Kingdom of Judah · around 790–740 BC
Uzziah in the Bible
The Mighty King Struck with Leprosy. Name meaning: “My strength is the LORD” (probable meaning of the Hebrew); the book of Kings also calls him Azariah, “the LORD has helped” (probable meaning)
King of Judah at sixteen, Uzziah (also called Azariah) reigns fifty-two years. As long as he seeks the LORD, God makes him prosper: victories over the Philistines, towers, cisterns, a great army. But once he is strong, his heart is lifted up, he enters the temple to burn incense, and he is struck with leprosy on his forehead. He lives as a leper until his death, and it is in the year of his death that Isaiah sees the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up (Isa 6:1).
Key moments
- The people of Judah make him king at sixteen 2 Kings 14:21
- He seeks God, and God makes him prosper 2 Chronicles 26:5
- He breaks down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod 2 Chronicles 26:6
- He equips an army of 307,500 soldiers 2 Chronicles 26:13–14
- His heart is lifted up: he wants to burn incense 2 Chronicles 26:16
- Azariah the priest and eighty priests stand against him 2 Chronicles 26:17–18
- Leprosy breaks out on his forehead 2 Chronicles 26:19
- Isaiah sees the Lord in the year of his death Isaiah 6:1
Strengths
- Builder
- Strategist
- Early faith
- Pride
Weaknesses
Power was Uzziah’s undoing: “when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction” (2 Chr 26:16). He takes on a service reserved for the priests, then flares up at those who rebuke him instead of submitting (26:16-19). His leprosy will last until his death (26:21).
Lessons for today
- Prosperity comes from God: “as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper” (2 Chr 26:5).
- Success can be a trap for the heart: pride brought Uzziah down at the height of his power (2 Chr 26:15-16).
- God has set the roles in his service; we don’t take them up out of pride, even if we’re king (2 Chr 26:18).
- Learn to take correction: Uzziah’s anger at those who rebuked him came right before his leprosy (2 Chr 26:19).
And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.
But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
People around Uzziah
- Amaziah — His father, king of Judah, slain at Lachish
- Jotham — His son, who runs the king’s household during his leprosy and then succeeds him
- Azariah the priest — Stands against him in the temple with eighty priests
- Zechariah — A seer in whose days Uzziah sought the LORD
- Isaiah — The prophet who wrote his acts and received his vision in the year of Uzziah’s death
Stories with Uzziah
Quiz: how well do you know Uzziah?
How old was Uzziah when he became king of Judah?
Uzziah, also called Azariah, “was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem.” 2 Kings 15:2
What did Uzziah try to do in the temple that drew a rebuke?
Uzziah went into the temple “to burn incense upon the altar of incense,” a right that belonged to the priests, the sons of Aaron. 2 Chronicles 26:16–18
Which prophet saw the Lord on a high and lofty throne in the year Uzziah died?
“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up”: this is the vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz. Isaiah 6:1
There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start your free trial.