TRV
See on the biblical-era map
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 2 Chronicles 26:16–23. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here is the only blot we find on the name of king Uzziah, and it is such a one as lies not on any other of the kings. Whoredom, murder, oppression, persecution, and especially idolatry, gave characters to the bad kings and some of them blemishes to the good ones, David himself not excepted, witness the matter of Uriah. But we find not Uzziah charged with any of these; and yet he transgressed against the Lord his God, and fell under the marks of his displeasure in consequence, not, as other kings, in vexatious wars or rebellions, but an incurable disease.
I.His sin was invading the priest's office.
The good way is one; by-paths are many. The transgression of his predecessors was forsaking the temple of the Lord, flying off from it (Ch2 24:18), and burning incense upon idolatrous altars, Ch2 25:14. His was intruding into the temple of the Lord further than was allowed him, and attempting him to burn incense upon the altar of God, for which, it is likely, he pretended an extraordinary zeal and affection. See how hard it is to avoid one extreme and not run into another.
1.That which was at the bottom of his sin was pride of heart, a lust that ruins more than any other whatsoever (Ch2 26:16): When he was strong (and he was marvellously helped by the good providence of God till he was so, Ch2 26:15), when he had grown very great and considerable in wealth, interest, and power, instead of lifting up the name of God in gratitude to him who had done so much for him, his heart was lifted up to his destruction. Thus the prosperity of fools, by puffing them up with pride, destroys them. Now that he had done so much business, and won so much honour, he began to think no business, no honour, too great or too good for him, no, not that of the priesthood Men's pretending to forbidden knowledge, and exercising themselves in things too high for them, are owing to the pride of their heart, and the fleshly mind they are vainly puffed up with.
2.His sin was going into the temple of the Lord to burn incense, probably on some solemn feast day, or when he himself had some special occasion for supplicating the divine favour. What could move him to this piece of presumption, or put it into his head, I cannot conjecture. None of all his predecessors, not the best, not the worst, attempted it. The law, he knew, was express against him, and there was no usage or precedent for him. He could not pretend any necessity, as there was for David's eating the show-bread.
(1.)Perhaps he fancied the priests did not do their office so dexterously, decently, and devoutly, as they ought, and he could do it better. Or,
(2.)He observed that the idolatrous kings did themselves burn incense at the altars of their gods; his father did so, and Jeroboam (Kg1 13:1), an ambition of which honour was perhaps one thing that tempted them from the house of God, where it was not permitted them; and he, being resolved to cleave to God's altar, would try to break through this restraint and come as near it as the idolatrous kings did to their altars. But it is called a transgression against the Lord his God. He was not content with the honours God had put upon him, but would usurp those that were forbidden him, like our first parents.
3.He was opposed in this attempt by the chief priest and other priests that attended and assisted him, Ch2 26:17, Ch2 26:18. They were ready to burn incense for the king, according to the duty of their place; but, when he offered to do it himself, they plainly let him know that he meddled with that which did not belong to him, and that it was at his peril. They did not resist him by laying violent hands on him, though they were valiant men, but by reasoning with him and showing him,
(1.)That it was not lawful for him to burn incense: "It appertaineth not to thee, O Uzziah! but to the priests, whose birthright it is, as sons of Aaron, and who are consecrated to the service." Aaron and his sons were appointed by the law to burn incense, Exo 30:7. See Deu 33:10; Ch1 23:13. David had blessed the people and Solomon and Jehoshaphat had prayed with them and preached to them. Uzziah might have done this, and it would have been to his praise; but as for burning incense, that service was to be performed by the priests only. The kingly and priestly offices were separated by the law of Moses, not to be united again but in the person of the Messiah. If Uzziah did intend to honour God, and gain acceptance with him, in what he did, he was quite out in his aim; for, being a service purely of divine institution, he could not expect it should be accepted unless it were done in the way and by the hands that God had appointed.
(2.)That it was not safe. It shall not be for thy honour from the Lord God. More is implied: "It will be thy disgrace, and it is at thy peril." The law runs expressly against all strangers that came nigh (Num 3:10, Num 18:7), that is, all that were not priests. Korah and his accomplices, though Levites, paid dearly for offering to burn incense, which was the work of the priests only, Num 16:35. The incense of our prayers must be by faith put into the hands of our Lord Jesus, the great high priest of our profession, else we cannot expect it should be accepted by God, Rev 8:3.
4.He fell into a passion with the priests that reproved him, and would push forward to do what he intended notwithstanding (Ch2 26:19): Uzziah was wroth, and would not part with the censer out of his hand. He took it ill to be checked, and would not bear interference. Nitimur in vetitum - We are prone to do what is forbidden.
II.His punishment was an incurable leprosy, which rose up in his forehead while he was contending with the priests.
If he had submitted to the priests' admonition, acknowledged his error, and gone back, all would have been well; but when he was wroth with the priests, and fell foul upon them, then God was wroth with him and smote him with a plague of leprosy. Josephus says that he threatened the priests with death if they opposed him, and that then the earth shook, the roof of the temple opened, and through the cleft a beam of the sun darted directly upon the king's face, wherein immediately the leprosy appeared. And some conjecture that that was the earthquake in the days of Uzziah which we read of Amo 1:1 and Zac 14:5. Now this sudden stroke,
1.Ended the controversy between him and the priests; for, when the leprosy appeared, they were emboldened to thrust him out of the temple; nay, he himself hasted to go out, because the Lord had smitten him with a disease which was in a particular manner a token of his displeasure, and which he knew secluded him from common converse with men, much more from the altar of God. He would not be convinced by what the priests said, but God took an effectual course to convince him. If presumptuous men will not be made to see their error by the judgments of God's mouth, they shall be made to see it by the judgments of his hand. It evinced some religious fear of God in the heart of this king, even in the midst of his transgression, that, as soon as he found God was angry with him, he not only let fall his attempt, but retired with the utmost precipitation. Though he strove with the priests, he would not strive with his Maker.
2.It remained a lasting punishment of his transgression; for he continued a leper to the day of his death, shut up in confinement, and shut out from society, and forced to leave it to his son to manage all his business, Ch2 26:21. Thus God gave an instance of his resisting the proud and of his jealousy for the purity and honour of his own institutions; thus he gave fair warning even to great and good men to know and keep their distance, and not to intrude into those things which they have not seen; and thus he gave Uzziah a loud and constant call to repentance, and a long space to repent, which we have reason to hope he improved. He had been a man of much business in the world; but being taken off from that, and confined to a separate house, he had leisure to think of another world and prepare for it. By this judgment upon the king God intended to possess the people with a great veneration for the temple, the priesthood, and other sacred things, which they had been apt to think meanly of. While the king was a leper, he was as good as dead, dead while he lived, and buried alive; and so the law was, in effect, answered, that the stranger who cometh nigh shall be put to death. The disgrace survived him; for, when he was dead, they would not bury him in the sepulchres of the kings because he was a leper, which stained all his other glory.
3.It was a punishment that answered the sin as face does face in a glass.
(1.)Pride was at the bottom of his transgression, and thus God humbled him and put dishonour upon him.
(2.)He invaded the office of the priests in contempt of them, and God struck him with a disease which in a particular manner made him subject to the inspection and sentence of the priests; for to them pertained the judgment of the leprosy, Deu 24:8.
(3.)He thrust himself into the temple of God, whither the priests only had admission, and for that was thrust out of the very courts of the temple, into which the meanest of his subjects that was ceremonially clean had free access.
(4.)He confronted the priests that faced him and opposed his presumption, and for that the leprosy rose in his forehead, which, in Miriam's case, is compared to her father's spitting in her face, Num 12:14.
(5.)He invaded the dignity of the priesthood, which he had no right to, and for that he was deprived even of his royal dignity, which he had a right to. Those that covet forbidden honours forfeit allowed ones. Adam, by catching at the tree of knowledge of which he might not eat, debarred himself from the tree of life, of which he might have eaten. Let all that read it say, The Lord is righteous.
Historical interpretation
Three Centuries of Reception
8 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
When King Uzziah carried a censer and violently took on himself to sacrifice, against the law of God, and refused to submit or give place, despite the opposition of Azariah the priest, he was confounded by God’s indignation and defiled with the markings of leprosy on his forehead, branded by the Lord’s anger on that part of the body on which those who win the Lord’s favor are sealed.
Uzziah is described as at first having been righteous, and then it is related that he was lifted up in mind and dared to offer sacrifice to God himself, and his face became leprous in consequence. But Josephus carefully studied the additional comments of the expounders as well, and a Hebrew of the Hebrews as he was, hear his description of the events of those times. He tells: “Though the priests urged Uzziah to go out of the temple and not to break the law of God, he angrily threatened them with death unless they held their peace. And meanwhile an earthquake shook the earth, and a bright light shone through a breach in the temple and struck the king’s face, so that at once it became leprous. And before the city at the place called Eroga, the western half of the Mount was split asunder and rolling four stadia stopped at the eastern mountain, so as to block up the royal approach and gardens.” This I take from the work of Josephus on Jewish antiquities. And I found in the beginning of the prophet Amos the statement that he began to prophecy “in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, two years before the earthquake.” What earthquake he does not clearly say. But I think the same prophet further on suggests this earthquake when he says, “I saw the Lord standing on the altar. And he said, Strike the altar, and the doors shall be shaken, and strike the heads of all, and the remnant I will slay with the sword.”Here I understand a prediction of the earthquake, and of the destruction of the ancient solemnities of the Jewish race and of the worship practiced by them in Jerusalem, the ruin that should overtake them after the coming of our Savior, when, since they rejected the Christ of God, the true High Priest, leprosy infected their souls, as in the days of Uzziah, when the Lord himself standing on the altar gave leave to him that struck, saying, “Strike the altar.”
Remember Uzziah, how he entered the sanctuary; by seeking to seize the priesthood he lost his kingdom. Adam, by wishing to enrich himself, incurred a double loss. Recognize in the sanctuary the Tree, in the censer the fruit and in the leprosy the nakedness. From these two treasures there proceeded harm in both cases.
In the midst of paradise God had planted the Tree of Knowledge to separate off, above and below, sanctuary from Holy of Holies. Adam made bold to touch and was smitten like Uzziah: the king became leprous, Adam was tripped. Being struck like Uzziah, he hastened to leave: both kings fled and hid, in shame of their bodies.
As, therefore, it was not lawful for one of another tribe that was not a Levite to offer anything or to approach the altar without the priest, so also do you do nothing without the bishop; for if anyone does anything without the bishop, he does it to no purpose. For it will not be esteemed as of any avail to him.… For as Uzziah the king, who was not a priest and yet would exercise the functions of the priests, was smitten with leprosy for his transgression; so every lay person shall not be unpunished who despises God, and is so mad as to affront his priests and unjustly to snatch that honor to himself: not imitating Christ, “who glorified not himself to be made an high priest” but waited till he heard from his Father, “The Lord swore and will not repent, You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” If, therefore, Christ did not glorify himself without the Father, how dare anyone thrust himself into the priesthood who has not received that dignity from his superior and do such things that it is lawful only for the priests to do?
Neither do we permit the laity to perform any of the offices belonging to the priesthood, as, for instance, neither the sacrifice, nor baptism, nor the laying on of hands nor the blessing, whether the smaller or the greater, for “no one takes this honor to himself, but he that is called of God.” For such sacred offices are conferred by the laying on of the hands of the bishop. But a person to whom such an office is not committed but seizes on it for himself, he shall undergo the punishment of Uzziah.
Of Uzziah, the ancestor of this king of whom we have been speaking, himself also praised in all things by the witness of the Scripture, after great commendation for his virtue, after countless triumphs that he achieved by the merit of his devotion and faith, learn how he was cast down by the pride of vainglory. “And,” we are told, “the name of Uzziah went forth, for the Lord helped him and had strengthened him. But when he was made strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, and he neglected the Lord his God.” … You see how dangerous the successes of prosperity generally are, so that those who could not be injured by adversity are ruined, unless they are careful, by prosperity; and those who in the conflict of battle have escaped the danger of death fall before their own trophies and triumphs.
For what was Ozias doing out of place, when offering incense to Almighty God? ...Yea, further, what were those domineering demons, who were truly proclaiming the Lord Jesus God? But every one who meddles with other people's business, is outlawed by the Word of God; and each one shall be in the rank of his own service, and alone the High Priest shall enter into the Holy of holies, and once only throughout the year, and this in the full legal hierarchical purification. And the priests encompass the holy things, and the Levites must not touch the holy things, lest they die. And Jehovah was angry with wrath at the rashness of Ozias, and Mariam becomes leprous, because she had presumed to lay down laws for the lawgiver... So that it is not permissible, as the holy Oracles say, even to pursue things that are just, when not according to order, but each must keep to himself, and not meditate things too high and too deep for him, but contemplate alone things prescribed for him according to order.
Continue studying 2 Chronicles 26:23 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
This verse succinctly concludes the long and prosperous reign of King Uzziah of Judah, detailing his death and unique burial. It highlights the lasting consequence of his prideful act of usurping priestly duties, which resulted in him being struck with leprosy. Consequently, he was buried in a distinct location within the royal burial grounds, separated from other kings due to his ceremonially unclean status, while his son Jotham smoothly ascended to the throne, having already served as regent.
Context
Literary Context
2 Chronicles 26:23 marks the culmination of the narrative concerning King Uzziah (also known as Azariah). The preceding verses detail his initial faithfulness and remarkable success, leading to significant military and economic prosperity for Judah, as recounted in 2 Chronicles 26:1-15. However, this prosperity bred pride, leading Uzziah to presumptuously enter the Temple to burn incense, a sacred duty reserved exclusively for the Levitical priests, as described in 2 Chronicles 26:16-18. For this act of defiance against God's established order, he was immediately struck with leprosy, a judgment detailed in 2 Chronicles 26:19-20. From that point until his death, Uzziah lived in isolation, fulfilling the requirements for lepers, while his son Jotham managed the kingdom as regent, as noted in 2 Chronicles 26:21. This verse, therefore, serves as the concluding summary of his life, reign, and the enduring impact of his sin.
Historical & Cultural Context
In ancient Israel, kingship and priesthood were distinct and divinely ordained offices, with strict boundaries. The Temple was the sacred dwelling place of God, and only authorized priests from the lineage of Aaron were permitted to perform specific rituals, such as burning incense on the golden altar. Leprosy, as described in Mosaic Law in Leviticus 13-14, was not merely a physical disease but carried profound ceremonial uncleanness, requiring the afflicted individual to live in isolation outside the community. This uncleanness extended even to death, impacting burial practices. While royal burials typically occurred in the "city of David" or specific royal sepulchers, Uzziah's unique burial in a "field of the burial which belonged to the kings" but not with the kings, highlights the lasting social and religious stigma associated with his leprosy, a visible sign of divine judgment.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Chronicles and the broader biblical narrative. It underscores the theme of divine judgment and consequences for disobedience, demonstrating that even highly successful and initially faithful leaders are not exempt from God's justice when they defy His commands and established order. The narrative of Uzziah's downfall is a stark illustration of the destructive nature of pride, showing how a "lifted up" heart can lead to catastrophic spiritual and physical consequences, even after decades of prosperity, as warned in Proverbs 16:18. Furthermore, the distinct burial highlights the profound significance of ceremonial purity and the sanctity of God's dwelling, emphasizing that defilement, especially resulting from direct sin against God's sacred institutions, carried lasting implications. Finally, the smooth transition of power to Jotham underscores God's sovereignty in maintaining dynastic succession and stability for His people, even amidst the personal failures of their leaders.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word (H1) refers to a progenitor or ancestor. In the phrase "slept with his fathers," it is a common biblical euphemism for death, signifying that the king has passed away and joined his ancestors in the realm of the dead. While implying a connection to the royal lineage, in Uzziah's case, it is immediately qualified by his unique burial, highlighting a separation even in death from the traditional resting places of his royal predecessors.
This term (H6879) describes one afflicted with tsara'at, a severe skin condition often translated as leprosy. In the biblical context, tsara'at was not merely a physical ailment but carried profound theological and social implications, often viewed as a divine judgment for sin (e.g., Miriam in Numbers 12:9-10) and rendering the afflicted person ceremonially unclean, requiring isolation. The explicit declaration "He is a leper" serves as the definitive explanation for Uzziah's distinct burial, emphasizing the lasting mark of his divine judgment and ritual impurity.
This verb (H4427) means "to reign" or "to ascend the throne." Its use in this verse signifies the official and legitimate transfer of royal authority from Uzziah to his son Jotham. Despite Uzziah's ignominious end, the Davidic dynasty remained stable, demonstrating God's faithfulness to His covenant and His sovereign oversight of the succession, ensuring continuity for His people.
Verse Breakdown
"So Uzziah slept with his fathers,"
This clause marks the end of Uzziah's earthly life, using a common biblical idiom for death. It places his passing within the continuum of royal succession, even as the subsequent clauses detail the unusual circumstances of his death and burial.
"and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which [belonged] to the kings;"
This phrase indicates that Uzziah was interred in the royal burial grounds, but with a critical distinction. Unlike other kings who were typically buried in the "city of David" or specific royal sepulchers, Uzziah was buried in an adjacent "field." This subtle yet significant detail foreshadows the reason for his unique burial.
"for they said, He [is] a leper:"
This is the pivotal explanatory clause, providing the explicit and stark reason for Uzziah's distinct burial. His leprosy, a direct consequence of his prideful sin against God, rendered him ceremonially unclean. This uncleanness persisted even in death, preventing him from being laid in the more sacred or traditional royal tombs alongside his predecessors, underscoring the lasting impact of divine judgment and ritual defilement.
"and Jotham his son reigned in his stead."
This final clause concludes the narrative of Uzziah's reign by confirming the smooth and divinely ordained transition of power to his son Jotham. It highlights the stability of the Davidic dynasty despite the personal failings and ignominious end of one of its kings, emphasizing God's overarching plan for Judah's leadership.
Literary Devices
The verse employs several effective literary techniques. The use of Euphemism in "slept with his fathers" is a gentle way to refer to death, common in biblical narratives, yet it is immediately followed by a jarring reality. There is a powerful Juxtaposition between Uzziah's initial long and prosperous reign, described in the preceding verses, and his final, ignominious state and distinct burial. This contrast highlights the severity of his sin and its enduring consequences. The phrase "for they said, He is a leper" functions as a stark Explanation and Justification for the unusual burial, emphasizing the profound social and religious implications of his affliction. The narrative also exhibits Irony in that a king who achieved such great earthly power and success ended his life in isolation and was denied the full honor of a royal burial due to his spiritual defilement.
Theological and Thematic Connections
The account of Uzziah's death and burial serves as a potent theological lesson on the sanctity of God's established order, the dangers of pride, and the immutable consequences of disobedience. Despite Uzziah's long and successful reign, his presumption in usurping priestly functions demonstrated a profound disrespect for divine boundaries. God's immediate and lasting judgment upon him underscores that no human authority, however great, is above God's law or immune to His justice. This narrative reinforces the biblical principle that while God is merciful, He is also righteous, and willful sin, particularly against sacred institutions, carries severe repercussions, impacting not only one's life but also one's legacy. The physical manifestation of leprosy served as a visible sign of his spiritual uncleanness and rebellion.
Reflection and Application
Uzziah's story offers crucial and timeless lessons for believers today. His initial faithfulness and remarkable success should remind us that God blesses obedience and diligence. However, his subsequent downfall due to pride serves as a powerful warning: success, power, or spiritual gifting can easily inflate the ego, leading to presumption and a disregard for God's boundaries. We are called to cultivate humility in all circumstances, recognizing that all our abilities and achievements are gifts from God. Uzziah's attempt to overstep his God-given role underscores the importance of respecting established authorities and divine order, whether in the church, family, or society. His leprosy, a visible consequence of his sin, reminds us that while God is gracious and forgiving, there are real and sometimes lasting consequences for willful disobedience, even for those who have walked faithfully for a long time. We must remain vigilant, continually examining our hearts for pride and submitting to God's will in all areas of our lives.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Uzziah buried in a "field of burial" and not with other kings?
Uzziah was buried in a "field of the burial which belonged to the kings" but not directly with the other kings in their traditional sepulchers because he was a leper. According to Mosaic Law, particularly as detailed in Leviticus 13-14, leprosy rendered an individual ceremonially unclean, requiring isolation from the community. This uncleanness extended even to death. His leprosy was a direct divine judgment for his prideful act of usurping the priests' role by attempting to burn incense in the Temple, as described in 2 Chronicles 26:16-21. Therefore, to maintain ritual purity, he could not be interred in the more sacred or traditional royal tombs alongside his predecessors, even though he was still buried within the general royal burial grounds, signifying his royal status while acknowledging his defiled state.
What was Uzziah's specific sin that led to leprosy?
Uzziah's specific sin was his prideful presumption in entering the Temple to burn incense on the altar of incense. This was a sacred duty reserved exclusively for the Levitical priests, the sons of Aaron, as explicitly commanded by God in Numbers 18:7. Despite the protests of Azariah the high priest and eighty other courageous priests, Uzziah, filled with rage, insisted on performing this priestly function, directly defying God's established order, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 26:16-19. For this act of willful disobedience and usurpation of a holy office, God immediately struck him with leprosy.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The tragic end of King Uzziah, marked by leprosy and a distinct burial due to his ceremonial uncleanness, powerfully highlights the need for a perfect King and an unblemished High Priest, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Uzziah's leprosy, a consequence of sin and a symbol of ritual impurity, stands in stark contrast to Christ, who, far from being defiled by uncleanness, actively touched and healed lepers, taking away their uncleanness and restoring them to community, as seen in Mark 1:40-42. Uzziah's fatal flaw was his prideful attempt to usurp priestly duties, demonstrating the inherent limitations and sinfulness of human kings. Jesus, however, is our ultimate High Priest, who, unlike Uzziah, did not need to offer sacrifices for His own sins, but offered Himself as the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice, fulfilling all priestly functions without blemish or presumption, as taught in Hebrews 4:14-16 and Hebrews 7:27. His perfect obedience unto death contrasts sharply with Uzziah's prideful disobedience, offering a path to true cleansing and reconciliation with God that Uzziah's ritualistic uncleanness could never achieve. Moreover, while Uzziah's reign ended in ignominy and his burial was marked by the consequences of sin, Christ's reign is eternal, righteous, and brings everlasting life to all who believe, establishing a kingdom that will never end, as prophesied in Isaiah 9:6-7 and affirmed in Luke 1:32-33.