---
title: "Poole"
description: "2 CHRONICLES CHAPTER 26 Uzziah is made king; reigneth well in the days of Zechariah, and prospereth, 2 Chronicles 26:1-15. He invadeth the priest’s office"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/pooles-english-annotations-on-the-holy-bible/2-chronicles/26"
---

**2 CHRONICLES CHAPTER 26**
Uzziah is made king; reigneth well in the days of Zechariah, and prospereth, [2 Chronicles 26:1-15](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/26/1-15).
He invadeth the priest’s office; is smitten with a leprosy, [2 Chronicles 26:16-21](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/26/16-21).
He dieth, and Jotham succeedeth him, [2 Chronicles 26:22](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/26/22),[2 Chronicles 26:23](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/26/23).

**Uzziah;**called also *Azariah*, [2 Kings 14:21](../../../kjv/2-kings/14/21); both names signifying the same thing, God’s strength, or help. See of this, and [2 Chronicles 26:2-4](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/26/2-4), on [2 Kings 14:21](../../../kjv/2-kings/14/21),[2 Kings 14:22](../../../kjv/2-kings/14/22); [2 Kings 15:2](../../../kjv/2-kings/15/2),[2 Kings 15:3](../../../kjv/2-kings/15/3).

To wit, for a time, but not perfectly nor constantly, which was Amaziah’s case also.

**He sought God,**i.e. he persisted in the true religion and worship of God.
**In the days of Zechariah;**as long as he lived. Compare [2 Chronicles 24:2](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/24/2). who had understanding; who was a very knowing and experienced person. Or, *who made him understanding*; or, *who instructed him*; who was his tutor and teacher, and had great authority and influence upon him; and so restrained him from those exorbitancies to which he was otherwise inclined.
**In the visions of God;**either,
1. In prophetical visions, which he either received from God himself, or understood and explained the prophetical visions of others, which was a special gift of God; of which see [Genesis 41:15](../../../kjv/genesis/41/15); [Daniel 1:17](../../../kjv/daniel/1/17); [Daniel 2:19](../../../kjv/daniel/2/19). Or,
2. In the law and word of God, which sometimes cometh under that name, as [Proverbs 29:18](../../../kjv/proverbs/29/18); [Isaiah 22:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/22/1),[Isaiah 22:5](../../../kjv/isaiah/22/5).

**Gath** had been taken by Hazael in the days of Joash his grandfather, [2 Kings 12:17](../../../kjv/2-kings/12/17), but was either relinquished by him, because it lay so far from his other dominions; or retaken by the Philistines, who had now repaired its fortifications, and kept it.

**He built towers in the desert;**partly to guard his cattle from the inroads and depredations which the Arabians were accustomed to make; and partly to give notice of the approach of any enemy, and to give some stop to their march on that side.

**That went out to war by bands,**i.e. some bands at one time, and some at another, as occasion required. See Poole "[1 Chronicles 27:1](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/27/1)", See Poole "[2 Chronicles 13:14](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/13/14)".

**But when he was strong;**when he was strengthened in his kingdom, and free from the fear of any enemy.
**Into the temple of the Lord;**into the holy place, where the altar of incense stood, and into which none but the priests might enter, much less offer incense.

**They withstood Uzziah;**Heb. *stood up against Uzziah*; not by force, or laying hands upon him to restrain him, for in the next verse you still find the censer in his hand; but only by admonition and reproof, which here follows.
**Neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God;**expect that God will punish thee, or put some brand of infamy upon thee, for this presumption. But this they express modestly, and by a figure called *meiosis*, where more is meant than is expressed, because they considered that he to whom they spake, though an offender, was their lord and sovereign.

**Uzziah was wroth** with the priests. The leprosy even rose up in his forehead; so as he could not hide his shame; though it is probable it was also in the rest of his body.
**From beside the incense altar;**by a stroke from an invisible hand coming from the altar, that he might be assured that this was the effect of God’s just displeasure against him.

**They thrust him out;**not by force, as was noted on [2 Chronicles 26:18](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/26/18), which needed not, for he voluntarily hasted away, as it follows; but by vehement persuasions and denunciations of God’s further judgments upon him, if he did not depart. Some suppose that the earthquake, mentioned [Amos 1:1](../../../kjv/amos/1/1); [Zechariah 14:5](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/5), happened upon this occasion, as another token of God’s displeasure against this unparalled arrogancy.

**Unto the day of his death:** God would have this leprosy to be incurable, as a lasting monument of his anger against such presumptuous invaders of the priest’s office.
**Dwelt in a several house;**as he was obliged to do by law, [Leviticus 13:16](../../../kjv/leviticus/13/16), which he durst not now resist, being under the hand and stroke of God, and under the fear of further and worse plagues, if he did so.
**For he was cut off;**so the following words are a reason of the former; he dwelt in a several house, because he might not come into the temple or courts, nor consequently into any public assembly, or the society of others. Or, and therefore, as the Hebrew *chi* often signifies; and the particle *and* is oft understood. So it is an inference from the next foregoing words, He was a leper, and therefore he was cut off, &c. He who could not content himself with God’s allowance, but usurped the priest’s place and office, is now deprived of the privilege of the meanest of his people. A just and most suitable judgment.

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