2 Chronicles 26 explained: A Strong King Brought Low

A young king who seeks God (vv. 1-5)

Uzziah becomes king at sixteen and early on wins back Elath, a port on the Red Sea that gave Judah access to trade with the south and east. The writer ties his success to seeking God while guided by an adviser named Zechariah, who is not clearly identified anywhere else.

Victories and fame (vv. 6-8)

He tears down the walls of Philistine cities near the coast, builds his own towns among them, defeats other neighboring peoples, and makes the Ammonites east of the Jordan pay him tribute. The writer credits God's help for these wins and says Uzziah's name became known as far as the border of Egypt.

Building, farming and defense (vv. 9-15)

Uzziah builds and strengthens towers at Jerusalem's gates and at a bend in its wall, adds towers and water cisterns in the countryside to protect herds and farm workers, and is remembered as a king who loved working the land. He equips a large army and puts devices on the walls for shooting arrows and hurling stones, though scholars are unsure whether these were catapults or protective screens for defenders.

Pride in the temple (vv. 16-20)

Feeling powerful, Uzziah goes into the temple to burn incense, a duty the law reserved for priests descended from Aaron, not for kings. When Azariah and eighty other priests confront him he rages at them, and a skin disease breaks out on his forehead; the Hebrew word for it covered several skin conditions, not only what we now call leprosy.

Living apart until death (vv. 21-23)

His disease made him ritually unclean, so he lived in a separate house, was barred from the temple, and his son Jotham ran the government. Even in death he was buried in a field belonging to the kings rather than in the royal tombs themselves, because of his condition.

Key verse: 2 Chronicles 26:16

Something to think about

Why do you think long success can make it harder for a person to accept that some limits apply to them too?