2 Chronicles 26:16–21
A king grows strong, becomes proud, enters the temple where he had no right, and is struck with leprosy
Study it word by word16But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his own destruction; he was unfaithful to YHWH his Elohim, and went into the temple of YHWH to burn incense on the altar of incense.
17Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of YHWH, valiant men.
18They stood against Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to YHWH, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful, and this will not be for your honor from YHWH Elohim.”
19Uzziah was enraged, and in his hand was a censer to burn incense; and when he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of YHWH, beside the altar of incense.
20Azariah the head priest and all the priests turned toward him, and look, he was leprous on his forehead. They rushed him out of there, and he himself also hurried to go out, because YHWH had struck him.
21Uzziah the king was leprous until the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house, leprous, for he was cut off from the house of YHWH; and Jotham his son was over the house of the king, judging the people of the land.
In its context
14Uzziah prepared for them, for all the army, shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slings.
15He made in Jerusalem devices, the invention of an inventor, to be on the towers and on the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. And his name went out far, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.
…
22The rest of the acts of Uzziah, the first and the last, Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, wrote.
23Uzziah lay down with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial that belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is leprous.” And Jotham his son reigned in his place.
Its words in the original
- חֶזְקָתchezkat· strength, power
Strength, might: the fact of becoming strong. Said of a king when his power is secure.
- גָּבַהּgavah· be high, be proud
To be high, to rise up; figuratively, to be exalted or to become proud.
- לִבּlib· heart
Heart. In Hebrew it is not only the place of feelings: it is the center of the person, where one thinks, decides and wills; also the middle of something.
- הַשְׁחִיתhashchit· corrupt, destroy
Spoil, corrupt; destroy, ruin. The same verb can say what people do to the earth (corrupt it) and what God does in judgment (destroy).
- יִּמְעַלyimal· be unfaithful
Be unfaithful, break the loyalty owed; especially, keep for oneself what belongs to God.
- יהוָהyhva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- אֱלֹהָיelohay· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- יָּבֹאyavo· come, go in, bring
Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.
- הֵיכַלhechal· temple, palace
Temple or palace: a large building, the house of a king or the house of God. It also names the main hall of the temple, in front of the inner sanctuary, and the sanctuary at Shiloh in Samuel's time.
- הַקְטִירhaktir· offer up in smoke
Offer up in smoke: burn an offering or incense on the altar so that it rises as smoke. Also said of burning incense to other gods.
- מִזְבַּחmizbach· altar
Altar: a structure of stone or earth on which sacrifices are offered to God.
- קְּטֹרֶתketoret· incense
Incense: a mixture of spices burned to give sweet-smelling smoke; also the smoke of a burned sacrifice.
- עֲזַרְיָהוּazaryahu· Azariah
Azariah: the name of many men in the Bible: priests and officials in the time of Solomon (1 Kings 4:2, 5), a king of Judah also called Uzziah (2 Kings 15), one of Daniel's companions (Daniel 1:6), and others. The name means "YHWH has helped."
- כֹּהֵןkohen· priest
Priest: one who serves God on behalf of the people and presents the offerings.
- שְׁמוֹנִיםshemonim· eighty
Eighty.
- בְּנֵיbene· son
Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).
- חָיִלchayil· strength; wealth, army
Strength, ability; depending on the passage, wealth, an army, or valor.
- יַּעַמְדוּyaamdu· stand
Stand; stay, remain, endure. "Stand before" someone is to serve him or be in his presence. In another form of the verb, set up, place, appoint.
- עֻזִּיָּהוּuziyahu· Uzziah
Uzziah: a name meaning "my strength is YHWH." Another name of King Azariah of Judah (2 Kings 15:13, 30, 32; Isaiah 6:1); other men also bear it (1 Chronicles 6:24; Ezra 10:21).
- מֶּלֶךְmelech· king
King: the ruler of a city, a people or a kingdom.
- יֹּאמְרוּyomru· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- אַהֲרֹןaharon· Aaron
Aaron, the older brother of Moses, his spokesman before Pharaoh and the first high priest of Israel.
- מְקֻדָּשִׁיםmekudashim· consecrate, be holy
Set something apart for God, declare it holy; be holy. God set apart the seventh day as a day different from the others.
- צֵאtse· go out, bring out
Go out, come out. In the causative form, "make go out", "bring out", "lead out", "produce".
- מִּקְדָּשׁmikdash· sanctuary
Sanctuary: a place set apart for God; also a holy thing. Said too of the shrines of other gods.
- כָבוֹדchavod· glory, honor
Weight, importance; from there glory, honor, splendor. Sometimes wealth: what makes someone "weigh".
- יִּזְעַףyizaf· be downcast; rage
Be downcast, troubled. Elsewhere, be enraged.
- יָדyad· hand, power
Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.
- מִקְטֶרֶתmikteret· censer
Censer: a vessel with coals in which incense is burned.
- צָּרַעַתtsaraat· leprosy (tsaraat)
Tsaraat, translated "leprosy": a skin disease that made a person unclean; the same word is used for marks on clothing and on houses (Leviticus 13-14). It covers more than the disease that bears that name today.
- זָרְחָהzarcha· rise, shine
Rise (of the sun); shine, dawn.
- מִצְחmitsch· forehead
Forehead.
- פְנֵיfene· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- בֵיתvet· house, household
House. Also the family that lives in it ("the house of Noah") and someone's descendants ("the house of David"); also a temple, "the house of God".
- יִּפֶןyifen· turn
Turn, turn toward something; face, look. In another form of the verb, clear, empty a place.
- רֹאשׁrosh· head, chief
Head. From there the first or the chief of a group, the top of a mountain, the beginning of something, or the sum; also the branches of a river.
- מְצֹרָעmetsora· have leprosy
Have tsaraat ("leprosy"): a skin disease that made a person unclean (Leviticus 13). It is not exactly the disease called leprosy today.
- יַּבְהִלוּyavhilu· be terrified, dismayed
Be terrified, suddenly alarmed; hurry in alarm.
- נִדְחַףnidchaf· hurry, hasten
Hurry, hasten; push someone to go quickly.
- נִגְּעnig· touch
Touch; also reach, or strike.
- יְהִיyehi· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- יוֹםyom· day
Day: the hours of light, or a whole day from one evening to the next. Also an indefinite time or age ("in the day that...", "in those days").
- מוֹתmot· death
Death; also the realm of the dead, or a deadly plague.
- יֵּשֶׁבyeshev· sit, dwell
Sit, sit down; from there stay in a place, live, dwell. In the causative form, settle someone, make to dwell. Also sit as judge or as king.
- חָפְשִׁיתchafshit· separateness
A word found only in the phrase "house of freedom" or "separate house" (2 Kings 15:5; 2 Chronicles 26:21), where King Azariah lived when he became leprous. Its exact sense is not known: the lexicon thinks of a place of separation because of sickness.
- נִגְזַרnigzar· cut, divide, decide
Cut, split in two; hence to separate someone, to exclude, or to decide a matter.
- יוֹתָםyotam· Jotham
Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, the only one who escaped the slaughter of his brothers. Later a king of Judah bore the same name (2 Kings 15:32). It means "YHWH is perfect."
- שׁוֹפֵטshofet· judge
Judge: decide who is in the right and do him justice; also punish. Also rule, govern.
- עַםam· people
People: a human group joined by kinship, history and destiny. "My people", said by God, is Israel. Also the people as a crowd, or troops.
- אָרֶץarets· earth, land
The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").