The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 320

Vers. 1-15.-Uzziah the prosperous. I. A YOUTHFUL SOVEREIGN. (Vers. 1-3.) I. His names. Uzziah, "Might of Jehovah" (2 Kings xv. 13, 30, 32, 34; Isa. i. 1; vi. 1; Aruos i. 1; Zech. xiv. 5); Azariah, "Whom Jehovah aids" (2 Kings xiv. 21; xv. 1, 6, 8, 17, 23, 27; 1 Chron. iii. 12) ;-the former, the designation taken by or conferred upon him at or soon after his accession (Thenius, Bahr); the latter, his name before that event. But if the two appellations should not be regarded as equivalent (Keil), the likelihood is that Uzziah was his personal and Azariah his kingly title (Nagelsbach in Herzog, and Kleinert in Riehm), as the latter, Azri-fahu, :s the name he ordinarily bears on the Assyrian monuments (Schrader, 'Keilin- schriften,' p. 217). 2. Bis parents. A.maziah the son of Joash, and Jecoliah of Jeru- salem. Of the latter nothing is known beyond her name and residence, except that she had been the wife, and was the mother, of a king. That U zziah was not his father's firsLboru son has been inferred (Hertheau, Ewald, Bahr), though precariously, from the statement that "all the people took him and made him king" (ver. 1). 3. The date of liis accession. After his father's death, in the fifteenth year of J ero- boam II. of Israel (2 Kings xiv. 23). The theory that Uzziah's accession should be dated from his father's capture by Joash (Sumner) is not without support from certain circumstances stated in the narrative, as e.g. that Amaziah lived (not reigned) after the death of Joash fifteen years (eh. xxv. 25), and that Uzziah built Eloth after the death of his father (eh. xxvi. 2), as if he had been sovereign before that event. Nevertheless, it is not adopted by Josephus(' Ant.,' ix. 9. 3), and does not appear demanded by the text (consult Exposition). 4. The length of his reign. Fifty-two years-with one exception (eh. xxxiii. 1) the longest throne-occupancy of any soverei~n of Judah. Its close synchronized with the accession of Pekah to the throne of Israel by means of con- spiracy and assassination (2 Kings xv. 23-25). II. A PROMISING RULER. (Vers. 4, 5.) 1. A worshipper of Jehovah. "He did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his father .Amaziah had done," i.e. until he declined into idolatry (eh. xxv. 14). "He was a good roan, and by nature righteous and magnanimous, and very laborious in taking care of the affairs of his kingdom" (Josephus,' .Ant.,' ix. 10. 3); but his devotion to religion, while sincere, was, like his father's, imperfect (eh. xxv. 2). "'l'he high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places" (2 Kings xv. 4). See the II. CHRONICLES. Y 322 THE SEOOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [OH. xxvi. 1-23,