The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 322

the Philistines and Arabians under Jehoshaphat (eh. xvii. 11). 4. The extension of his fame to Egypt. Not merely the report of his splendid victories travelled so far as the land of the Pharo.ohr., but the boundaries of his empire reached to its vicinity. An inscription of 'l'iglath-Pileser II. shows that the northern people of Hamath attempted to free themselves from the Assyrian yoke by going over to Azariah (' Records,' etc., v. 46; Schrader,' Keilinschriften,' p. 221). IV. A GREAT BUILDER. (Vers. 9, 10.) In addition to the fortress at Eloth and the cities in Philistia, he erected towers. 1. In Jerusalem. (1) At the corner-gate, i.e. at the north-west corner of the city (eh. xxv. 23). (2) At the valley-gate, i.e. on the west side, where the Jaffa gate now is. (3) At the turning of the wall, i.e. at a curve in the city wall on the east side of Zion, near the horse-gate. This tower commanded both the temple hill and Zion against attacks from the south-east. 2. In the desert, or wilderness. The place was "the steppe-lands on the west side of the Dead Sea" (Keil); the object, the protection of his flocks and shepherds against attacks from robber-bands, whether of Edomites or Arabians. v. .AN ENTBUSIASTIO HUSBANDMAN. (Ver. 10.) 1. .An extensive cattle-breeder. He had much cattle in the region just mentioned, in the lowland between the mountains of J ud::ea and the Mediterranean, and in the flat district on the east of the Dead !::iea, from Amon to near Heshbon in the north. For the use of these animals he hewed cisterns in each of these localities. 2. .An ardent agriculturi.~t. He kept farmers and vine-dressers upon the mountains and in the fruitful fields. "He took care to cultivate the ground. He planted it with all sorts of plants, aud sowed it with all sorts of seeds" (Josephus). VI. .AN ABLE GENERAL. (Vera. 11-15.) 1. He organized the army. (1) The number of fighting men was reckoned up by Hananiah, one of the king's captains, assisted by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the steward, two officials practised in writing and the making up of lists. The total force, according to their estimation, was 307,500 (370,000, Josephus) able-bodied and thoroughly disciplined troops, with 2500 (2000, Josephus) heads of fathers' houses, mighty men of valour, who acted as superior officers or divisional commanders. (2) The entire host was arranged into bands, detachments, or army corps, each father's house, perhaps, composing a regiment, and a group of these a battalion. (3) Whether these army corps served in rotation (Jamieson) is not stated. 2. He armed the soldiers. For all the bost he prepared the necessary weapons for offensive and defensive warfare-for the first, spears, bows, and slings; for the second, shields, helmets, and coats of mail; or perhaps, for the heavy-armed troops, shields, spears, and helmets; and for the light infantry, bows and sling-stones. The mention of" sling-stones," it has been thought (Bertheau), was intended. to indicate the com- pleteness of his preparations, as in the late Franco-German war Marshal Lebreuf declared the French army to be ready for the projected campaign down to the "shoe- buckle." Besides furnishing each soldier with a set of weapons, Uzziah colleded a store of such "that he might have them in readiness to put into the hands of his sub- jects on any exigency" (.A. Clarke). 3. Hefortijied the capital. This, which Joash of Israel (eh. xxv. 23) had weakened, he strengthened by placing on the towers and battle- ments of its walls ingenious machines-" engines invented by cunni.J:?g men "-to shoot arrows and great stones withal, like the catapultre and ballistce of the Romans. LESSONS. 1. The beneficial influence of parental piety-it tends to reproduce itself in the children. 2. The true Source of all prosperity, whether temporal or spiritual- God. 3. The necessary condition of all permanent prosperity for individuals or com- munities-religion, seeking God. 4. The unspeakable advantage to kings and subjects of having as their counsellors men who have understanding in the visions of God. 6. The obvious wisdom of sovereigns and their people devoting attention to the cultiva- tion of the soil. 6. 'l'he lawfulness, in nations as in individuals, of taking due pre- cautions for safety.-W. Vers.16-23.-Uzziah the leprous. I. UzzIAH's TRANSGRESSION. (Vers.16-19.) 1. The cause of it. (1) Pride. "His heart was lifted up." _'.l;his the inevi~able te_~den~y of too much material and temporal prosperity (Dent. vm. 13, H). Exemplttied l!l .Amaziah (eh. xxv. 18, 19; 2 Kings xiv. 9), Sennacherib (eh. xxxii. 31; '.l Kings xviii. 19-35), ~ebuchadnezzar (Dan. iv. 30-34; v. 20). (2) Ignorance. He perceived not  324 TlIE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [err. xxvt. 1-23,