The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 312

EXPOSITION. eJter the deadly inner mistake of his soul in OHAPTER XXVI. taming aside to " the gods of the children The twenty-three verses of this chapter, of Seir." entirely occupied with the career of Uzziab, Ver. 2.-Eloth; Hebrew, n\,•:-1-nN • the have to be content with a parallel of nine parallel reads n?'t.'l· This place -~as' ~t the verses ouly, viz. 2 Kings xiv. 21, 22; xv. head of the Gulf Akaba (eh. viii. 17; 1-7. Our chapter :first glances at the usual 1 Kings ix. 26); Judah had lost hold of it prefatory particulars of the e.ge, pedigree, at e. past revolt of Edom, a.nd Uzziah, after his father's crippling of Edom, seizes the length of reign, kind of character, and choice opportunity of making- it Jnda.h's again and between virtue and vice of the new king rebuilding it, thus finishing very probably (vers. 1-5; but note the remarkable appear- a work that he knew had been in hie father's ance of ver. 2, ',looking ae though it had heart to do. This consideration may ex- strayed). Next, of his good works (vers. 6- plain alike the following clause in our verse, and the placing of this here. U zziah charged 15). Next, of his fall through most gratuitous himself to do it the :first thing. "presumptuous sin," and its decisive crush- Ver. 3.-J'eooliah. This name is spelt ing visitation of punishment (vers. 16-21). Jecholiah in the parallel. The character, Lastly, of his death and burial (vere. 22, 23). however, is kappa in both texts. The The nine verses of the parallel instanced meaning of the name is, " Made strong of above answer respectively-21, 22 to our Jehovah." Another unreliable form of the vers. 1, 2; 1-3, to our vers. 1, 3, 4; 5, to name is Jekiliah, the result probably of o. mere clerical error. our ver. 21 ; and 6, 7, to our vers. 22, 23. Ver. 4.-Right ... e.ooorcling to ... his That our chapter should abound in interest, father. His father's comparatively long and such solemn interest, awakens the more reign, sullied by two frightful stains, which thought :as to the causes of the absence of were fearfully visited with a long punish- eo much of its most interesting matter in the ment a.nd a fatal end, is graciously recognized Book of Kings. here for the good that was in it, and appa..- rently credited even with a "balance to the Ver. 1.-Uzziah; Hebrew, ;,!-J:11 (signify- good." ing "Strength of Jehovah"). • Once in Ver. 5.-In the de.ye of Zeohariah. Twice Chronicles, and once only (1 Chron. iii. 12), in the foregoing chapter we have read of" e. this king's name is given Azariah, Hebrew, man of God" a.nd "a prophet" whose names i!;~Il?, (signifying "Help of Jehovah") or are not given. The chariness of the narra- \l:;,I!!,i and Isaiah (i. 1, eto.), Hosea (i. I, tive in this exact respect is not very expli- etc.), and Amoe (i. 1, etc.) always use the cable, for if the simple reason be assumed to word Uzziah. In the parallel, however, and be that they were not of much repute, now in both the chapters in which the parallel when the name of Zechariah is given, &Zl clauses lie, the word Azariah is used, as well that we can say is that nothing else is in other clauses as in those (e.g. 2 Kings xv. known of him. Ha.d nnderstancling; Hebrew, r::io;,. There seems no reason to divest this I, 6, 8, 23, 27), yet Uzziah is also used in verses intermingled with them (e.g. 13, 30, hi ph. conJ ugation form of I ta stricter s1gn1 fica- 32, 34). It is probable that Azo.riah wo.s tion, "gave understanding" (see Is::i.. xl. H). the first-used name, that the latter name In the visions of God; Hebrew, n\N-:,=!, Soma was not o. corruption of the former, but that, slight discrepancy in the usual fuller writ- for whatever reason, the king was called by ing of the word in some manuscripts lends a both names. Nevertheless, the apt analogy little ground of preference for the reading, that has been pointed out of Uzziel (1 Chron. which a few manuscripts evidently had (see xxv. 4) and Azareel (18) is noteworthy. Septuagint Version, lv ,p6/3q,), of n~'.1'=! ; i.e. (See Keil a.nd Bertheau on l Kings xv. 2 "in the fear of God" (Prov. i. 7; Isa. xi. 3); and 2 Kings xiv. 21; and Keil ou our present either reading in either of these sub-clauses passage.) Sixteen years old. Therefore leaves a.n undisturbed good meaning to tlie Uzziah must have been born just before the description of Zachariah. fatal outside mistake of his father's life in Ver. 6.-The Philistiaes. It bas bcon the cballcngo he sent to J 011sh of Israel, a.nd aeen how the Phili8tiues, humbled to tribute  314 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [en. xxvr. l-23.