Uzziah
The name Uzziah means “Uzziel, the strength, or kid, of the Lord”
Summary
Profile
Uzziah was the son of Amaziah and Jecoliah. He was king of Judah for 52 years, from 792 to 740 BC (see 2 Kings 14:21–22; 15:1–2; 2 Chronicles 26:1–3). He began as co-ruler with his father at age sixteen for about 25 years. After his father was assassinated, Uzziah became the only ruler. He was a capable, energetic, and well-organized king who pleased the Lord for most of his reign.
During most of Uzziah’s reign, Jeroboam II ruled the northern kingdom of Israel from 793 to 753 BC. Both kings were successful and brought a long period of prosperity to Israel and Judah. Uzziah successfully fought the Philistines and built many fortifications in Jerusalem and throughout Judah. He "sought the LORD" (2 Chronicles 26:5), and as long as he did, the Lord blessed him in all his efforts, and he prospered.
Several prophets were active during Uzziah’s reign. Amos and Hosea prophesied during his life (Hosea 1:1; Amos 1:1), though most of their messages were for the northern kingdom. The prophet Isaiah received his call the year Uzziah died (Isaiah 1:1; 6:1).
Uzziah became proud of his many successes, which led to his downfall (2 Chronicles 26:16). He acted like a priest, entered the holy area of the temple, and burned incense. The priests tried to stop him from sinning against the Lord, but he angrily ignored their warnings. Because of his disobedience, God gave Uzziah leprosy, and he had to live the rest of his life in isolation. Uzziah was buried with his ancestors, but at a distance because of his leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:23).
Passages for Further Study
2 Kings 14:21–22; 15:1–7; 2 Chronicles 26:1–23; Isaiah 1:1; 6:1; Hosea 1:1; Amos 1:1; Zechariah 14:5
Events
- Reign of Uzziahc. 810 BC
- Death of Uzziahc. 758 BC
Glossary entries
Family members
Alternative names
- ὈζίαςUzziah
- עֻזִּיָּהוּUzziah
- עֲזַרְיָהAzariahmeans “he that hears the Lord”
Mentions
Includes 13 verses that refer to Uzziah without naming them, as “he”, “she”, or the subject of a verb.
- 2 Kings 14:21עֲזַרְיָה · AzariahThen all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
- 2 Kings 14:22Referred to, not namedAzariah was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah rested with his fathers.
- 2 Kings 15:1עֲזַרְיָה · AzariahIn the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah became king of Judah.
- 2 Kings 15:2Referred to, not namedHe was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem.
- 2 Kings 15:3Referred to, not namedAnd he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.
- 2 Kings 15:6עֲזַרְיָה · AzariahAs for the rest of the acts of Azariah, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
- 2 Kings 15:7עֲזַרְיָה · AzariahAnd Azariah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in the City of David. And his son Jotham reigned in his place.
- 2 Kings 15:8עֲזַרְיָה · AzariahIn the thirty-eighth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria six months.
- 2 Kings 15:13עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahIn the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah’s reign over Judah, Shallum son of Jabesh became king, and he reigned in Samaria one full month.
- 2 Kings 15:17עֲזַרְיָה · AzariahIn the thirty-ninth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years.
- 2 Kings 15:23עֲזַרְיָה · AzariahIn the fiftieth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel and reigned in Samaria two years.
- 2 Kings 15:27עֲזַרְיָה · AzariahIn the fifty-second year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty years.
- 2 Kings 15:30עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahThen Hoshea son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah. In the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah, Hoshea attacked Pekah, killed him, and reigned in his place.
- 2 Kings 15:32עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahIn the second year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah over Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah.
- 2 Kings 15:34עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahAnd he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done.
- 1 Chronicles 3:12עֲזַרְיָה · AzariahAmaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,
- 2 Chronicles 26:1עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahAll the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
- 2 Chronicles 26:2Referred to, not namedUzziah was the one who rebuilt Eloth and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah rested with his fathers.
- 2 Chronicles 26:3עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahUzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem.
- 2 Chronicles 26:4Referred to, not namedAnd he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.
- 2 Chronicles 26:5Referred to, not namedHe sought God throughout the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. And as long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.
- 2 Chronicles 26:6Referred to, not namedUzziah went out to wage war against the Philistines, and he tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built cities near Ashdod and among the Philistines.
- 2 Chronicles 26:7Referred to, not namedGod helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs living in Gur-baal, and against the Meunites.
- 2 Chronicles 26:8עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahThe Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, for he had become exceedingly powerful.
- 2 Chronicles 26:9עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahUzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and the angle in the wall, and he fortified them.
- 2 Chronicles 26:10Referred to, not namedSince he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain, he built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns. And since he was a lover of the soil, he had farmers and vinedressers in the hill country and in the fertile fields.
- 2 Chronicles 26:11עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahUzziah had an army ready for battle that went out to war by assigned divisions, as recorded by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officers.
- 2 Chronicles 26:14עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahUzziah supplied the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and slingstones.
- 2 Chronicles 26:15Referred to, not namedAnd in Jerusalem he made skillfully designed devices to shoot arrows and catapult large stones from the towers and corners. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was helped tremendously until he became powerful.
- 2 Chronicles 26:16Referred to, not namedBut when Uzziah became powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.
- 2 Chronicles 26:17Referred to, not namedThen Azariah the priest, along with eighty brave priests of the LORD, went in after him.
- 2 Chronicles 26:18עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahThey took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD. Only the priests, the descendants of Aaron, are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully; you will not receive honor from the LORD God.”
- 2 Chronicles 26:19עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahUzziah, with a censer in his hand to offer incense, was enraged. But while he raged against the priests in their presence in the house of the LORD before the altar of incense, leprosy broke out on his forehead.
- 2 Chronicles 26:20Referred to, not namedWhen Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw his leprous forehead, they rushed him out. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because the LORD had afflicted him.
- 2 Chronicles 26:21עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahSo King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in isolation, leprous and cut off from the house of the LORD, while his son Jotham had charge of the royal palace and governed the people of the land.
- 2 Chronicles 26:22עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahAs for the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from beginning to end, they are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
- 2 Chronicles 26:23עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahAnd Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field of burial that belonged to the kings, for the people said, “He was a leper.” And his son Jotham reigned in his place.
- 2 Chronicles 27:2עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahAnd he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done. In addition, he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people still behaved corruptly.
- Isaiah 1:1עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahThis is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
- Isaiah 6:1עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahIn the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.
- Isaiah 7:1עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahNow in the days that Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram marched up to wage war against Jerusalem. He was accompanied by Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel, but he could not overpower the city.
- Hosea 1:1עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahThis is the word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel.
- Amos 1:1עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahThese are the words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, in the days when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.
- Zechariah 14:5עֻזִּיָּהוּ · UzziahYou will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.
- Matthew 1:8Ὀζίας · UzziahAsa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah.
- Matthew 1:9Ὀζίας · UzziahUzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.