version uses nabyeong ("leprosy"), and the New Korean Standard Version uses "a malignant skin disease." It is widely held that the original Hebrew term refers to a broader range of skin diseases than modern Hansen's disease. The relevant regulations are found in Leviticus 13.
• Qualification to burn incense: The text reserves the burning of incense for "the priests the sons of Aaron" (Exodus 30). In the Reformed tradition, this chapter has been cited in support of distinguishing the power of the state from the offices of the church.
• A tradition not found in the text: The first-century Jewish historian Josephus reports that an earthquake occurred when Uzziah attempted to burn incense. This tradition reflects an interpretation that links the incident with "the earthquake in the days of Uzziah" mentioned in Amos 1; it does not appear in the text of 2 Chronicles.
• Amoz, the father of Isaiah: The "Amoz" in verse 22 is the father of Isaiah and is not the same person as the prophet Amos.
• Connections with the New Testament: The vision of Isaiah 6 took place "in the year that king Uzziah died." Uzziah is also named in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. Hebrews 7 speaks of Christ as a priest after the order of Melchizedek, who was both king and priest; this is sometimes read in contrast to the present chapter, which forbids the king to burn incense.

In the Korean Church

This chapter is frequently used as a sermon text that contrasts verses 5 and 16 to warn against "the pride that comes in times of prosperity." In such sermons it is often cited together with Proverbs 16: "Pride goeth before destruction."