2 Chronicles 26:1 - Exposition

Uzziah ; Hebrew, עֻזִּיָּה . (signifying "Strength of Jehovah"). Once in Chronicles, and once only ( 1 Chronicles 3:12 ), this king's name is given Azariah, Hebrew, עֲזַרְיָה (signifying "Help of Jehovah") or עֲזַרְיָהוּ ; and Isaiah ( Isaiah 1:1 , etc.), Hosea ( Hosea 1:1 , etc.), and Amos ( Amos 1:1 , etc.) always use the word Uzziah. In the parallel, however, and in both the chapters in which the parallel clauses lie, the word Azariah is used, as well in other clauses as in those ( e.g. 2 Kings 15:1 , 2 Kings 15:6 , 2 Kings 15:8 , 2 Kings 15:23 , 2 Kings 15:27 ), yet Uzziah is also used in verses intermingled with them ( e.g. 2 Chronicles 26:13 , 30, 32, 34). It is probable that Azariah was the first-used name, that the latter name was not a corruption of the former, but that, for whatever reason, the king was called by both names. Nevertheless, the apt analogy that has been pointed out of Uzziel ( 1 Chronicles 25:4 ) and Azareel (18) is noteworthy. (See Keil and Bertheau on 1 Kings 15:2 and 2 Kings 14:21 ; and Keil on our present passage.) Sixteen years old . Therefore Uzziah must have been born just before the fatal outside mistake of his father's life in the challenge he sent to Joash of Israel, and after the deadly inner mistake of his soul in turning aside to "the gods of the children of Seir."