XXVI. REIGN OF UZZIAH-AZARIAH. ACCESSION, AGE, AND CONDUCT OF UZZIAH. INFLUENCE OF THE PROPHET ZECHARIAH (2 Chronicles 26:1). (Comp. 2 Kings 14:21; 2 Kings 15:2.) (1) THEN. — _And._ UZZIAH. — So the chronicler always names him, except in one place (1 Chronicles 3:12), where the name _Azariah_ appe... [ Continue Reading ]
HE BUILT. — fie _it was who built._ ELOTH. — Kings, _Elath._ The Idumean port on the Red Sea. The first four verses are identical with the parallel in Kings. (See the Notes there.)... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SOUGHT GOD. — _And he continued to seek God_ (the Hebrew is an expression peculiar to the chronicler). IN THE DAYS OF ZECHARIAH. — An otherwise unknown prophet. WHO HAD UNDERSTANDING IN THE VISIONS OF GOD. — Literally, _the skilled in seeing God_ — a surprising epithet, occurring nowhere el... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WENT FORTH AND WARRED AGAINST THE PHILISTINES. — At the outset of his reign this able prince had given promise of his future by seizing and fortifying the port of Elath, and thus probably completing the subjugation of Edom, which his father had more than begun. Afterwards he assumed the offen... [ Continue Reading ]
UZZIAH’S CAMPAIGNS, PUBLIC WORKS, AND MILITARY STRENGTH (2 Chronicles 26:6). This section is peculiar to the Chronicles. Although the book of Kings passes over the facts recorded here, they are essential to forming a right conception of the strength and importance of the southern kingdom during the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PHILISTINES, AND... THE ARABIANS. — They are named together in 2 Chronicles 17:11 also. Their seat, Gur-Baal, only mentioned here, is unknown. The Targum makes it _Gerar;_ the LXX. apparently _Petra_ (in Edom). The reading Gedor-Baal has been proposed. THE MEHUNIMS (_Heb., Me’ûnîm_)_ are_ the M... [ Continue Reading ]
THE AMMONITES. — Old enemies of Judab (2 Chronicles 20:1). GAVE GIFTS. — _Paid tribute._ Literally, _gave a present,_ or _offering_ (_minchâh_). HIS NAME SPREAD ABROAD EVEN TO THE ENTERING IN OF EGYPT. — See margin. His name and influence, like Solomon’s, extended to the Egyptian border. HE STREN... [ Continue Reading ]
BUILT TOWERS. — To defend the approaches. AT THE CORNER GATE. — _Over,_ that is, _commanding_ the gate (2 Chronicles 25:23). Probably the north-west corner of the city wall. THE VALLEY GATE. — Syriac, “the west gate.” In the western wall, the modern Jaffa gate. These two towers protected the most... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE DESERT. — Or, _grazing country, i.e.,_ the “wilderness of Judah,” on the west of the Dead Sea. The towers were for the protection of the royal herds against the predatory Bedawin. (Comp. Micah 4:8 : “And thou, O tower of the flock.”) DIGGED MANY WELLS. — _Hewed out many cisterns;_ to supply... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER... FIGHTING MEN. — Literally, _And Uzziah had a host making war_ (or, _doing battle_). THAT WENT OUT TO WAR. — Literally, _goers forth in the host._ BY BANDS. — Or, _in troops_ (_lig’dûd_) — i.e., in regular array; in organised bodies. Probably each house formed a distinct troop. (See 2 C... [ Continue Reading ]
CHIEF OF THE FATHERS. — _Heads of the families,_ or _father-houses._ OF THE MIGHTY MEN OF VALOUR. — To _wit, the mighty men of valour,_ in apposition with _heads of the families._ The army was marshalled, as of old, according to clans, or houses, the heads of which are here distinguished as “valian... [ Continue Reading ]
UNDER THEIR HAND. — Or, _at their side,_ meaning, _under their command._ AN ARMY. — See margin. _An armed force, or, warlike host_ (_chêl çâbâ’_); an expression only found besides in 1 Chronicles 20:1. THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND... FIVE HUNDRED. — This fairly agrees with the statement respecting the t... [ Continue Reading ]
THROUGHOUT. — To _wit, for all the army,_ an apposition. SHIELDS, AND SPEARS (_rĕmâchîm,_ “lances”), AND HELMETS, AND HABERGEONS (_shiryônôth,_ “coats of mail” “cuirasses “). — For the heavy armed. “Habergeon” is an old English word, meaning armour for neck and breast. BOWS, AND SLINGS... STONES.... [ Continue Reading ]
ENGINES, INVENTED BY CUNNING MEN. — The first mention of artillery. Literally, _devices, a devising of a deviser._ The word “engine” (i.e., _ingenium,_ which is late Latin for _ballista_) fairly represents _chishshâbôn._ LXX., μηχανὰς_,_ Vulg., _machinas._ BULWARKS. — _Pinnôth._ Zephaniah 1:16, “to... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN HE WAS STRONG. — See 2 Chronicles 26:15, “till he was strong,” and the same phrase, 2 Chronicles 12:1. HIS HEART WAS LIFTED UP. — With pride. TO HIS DESTRUCTION. — Rather, _even to dealing corruptly_ (_‘ad lehashchîth_). FOR HE TRANSGRESSED. — _And he was unfaithful to Jehovah_ (1 Chroni... [ Continue Reading ]
UZZIAH’S PRESUMPTION PUNISHED BY LEPROSY HIS DEATH (2 Chronicles 26:16). This section also is mainly peculiar to the chronicler. 2 Kings 15:5 correspond to 2 Chronicles 26:21 only.... [ Continue Reading ]
AZARIAH THE PRIEST — _i.e.,_ the high priest, whose duty it would be to resist such an encroachment on sacerdotal functions. His name does not occur in the list (1 Chronicles 4:27). VALIANT MEN. — _Sons of valour_ (1 Chronicles 5:18), so called because they had the moral courage to oppose the king.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WITHSTOOD. — ‘_Amad ‘al,_ a late usage. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 21:1.) IT APPERTAINETH NOT UNTO THEE, UZZIAH, TO BURN INCENSE. — Comp. the construction (1 Chronicles 15:2). TRESPASSED. — _Done faithlessly_ (_ma’al_)_,_ 2 Chronicles 26:16. NEITHER SHALL IT BE... LORD GOD. — Literally, _and not to... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN._ — And. WAS WROTH. — _Za_ʻ_af i.e.,_ foamed with anger. AND HAD. — _And in his hand was a censer_ (Ezekiel 8:11). EVEN. — Omit. ROSE UP. — _Zarah._ The word is not used in this sense elsewhere. FROM BESIDE — _i.e., near, hard by._ Uzziah’s punishment was the same as that which fell upon... [ Continue Reading ]
LOOKED UPON HIM. — _Turned towards him._ THEY THRUST HIM OUT. — _Hibhîl_ — _scared, hurried him out._ (Comp. Esther 6:14, “they made haste.”) LXX., κατέσπευσαν αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν. HASTED. — Literally, _thrust himself._ The Hebrew is a late word occurring thrice in Esther, and not elsewhere. THE LORD H... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS A LEPER... SEVERAL HOUSE. — 2 Kings 14:5. Rather, _in the hospital,_ or _lazar house._ FOR HE WAS CUT OFF (Psalms 88:5; Isaiah 53:8) FROM THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. — This ground of Uzziah’s dwelling in a sick house is added by the chronicler. Having been formally excluded as a leper from the sacre... [ Continue Reading ]
DID ISAIAH THE PROPHET, THE SON OF AMOZ, WRITE. — (See Introduction.) Kings, “Are they not written _in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?_”... [ Continue Reading ]
SO UZZIAH SLEPT. — 2 Kings 15:7. IN THE FIELD OF THE BURIAL. — _In the burial field or graveyard_ belonging to the kings, and near their sepulehres; but not in the royal tombs themselves, because a leper would have polluted them. Kings simply says, as usual, “in the city of David.”... [ Continue Reading ]