*H And all the people of Juda took his son Ozias, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of Amasias his father.
Ver. 1. Ozias, called Azarias (4 K. xiv. 21. C.) improperly. H.
* Footnote * 4_Kings 14 : 21
And all the people of Juda took Azarias, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father, Amasias.*H He built Ailath, and restored it to the dominion of Juda, after that the king slept with his fathers.
Ver. 2. Juda, till the reign of Achaz. 4 K. xvi. 6. It had revolted under Joram. C.
*H And he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that Amasias his father had done.
Ver. 4. Done. And was successful, as long as he attended to the high priest. Num. xxvii. 21. W.
*H And he sought the Lord in the days of Zacharias that understood and saw God: and as long as he sought the Lord, he directed him in all things.
Ver. 5. God, or who had the gift of intelligence and prophecy from God. Heb. "who was intelligent in the visions of God." Others have read birath, with the Sept. "in the fear;" or Chal. &c. "instructing in the fear of the Lord." The Jews childishly understand Zacharias to mean the king himself, in the early part of his reign. Others suppose the priest, who was slain by Joas, is designated. Lyran. — But this was rather his son (T. Cajet. C.) and successor, as well as a prophet, who had therefore a more perfect knowledge of God; though none can comprehend his being. H.
*H Moreover he went forth and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Geth, and the wall of Jabnia, and the wall of Azotus: and he built towns in Azotus, and among the Philistines.
Ver. 6. In. Prot. "about Ashdod." Sept. "he built (or repaired) the cities of Azotus," to keep under the Philistines, who had revolted under Joram. C. xxi. 16.
*H And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians, that dwelt in Gurbaal, and against the Ammonites.
Ver. 7. Gurbaal. Gerara, (S. Jer. Trad.) or Gebal. Ps. lxxxii. 8. Sept. "the rock," or Petra, in Arabia, where Stephanus places the Gabalenes. — Ammonites. Heb. mehunim. Sept. "Mineans," (C. xx. 1. H.) upon the Red Sea, (Steph.) or Mediterranean, (Pliny vi. 28,) or in Arabia Felix. Strabo. M.
*H And the Ammonites gave gifts to Ozias: and his name was spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt for his frequent victories.
Ver. 8. Gifts. Tribute. C. xxvii. 5. C. — Victories. Prot. "he strengthened himself exceedingly." H.
*H And Ozias built towers in Jerusalem over the gate of the corner, and over the gate of the valley, and the rest, in the same side of the wall, and fortified them.
Ver. 9. Corner. Repairing what Joas had demolished. 4 K. xiv. 13. T.
*H And he built towers in the wilderness, and dug many cisterns, for he had much cattle both in the plains, and in the waste of the desert: he had also vineyards and dressers of vines in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he was a man that loved husbandry.
Ver. 10. Wilderness, for the protection of shepherds. 4 K. xvii. 9. — Plains. Heb. "valleys, and in the plains husbandmen, and vinedressers in the mountains, and in Carmel; for he loved the earth, or husbandry," like David. 1 Par. xvii. 25. &c. — Carmel, means, "the vine of God;" as both the mount in Juda, where Nabal resided, and that on the Mediterranean Sea, were famous for wine. Ozias probably cultivated the former mountain. C.
*H And the army of his fighting men, that went out to war, was under the hand of Jehiel the scribe, and Maasias the doctor, and under the hand of Henanias, who was one of the king's captains.
Ver. 11. Doctor. Heb. shoter. Sept. "judge." Prot. "ruler." H. — The term is commonly understood of one who executes the sentence of the judge. But this employment does not suit a general, (C.) though such a one might well command. It many denote any "officer." H.
*H And he made in Jerusalem engines of diverse kinds, which he placed in the towers, and in the corners of the walls, to shoot arrows, and great stones: and his name went forth far abroad, for the Lord helped him, and had strengthened him.
Ver. 15. Engines. They are here mentioned for the first time. C. — For the. Heb. "for he was wonderfully helped till he was established." H. — He invented many things for the defence of his kingdom. C.
*H And immediately Azarias the priest going in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, most valiant men,
Ver. 17. Azarias. The prophet, who had hitherto kept the king (H.) within bounds, was now no more, v. 5. T.
*H Withstood the king and said: It doth not belong to thee, Ozias, to burn incense to the Lord, but to the priests, that is, to the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated for this ministry: go out of the sanctuary, do not despise: for this thing shall not be accounted to thy glory by the Lord God.
Ver. 18. To thee. For usurping spiritual authority, the king was opposed by the high priest; and God confirmed the sentence of the latter, by striking Ozias with the leprosy; on which account, he was not only cast out of the temple, but also lost his kingdom, being obliged to live apart; (Lev. xiii. 46,) and after death, he could not be buried with his ancestors. W.
* Footnote * Exodus 30 : 7
And Aaron shall burn sweet smelling incense upon it in the morning. When he shall dress the lamps, he shall burn it:*H And Ozias was angry, and holding in his hand the censer to burn incense, threatened the priests. And presently there rose a leprosy in his forehead before the priests, in the house of the Lord at the altar of incense.
Ver. 19. Forehead. So that it could not be concealed. According to the rigour of the law, such an offender was to be slain. Num. iii. 10. and xviii. 7. The leprosy was considered as equivalent, and is styled destruction, (v. 16,) and death. Isai. vi. 1. M. See 4 K. xv. 6.
* Footnote * 4_Kings 15 : 5
And the Lord struck the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and he dwelt in a free house apart: but Joatham, the king's son, governed the palace, and judged the people of the land.*H But the rest of the acts of Ozias first and last were written by Isaias the son of Amos, the prophet.
Ver. 22. Prophet. Yet we find little concerning him in the prophecy of Isaias; so that the work has been lost, except what Esdras hath preserved. C.
*H And Ozias slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the field of the royal sepulchres, because he was a leper: and Joatham his son reigned in his stead.
Ver. 23. Leper. So much was the disease abhorred, (C.) as well as the king's late conduct. H.