# 2 Chronicles 26 đź“–: Uzziah's Pride and Leprosy
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
[[Isaiah 06]]
### Uzziah’s Reign
[[#Verse 01.]] All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s place.Â
[[#Verse 02.]] Uzziah built up Elat and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah had passed away.
[[#Verse 03.]] Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah, who was from Jerusalem.Â
[[#Verse 04.]] He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Amaziah had done.Â
[[#Verse 05.]] He followed God during the lifetime of Zechariah, who taught him how to honor God. As long as he followed the Lord, God caused him to succeed.
[[#Verse 06.]] Uzziah attacked the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. He built cities in the region of Ashdod and throughout Philistine territory.Â
[[#Verse 07.]] God helped him in his campaigns against the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur Baal, and the Meunites.Â
[[#Verse 08.]] The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame reached the border of Egypt, for he grew in power.
[[#Verse 09.]]Â Uzziah built and fortified towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, Valley Gate, and at the Angle.Â
[[#Verse 10.]] He built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, for he owned many herds in the foothills and on the plain. He had workers in the fields and vineyards in the hills and in Carmel, for he loved agriculture.
[[#Verse 11.]]Â Uzziah had an army of skilled warriors trained for battle. They were organized by divisions according to the muster rolls made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer under the authority of Hananiah, a royal official.Â
[[#Verse 12.]]Â The total number of family leaders who led warriors was 2,600.Â
[[#Verse 13.]] They commanded an army of 307,500 skilled and able warriors who were ready to defend the king against his enemies.Â
[[#Verse 14.]]Â Uzziah supplied shields, spears, helmets, breastplates, bows, and slingstones for the entire army.Â
[[#Verse 15.]]Â In Jerusalem he made war machines carefully designed to shoot arrows and large stones from the towers and corners of the walls. He became very famous, for he received tremendous support and became powerful.
[[#Verse 16.]] But once he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He disobeyed the Lord his God. He entered the Lord’s temple to offer incense on the incense altar.Â
[[#Verse 17.]] Azariah the priest and eighty other brave priests of the Lord followed him in.Â
[[#Verse 18.]] They confronted King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not proper for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the Lord. That is the responsibility of the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who are consecrated to offer incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have disobeyed and the Lord God will not honor you!”Â
[[#Verse 19.]] Uzziah, who had an incense censer in his hand, became angry. While he was ranting and raving at the priests, a skin disease appeared on his forehead right there in front of the priests in the Lord’s temple near the incense altar.Â
[[#Verse 20.]] When Azariah the high priest and the other priests looked at him, there was a skin disease on his forehead. They hurried him out of there; even the king himself wanted to leave quickly because the Lord had afflicted him.Â
[[#Verse 21.]] King Uzziah suffered from a skin disease until the day he died. He lived in separate quarters, afflicted by a skin disease and banned from the Lord’s temple. His son Jotham was in charge of the palace and ruled over the people of the land.
[[#Verse 22.]] The rest of the events of Uzziah’s reign, from start to finish, were recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.Â
[[#Verse 23.]] Uzziah passed away and was buried near his ancestors in a cemetery belonging to the kings. (This was because he had a skin disease.) His son Jotham replaced him as king.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
###### Verse 23.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Uzziah is also called Azariah in 2 Kings 15:1-7.
2. He reigned 52 years (26:3), one of the longest reigns in Judah's history.
3. He rebuilt Elath (26:2), a port on the Gulf of Aqaba at the northern tip of the Red Sea.
4. He developed devices to shoot arrows and large stones from the towers of Jerusalem (26:15).
5. Only the priests descended from Aaron were allowed to burn incense (26:18; Exodus 30:7-8; Numbers 16:40).
6. His disease broke out on his forehead while he stood beside the incense altar (26:19).
7. He lived in a separate house until his death, and his son Jotham ruled in his place (26:21).
8. The prophet Isaiah recorded Uzziah's deeds (26:22), and Isaiah saw the Lord on His throne in the year King Uzziah died (Isaiah 6:1).
9. Hosea and Amos also ministered during his reign, and Amos dates his prophecy to two years before a great earthquake (Amos 1:1; Zechariah 14:5).
10. A stone plaque found on the Mount of Olives, dated centuries later, reads in Aramaic that the bones of Uzziah king of Judah were brought there and should not be opened.
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the only One rightly appointed to be both King and Priest. Uzziah grabbed a priestly role in pride (26:16-18), but Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest. He was appointed by the Father (Hebrews 5:4-5).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. Uzziah sought God while Zechariah taught him, and God gave him success (26:5). Who has helped you learn to fear the Lord?
2. Uzziah was greatly helped until he became strong, then he became proud (26:15-16). Why is success often more dangerous than struggle?
3. The priests bravely confronted the king (26:17-18). What does it take to speak truth to someone with power?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 5: As long as Uzziah sought the Lord, God gave him success.
- đź“– verse 16: When he became strong, his pride led to his downfall.
- đź“– verse 21: Uzziah remains a leper until his death.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[2 Kings 15#Verse 01.|2 Kings 15:1-7]] - The parallel account of Azariah (Uzziah).
- đź”— [[Isaiah 06#Verse 01.|Isaiah 6:1-5]] - Isaiah sees the Lord in the year Uzziah died.
- đź”— [[Hebrews 05#Verse 04.|Hebrews 5:4-5]] - Christ did not take the honor of High Priest for Himself.
- đź”— [[Proverbs 16#Verse 18.|Proverbs 16:18]] - Pride goes before destruction.
- đź”— [[James 04#Verse 06.|James 4:6]] - God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[2 Chronicles 26 - SOAP|The Difference Between Pride and the Proud]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes