| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
2
Chronicles Chapter Twenty-six
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 26
This
chapter relates the good reign of Uzziah
2 Chronicles 26:1
his wars and victories
his buildings
the number of his soldiers
and his
military stores
2 Chronicles 26:6
his invasion of the priest's office
in attempting to offer incense
for which
he was smitten with a leprosy
which continued to his death
2 Chronicles 26:16.
2 Chronicles
26:1 Now all the
people of Judah took Uzziah
[a] who was
sixteen years old
and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.
YLT
1And all the people of Judah
take Uzziah (and he [is] a son of sixteen years)
and cause him to reign
instead of his father Amaziah.
Verses 1-4
Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah
.... Of this
and the three following verses
see the notes on 2 Kings 14:21 where
Uzziah is called Azariah. See Gill on 2 Kings 14:21
2 Kings 14:22
2 Kings 15:2
2 Kings 15:3
2 Chronicles
26:2 2 He
built Elath[b] and
restored it to Judah
after the king rested with his fathers.
YLT
2He hath built Eloth
and
restoreth it to Judah after the king's lying with his fathers.
2 Chronicles 26:3 3 Uzziah was sixteen
years old when he became king
and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His
mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
YLT
3A son of sixteen years [is]
Uzziah in his reigning
and fifty and two years he hath reigned in Jerusalem
and the name of his mother [is] Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 26:4 4 And he did what was
right in the sight of the Lord
according to all that
his father Amaziah had done.
YLT
4And he doth that which is
right in the eyes of Jehovah
according to all that Amaziah his father did
2 Chronicles 26:5 5 He sought God in the days
of Zechariah
who had understanding in the visions[c] of God;
and as long as he sought the Lord
God made him prosper.
YLT
5and he is as one seeking
God in the days of Zechariah who hath understanding in visions of God: and in
the days of his seeking Jehovah
God hath caused him to prosper.
And he sought God in the days of Zechariah
.... Not that
Zechariah
the last of the prophets save one
he lived three hundred years
after this; nor he that Joash slew; but
as it may seem
a son of his
perhaps
the same with him in Isaiah 8:2
who had understanding in the visions of God: who either
had prophetic visions granted to him
or had divine wisdom to interpret such
that others had; or
as others think
had a gift of interpreting the prophecies
of others
the writings of Moses and David
&c. to which the Targum seems
to agree; which paraphrases it
"who taught in the fear of the Lord;'with
which agree the Septuagint
Syriac
and Arabic versions; some copies read
"in the fear of God"; as an ancient manuscript mentioned by Junius
and so the TalmudF12Vid. Buxtorf. Lex. in rad. ראה.
:
and
as long as he sought the Lord
God made him to prosper; in his
kingdom
and against his enemies; even so long as he abode by the word
worship
and ordinances of God
of which instances are given
as follow.
2 Chronicles 26:6 6 Now he went out and made
war against the Philistines
and broke down the wall of Gath
the wall of
Jabneh
and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities around Ashdod and
among the Philistines.
YLT
6And he goeth forth
and
fighteth with the Philistines
and breaketh down the wall of Gath
and the wall
of Jabneh
and the wall of Ashdod
and buildeth cities about Ashdod
and among
the Philistines.
And he went forth
and warred against the Philistines
.... Who in
the times of Jehoram broke in upon Judah
and distressed them
2 Chronicles 21:16.
and brake down the wall of Gath; which was one of the
five principalities of the Philistines:
and the wall of Jabneh; nowhere else mentioned
in Scripture
but frequent in the Jewish writings; where the sanhedrim
sometimes sat
and where was a famous university
and from whence sprung many
of the Jewish rabbins; it is the same which in some writers is called Jamnia
and was a port near to Joppa; and belonged to the tribe of Dan
as JosephusF13Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 9. sect. 22. writes:
and the wall of Ashdod: another of the
principalities of the Philistines
the same with the Azotus of the New
Testament; he dismantled all these places:
and built cities about Ashdod
and among the Philistines; where he
placed garrisons to keep them in awe; see Amos 1:8.
2 Chronicles 26:7 7 God helped him against the
Philistines
against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal
and against the
Meunites.
YLT
7And God helpeth him against
the Philistines
and against the Arabians who are dwelling in Gur-Baal and the
Mehunim.
And God helped him against the Philistines
.... He did
not do all before related of himself
and by his own strength
but by the help
of God; the Targum is"the Word of the Lord helped him:"
and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal; the same with
Gerar
according to the Targum; which also belonged to the Philistines
and had
a king in Abraham's time
Genesis 20:1
the
same with Askelon
another of the five principalities of the Philistines:
and the Mehunims; or the Minaeans
as the Septuagint
and
whom PlinyF14Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 28. makes mention of among the
Arabians; they seem to be the Scenite Arabs; see 2 Chronicles 20:1
or rather
as the Targum
those that dwelt in the plain of Maon
which was in
Arabia Petraea.
2 Chronicles 26:8 8 Also the Ammonites brought
tribute to Uzziah. His fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt
for he
became exceedingly strong.
YLT
8And the Ammonites give a
present to Uzziah
and his name goeth unto the entering in of Egypt
for he
strengthened himself greatly.
And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah
.... As
tributaries to him
or; however
as desirous to live in friendship with him:
and his name spread abroad
even to the entering in of Egypt; so far he
carried his arms
and conquered the countries that lay between Palestine and
Egypt:
for he strengthened himself exceedingly; his kingdom
and its coasts from the force of enemies.
2 Chronicles 26:9 9 And Uzziah built towers in
Jerusalem at the Corner Gate
at the Valley Gate
and at the corner buttress of
the wall; then he fortified them.
YLT
9And Uzziah buildeth towers
in Jerusalem
by the gate of the corner
and by the gate of the valley
and by
the angle
and strengtheneth them;
Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate
.... Which was
broken down by the king of Israel in his father's time
2 Chronicles 25:23
and which he not only repaired
but strengthened
by building a tower upon it:
and at the valley gate; which led to the valley
Nehemiah 2:13
called the valley of the dead bodies
in which they were cast
and in which the
brook Kidron ran
Jeremiah 31:40.
and at the turning of the wall; at each of those places
he built towers
which JosephusF15Antiqu. l. 9. c. 10. sect. 3. says
were one hundred and fifty cubits high: and fortified them; put garrisons of
soldiers into them.
2 Chronicles 26:10 10 Also he built towers in
the desert. He dug many wells
for he had much livestock
both in the lowlands
and in the plains; he also had farmers and vinedressers in the mountains
and in Carmel
for he loved the soil.
YLT
10and he buildeth towers in
the wilderness
and diggeth many wells
for he had much cattle
both in the low
country and in the plain
husbandmen and vine-dressers in the mountains
and in
Carmel; for he was a lover of the ground.
Also he built towers in the desert
.... In the desert of Arabia
to protect travellers from thieves and robbers
and particularly shepherds and
their flocks
as appears by what follows; which a certain writerF16Agreement
of Customs between the East Indians and Jews
art. 13. p. 61. thinks are the
same which the Indians call pagodas; not such as served for temples
but were
buildings encompassed with good walls
where flocks were gathered together in
case of any alarm:
and digged many wells; for the watering of the
flocks
which in those hot and desert places were of great use:
for he had much cattle
both in the low country and in the plains; both flocks
and herds:
husbandmen also
and vinedressers in the mountains; husbandmen to
take care of the corn
and manure the land for that
and gather it when ripe;
and vinedressers to prune the vines
and look after them; which were very often
planted on mountains
and on which also corn grew
Psalm 72:16.
and in Carmel; a place in the tribe of Judah
where Nabal
dwelt
1 Samuel 25:2 or it
may be put for any fruitful field:
for he loved husbandry; not only the profit
but
the exercise of it at times; and it was usual with great personages in the
eastern countries to employ themselves in some such way; Saul after he was king
attended the herd
1 Samuel 11:5
Mesha king of Moab was a sheep master
2 Kings 3:4
among
the Romans
Quinctius Cincinnatus and Cato MajorF17In Cicero de
Senectute. were great lovers of husbandry; and we read of one of the Chinese
emperors that gave himself to husbandry
held the plough himself
broke the
clods
and cast in the seed
to set an example to the whole empireF18Martin.
Sinic. Hist. l. 8. p. 326. . Another of their emperors gave himself wholly to
husbandryF19Ib. l. 4. p. 92. ; an other chose an husbandman for his
successor
and who also encouraged husbandryF20Ib. l. 1. p. 29
32.
.
2 Chronicles 26:11 11 Moreover Uzziah had an
army of fighting men who went out to war by companies
according to the number
on their roll as prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer
under
the hand of Hananiah
one of the king’s captains.
YLT
11And Uzziah hath a force
making war
going forth to the host
by troops
in the number of their
reckoning by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Masseiah the officer
by the hand
of Hananiah [one] of the heads of the king.
Moreover
Uzziah had an host of fighting men
.... A
standing army:
that went out to war by bands; to annoy his enemies
and to scour the country from thieves and robbers
that came in troops to
plunder:
according to the number of their account
by the hand of Jeiel the
scribe; the secretary of war
who ordered these bands
settled their
number
and directed their destination:
and Maaseiah the ruler; or officer over them
a
lieutenant:
under the hand of Hananiah
one of the king's captains; that had the
command of them
or at least of one of them.
2 Chronicles 26:12 12 The total number of chief
officers[d] of the
mighty men of valor was two thousand six hundred.
YLT
12The whole number of heads
of the fathers of the mighty ones of valour [is] two thousand and six hundred;
The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of
valour were two thousand six hundred. Who were the commanders
and principal officers of his army; and such a number supposed a large army
as
follows.
2 Chronicles 26:13 13 And under their authority was
an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred
that made war with
mighty power
to help the king against the enemy.
YLT
13and by their hand [is] the
force of the host
three hundred thousand
and seven thousand
and five hundred
warriors
with mighty power to give help to the king against the enemy.
And under their hand was an army
three hundred thousand and seven
thousand and five hundred
.... Which was larger than that in his father's
time by 7500
2 Chronicles 25:5
besides officers:
that made war with mighty power
to help the king against the
enemy; they were ready to fight
and fight valiantly
whenever the king
had any occasion for them
or the land was invaded.
2 Chronicles 26:14 14 Then Uzziah prepared for
them
for the entire army
shields
spears
helmets
body armor
bows
and
slings to cast stones.
YLT
14And Uzziah prepareth for
them
for all the host
shields
and spears
and helmets
and coats of mail
and bows
even to stones of the slings.
And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host
.... For every
soldier in the army:
shields and spears; defensive and offensive weapons
the one to
cover and protect their bodies
the other to push and pierce their enemies:
and helmets
and habergeons; the first of these were
a covering for the head in the day of battle
and the other coats of mail
to
defend the body:
and bows; to shoot arrows out of:
and slings to cast stones; at which the
Benjaminites formerly were very expert.
2 Chronicles 26:15 15 And he made devices in
Jerusalem
invented by skillful men
to be on the towers and the corners
to
shoot arrows and large stones. So his fame spread far and wide
for he was
marvelously helped till he became strong.
YLT
15And he maketh in Jerusalem
inventions -- a device of an inventor -- to be on the towers
and on the
corners
to shoot with arrows and with great stones
and his name goeth out
unto a distance
for he hath been wonderfully helped till that he hath been
strong.
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
.... Such as
with the Romans were called "catapultae"
"ballistae"F21Cicero.
Tusculan. Quaest. l. 2. Tacit. Hist. l. 3. c. 23.
"scorpiones"F23Ammian.
Marcellin. l. 23.
&c. and by this it appears that these were not first
invented in Greece and Rome
but in Judea. It is saidF24Vid.
Valtrinum de re militari Roman. l. 5. c. 6.
that the Romans received the
machine to batter cities from the Greeks
and that the Trojan horse was no
other than a battering ram; but if they did
the invention of them must be ascribed
not to them
but rather to the Syrians and Phoenicians
according to PlinyF25Nat.
Hist. l. 7. c. 56. ; though othersF26Vitruvius de Architectura
l.
10. c. 19. Tertullian. de Pallio
c. 1. & Salmasius in ib. Vid. Turnebi
Adversaria
l. 29. c. 18. suppose the Carthaginians
who were a colony of
theirs
to be the inventors of them; yet
after all
they seem to be the device
of some skilful men among the Jews
in the times of Uzziah; according to
Diodorus SiculusF1Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 113.
they were not found
out when Nineveh was besieged in the times of Sardanapalus:
and his name spread far abroad; in distant countries
for his warlike dispositions and preparations
which made them stand in fear of
him:
for he was helped until he was strong; he was wonderfully
helped by the Lord to build fortified places
raise a numerous army
and
provide all sorts of armour for them
and invent such machines as would greatly
annoy the enemy
whereby he became very potent
and injected dread round about
him.
2 Chronicles 26:16 16 But when he was strong his
heart was lifted up
to his destruction
for he transgressed against the
Lord his God by
entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the
altar of incense.
YLT
16And at his being strong his
heart hath been high unto destruction
and he trespasseth against Jehovah his
God
and goeth in unto the temple of Jehovah to make perfume upon the altar of
perfume.
When he was strong
.... Became great and powerful
through his
victories
the enlargement of his dominions
and having a numerous army
and
these well accoutred
and many fortified cities and towers:
his heart was lifted up to his destruction; he grew vain
and proud
elated with his flourishing circumstances
which issued in his ruin:
for he transgressed against the Lord his God; who had
helped him
and made him so great
and had bestowed so many favours upon him;
the Targum is
"the Word of the Lord his God;'what his transgression was
follows:
and went into the temple of the Lord; the holy
place
into which none but the priests might enter:
to burn incense upon the altar of incense; which stood
there.
2 Chronicles 26:17 17 So Azariah the priest went
in after him
and with him were eighty priests of the Lord—valiant men.
YLT
17And Azariah the priest
goeth in after him
and with him priests of Jehovah eighty
sons of valour
And Azariah the priest went in after him
.... To hinder
him from doing it
and to persuade him to go out. This was the high priest
as
appears from 2 Chronicles 26:20
and is thought to be the same that is spoken of in 1 Chronicles 6:10.
and with him eighty priests of the Lord
that were valiant men; not only able
bodied men
but men of spirit and courage
and zealous for the honour of God.
2 Chronicles 26:18 18 And they withstood King
Uzziah
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 trespassed! You shall have no
honor from the Lord
God.”
YLT
18and they stand up against
Uzziah the king
and say to him
`Not for thee
O Uzziah
to make perfume to
Jehovah
but for priests
sons of Aaron
who are sanctified to make perfume; go
forth from the sanctuary
for thou hast trespassed
and [it is] not to thee for
honour from Jehovah God.'
And they withstood Uzziah the king
.... They not only stood
against him
but stood about him
surrounded him
so as to hinder him from
approaching the altar of incense:
and said unto him
it appertaineth not unto thee
Uzziah
to burn
incense unto the Lord; it did not belong to his office as a king
it was no part of it
but to the priests the sons of Aaron
that are consecrated to burn
incense; and to them only; for even the Levites might not do it
only
those of the tribe of Levi
that descended from Aaron
see Numbers 16:35
go out of the sanctuary
for thou hast trespassed; by going into
that:
neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God; but to his hurt
and be a brand of infamy upon him; for more is designed than is expressed
and
as the event showed.
2 Chronicles 26:19 19 Then Uzziah became
furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he
was angry with the priests
leprosy broke out on his forehead
before the
priests in the house of the Lord
beside the incense
altar.
YLT
19And Uzziah is wroth
and in
his hand [is] a censer to make perfume
and in his being wroth with the priests
-- the leprosy hath risen in his forehead
before the priests
in the house of
Jehovah
from beside the altar of perfume.
Then Uzziah was wroth
.... With the priests
and
as JosephusF2Antiqu. l. 9. c. 10. sect. 4. says
threatened to
kill them:
and had a censer in his hand to burn incense; ready to do
it
and resolved upon it:
and while he was wroth with the priests; and
expressing his indignation
and do what he would do to them
if they continued
to oppose him:
the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the
house of the Lord
from beside the incense altar; which seems not only to
describe the position of the priests
being beside the altar of incense
to
keep the king from it
when the leprosy was seen by them in his forehead
but
the quarter from whence the stroke invisibly came. JosephusF3lbid.
says
there was earthquake at the same time
and a mountain was rent.
2 Chronicles 26:20 20 And Azariah the chief
priest and all the priests looked at him
and there
on his forehead
he was
leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get
out
because the Lord
had struck him.
YLT
20And Azariah the head priest
looketh unto him
and all the priests
and lo
he [is] leprous in his forehead
and they hasten him thence
and also he himself hath hastened to go out
for
Jehovah hath plagued him.
And Azariah the chief priest
and all the priests
looked upon
him
and
behold
he was leprous in his forehead
.... He was leprous all
over his body
no doubt
but it appeared in his forehead very remarkably
and was
seen by them all
who
without doubt
informed him of his case
and of which he
soon became sensible:
and they thrust him out from thence; the holy place
he being
now unfit to be in a common dwelling house
or his own palace
and much less to
be in the house of God:
yea
himself also hasted to go out
because the Lord had smitten
him; fearing
should he continue there
that something worse would
befall him; the Targum is
the Word of the Lord. The leprosy was a disease sent
immediately from God
as the case of Miriam
and this of Uzziah
show; and so
the PersiansF4Herodot. Clio
sive
l. 1. c. 138. had a notion
that
those had it who sinned against the sun
and for that reason
and which they
accounted and worshipped as God.
2 Chronicles 26:21 21 King Uzziah was a leper
until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house
because he was a
leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord. Then Jotham
his son was over the king’s house
judging the people of the land.
YLT
21And Uzziah the king is a
leper unto the day of his death
and inhabiteth a separate house -- a leper
for he hath been cut off from the house of Jehovah
and Jotham his son [is]
over the house of the king
judging the people of the land.
And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death
and
dwelt in a several house
being a leper
.... See Gill on 2 Kings 15:5
for he was cut off from the house of the Lord; not
suffered
to enter into that
because of his uncleanness:
and Jotham his son was over the king's house
judging the people
of the land; see 2 Kings 15:5.
2 Chronicles 26:22 22 Now the rest of the acts
of Uzziah
from first to last
the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz wrote.
YLT
22And the rest of the matters
of Uzziah
the first and the last
hath Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet written;
Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah
first and last
.... What were
done by him
both in the beginning and latter end of his reign:
did Isaiah the prophet
the son of Amoz
write: not in his
own prophecy
but in the history of his own times
which was usual for every
prophet to write
though now lost
see 2 Kings 15:6.
2 Chronicles 26:23 23 So Uzziah rested 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.” Then Jotham his son reigned in
his place.
YLT
23and Uzziah lieth with his
fathers
and they bury him with his fathers
in the field of the burying-place
that the kings have
for they said
`He [is] a leper;' and reign doth Jotham
his son in his stead.
So Uzziah slept with his fathers
.... Died as they did
the same year
according to Dr. LightfootF5Works
vol. 1. p. 99.
in which he was smitten with the leprosy; and in the year of his death it was
Isaiah had the vision related in Isaiah 6:1
&c.
and they buried him with his fathers; See Gill on 2 Kings 15:7.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)