2 Crônicas 26
J. Vernon McGee · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Crônicas 26
Vernon McGee - The denominational seminary from which I graduated was quite liberal, but it did have a Bible course, although it was very fragmentary. One of the questions that had been asked from time immemorial was to name the kings of Israel and Judah and briefly describe the reign of each. Some ingenious freshman of days gone by had discovered that if you would write after each one of them, "A bad king," you couldn't make less than ninety five percent -- and what freshman wants to make more than that? So what we all did was memorize the kings and write after each one of them, "A bad king." Now when we wrote, "Bad king" after Uzziah's name, we were wrong; Uzziah was not exceptional, but he was a good king. ISBE - ELATH; ELOTH - e'-lath, or e'-loth ('eloth, 'elath; Ailon (Dt 2:8), Ailath (2 Ki 16:6)): A seaport on the Red Sea in the territory of Edom. It is named along with Ezion-geber in the account of Israel's journey round the land of Edom (Dt 2:8). It appears as Ailath, and Alion in the Septuagint, and in Josephus as Ilanis (Ant., VIII, vi, 4), while Eusebius (Onomasticon) has Aila. From this we may gather that the Aramaic Ilan or Ilana was in use as well as the Hebrew 'elath or 'eloth. The name, "grove," was doubtless derived from the presence of certain sacred trees. It may be identical with El-paran of Gen 14:6, and Elah of Gen 36:41. When David conquered Edom, Elath passed into the hands of Israel (2 Sam 8:14). It was a position of great importance in connection with the trade with South Arabia. Here the merchant fleets of Solomon and Jehoshaphat were fitted out, and hence, they sailed (1 Ki 9:26; 2 Ch 8:17; 1 Ki 22:48). In the reign of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, Edom shook off the hand of Judah (2 Ki 8:20), but under Amaziah and Uzziah it was again subdued (2 Ki 14:7,10,22). Finally it was taken from Ahaz by Rezin, king of Syria. The Jews were driven out and the Syrians (Edomites?) took permanent possession (2 Ki 16:6). It is identical with the modern `Aqaba, at the head of the gulf of that name. - W. Ewing 2 Chronicles 26:3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem. Uzziah: Isa 1:1, 6:1 Ho 1:1 Am 1:1 Zec 14:5 Jecoliah: 2Ki 15:2,3, Jecholiah Related Passage: 1 Chronicles 3:10-12 Now Solomon’s son was Rehoboam, Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, 11 Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, 12 Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, 2 Kings 14:19-21+ They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. 20 Then they brought him on horses and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21 All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. Isaiah 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Isaiah 6:1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Hosea 1:1 The word of the LORD which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. Amos 1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. Matthew 1:8-9+ (MESSIANIC LINE) Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Source: All the Genealogies of the Bible UZZIAH'S YOUNG BEGINNING AND LONG REIGN Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem - This lengthy reign includes co-reign with his father Amaziah and co-reign with his son, Jotham. Azariah (Uzziah) likely began ruling alongside Amaziah after the crisis recorded in 2 Kings 14:19–21, when Amaziah’s authority was weakened and the people placed the young Azariah on the throne to ensure stability in Judah. This early co-reign allowed Azariah to gain experience in governance while his father was still living. Decades later, after Uzziah was struck with leprosy for his presumptuous act in the temple (2 Chr 26:16–21), the pattern was repeated in reverse: his son Jotham governed “over the household, judging the people of the land” (2 Ki 15:5). Thus, the fifty-two years attributed to Azariah were not years of solitary rule but of shared authority on both ends—first as junior partner under Amaziah, and finally as a sidelined monarch while Jotham exercised effective kingship. This explains how Judah could experience remarkable continuity despite the personal failure and discipline of its long-reigning king. This lengthy reign includes both a co-regency with his father Amaziah and later a co-regency with his son Jotham. Azariah (Uzziah) likely began ruling alongside Amaziah around 792 BC, after the crisis recorded in 2 Kings 14:19–21+, when Amaziah’s authority was weakened and the people placed the young Azariah on the throne to ensure stability in Judah. This early co-reign (c. 792–767 BC) allowed Azariah to gain experience in governance while his father was still living. Decades later, after Uzziah was struck with leprosy for his presumptuous act in the temple (2 Chr 26:16–21), the pattern was repeated in reverse: his son Jotham governed “over the household, judging the people of the land” (2 Ki 15:5). This second co-regency likely began about 750/749 BC and continued until Uzziah’s death in 740 BC. Thus, the fifty-two years attributed to Azariah were not years of solitary rule but of shared authority on both ends—first as junior partner under Amaziah, and finally as a sidelined monarch while Jotham exercised effective kingship. This explains how Judah could experience remarkable continuity despite the personal failure and discipline of its long-reigning king. And his mother’s name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem Jechiliah was a native of the holy city and the wife of King Amaziah (2 Kings 14:21). Jechiliah means “Jehovah is able.” Beautifully, that meaning fits the story of her son, mirroring the spiritual truth he would later need, strength is from Yahweh alone. While we have no recorded acts or speech from Jecoliah, the biblical pattern indicates that this mother’s spiritual influence affected her son’s early reign. Christian mothers, are you listening? (cf Pr 31:28) Eugene Merrill on the complicated Chronological Problem - Only 16 years old at the time, Uzziah reigned for the extraordinarily long period of 52 years (cf. 2 Chron. 26:3; 790-739 b.c.). A serious chronological problem emerges here. Amaziah reigned from 796 to 767, so if Uzziah commenced his reign in 790 he co-reigned with his father for 23 years. Yet the chronicler (and the author of 2 Kings as well) seemed to indicate that Uzziah's tenure followed that of Amaziah and that Uzziah was only 16 years old at the time. How then could his coregency be for 23 years? The chronological data for both kings are very well established on grounds too complicated to be considered here. (For a full discussion see Edwin R. Thiele, The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings [BORROW]. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983, pp. 113-23.) The narratives can be viewed in a way that legitimately comports with the dates mentioned earlier. The best solution appears to be that the leadership of Judah, fearing early in Amaziah's reign that he was unstable and incompetent, made his young son Uzziah vice-regent. In other words after Amaziah had reigned only six years (796-790) Uzziah, then (in 790) 16 years old, was appointed second to the king. From then until Amaziah's death (767) they reigned together for 23 years (790-767). Then Uzziah reigned alone for 29 years until his own death. (ED: THIS IS NOT COMPLETELY ACCURATE - UZZIAH'S LEPROSY LED TO HIS SON JOTHAM BEGINNIG TO CO-REIGN - 2Ch 26:21. YES UZZIAH STILL HAD THE TITLE OF "KING" BUT HE CO-REIGNED WITH HIS SON FOR ABOUT THE LAST 10 YEARS AND THEN JOTHAM RULED ANOTHER 4-5 YEARS ON HIS OWN.) This would require, of course, that the chronicler meant that the people of Judah had made Uzziah vice-regent at the age of 16 (2 Chron. 26:1). In support of this reconstruction is the fact that Uzziah received religious instruction from Zechariah (v. 5). Zechariah, however, was stoned to death by some Judeans before the death of Amaziah's predecessor Joash (24:21-22), who died in 796. Uzziah, then, obviously was of a teachable age before 796 (by 796 he would have been 10 years old). His major independent accomplishments could not have come about until his sole regency began in 767 so these are the ones with which the historian is particularly concerned. (1-2 Chronicles - Bible Knowledge Commentary BORROW) 2 Chronicles 26:4 He did right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Amaziah had done. according to all: 2Ch 25:2 UZZIAH'S EARLY WALK WAS CORAM DEO He did right (yashar) in the sight of the LORD - The next verse gives us a major part of the secret of his spiritual success. At this time in King Uzziah's life it appears that his heart was wholly God's. It follows that he is a glorious illustration of the truth of 2Ch 16:9+ which promises that "the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." Doing right in the sight of the LORD means living under divine oversight, knowing that God sees every act and every motive (Pr 15:3+, Heb 4:13+). It is a life of reverent accountability before a holy God. As we might say today it is living Coram Deo-Before the Face of God. Sadly, as the rest of Amaziah's story shows, a good beginning does not guarantee a good finish. 🙏 THOUGHT - Are you living Coram Deo-Before the Face of God, remembering that our life will ultimately be evaluated at the Bema Seat of Christ, not by what men see, but what the LORD sees. When God takes the measure of a man or woman, He doesn't but a "tape measure" around your head to see how much you know, but He puts it around your heart to see how much you obey! (cf Pr 4:23+) Henry
2 Crônicas 26
Vernon McGee - In ancient warfare they had certain kinds of machines that would hurl rocks. Also they could fix bows that would shoot arrows without being pulled by human power. And they were able to build bows of tremendous size that would shoot arrows a great distance. It is interesting to note that this man Uzziah was responsible for this new method of warfare. Hence his fame (shem) spread afar - Literally “And his name went out far.” Beware of Fame— It Often Tests Character More Than Failure 🙏 THOUGHT - Fame has a subtle way of feeding the very things Christ calls us to crucify—pride, self-reliance, and the craving for applause, in short SELF! Failure tends to drive us to our knees, but fame tempts us to stand taller than we should. Many have handled adversity with grace yet were ruined by success. The heart that once sought God in obscurity can slowly begin to seek the mirror when the crowd starts cheering. When a person becomes known, honest friends grow quiet and flatterers grow loud. Applause can drown out conscience. Fame invites new counselors—often the kind who tell us what we want to hear rather than what we need to hear. The danger is not being known; the danger is believing your own press. Fame whispers, “You are the reason this happened.” Scripture answers, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor 4:7+). The more gifted a person becomes, the easier it is to confuse God’s kindness with personal greatness. Crowds demand time, image demands energy, and soon the hidden life with God becomes optional. Yet every public fall begins with a private drift. The soul was not designed to live on applause; it was designed to live on communion with God. Fame does not change who we are—it reveals who we already were. If humility is present, fame can widen service; if pride is present, fame will widen ruin. Character is the foundation; fame is only the spotlight. Remember that Christ emptied Himself of reputation (Phil 2:7+), so let us imitate Him (1Jn 2:6+). Keep a circle of truth-telling friends. And stay close to the Word of God and the God of the Word and you will be kept safe from the subtle snare or fame. For (important term of explanation) - What is the writer explaining? He is telling us why Uzziah's name went out far and wide. It was not just Uzziah's doing but the LORD's providing. he was marvelously helped ('azar; LXX - boetheo) until he was strong (chazaq; LXX - katischuo - became dominant, prevailed) - Who marvelously helped with all the preceding successes? Clearly this is a reference to Yahweh's good hand of blessing on Uzziah while he sought the Lord. Oh, how we need to remember this principle - primarily for the prospering of our spirituality! 🙏 THOUGHT - While I do not want to push this too far, the use of the Greek verb boetheo means to coming running on hearing a cry for help. Did Uzziah cry out to Yahweh for help? Possibly. It is interesting that his sin was offering incense, which is a picture of prayer! Applying this to our life, Hebrews 2:18+ says "For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid (boetheo) of those who are tempted." In other words, the writer of Hebrews is saying when His brethren cry out in times of temptation and suffering, Jesus hears and runs to our aid to render help. He many not remove the temptation or suffering, but His Spirit is able to give us the spiritual power to endure through the temptation or suffering. If you are being tempted or suffering, consider listening to the old Maranathan chorus CRY OUT. Andrew Hill: The Chronicler suggests that Uzziah is an inventor of sorts, designing “machines” (26:15; or “inventions,” from the Heb. hsb, “to think”) for use in combat. The immediate context suggests that this new offensive weapon is a type of catapult. (The NIV Application Commentary – 1 & 2 Chronicles.) Martin Selman: Verse 15 forms an inclusion with verses 7-8 by repeating the three key terms, fame, helped, and powerful/strong (v. 15), which characterize the section. The adverb “marvelously” (NRSV, RSV) or “wonderfully” (REB, NEB) always implies that God is the subject, cf. GNB, “the help he received from God” (cf. Isa. 28:29; 29:14; Joel 2:26; Ps. 31:21)....The chief reason for Uzziah’s success is God’s help. This is a special word in Chronicles (cf.e.g. 1 Chronicles 12:19; 2 Chronicles 14:11; 25:8) whose meaning is equivalent in the New Testament to the enabling work of the Holy Spirit (cf. Romans 8:26; 2 Timothy 1:14; cf. Acts 26:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:2). (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries – 2 Chronicles. BORROW) G Campbell