Uzziah

Notable Sources

All Sources

The Arrogance and Punishment of King Uzziah

TANAKH

King Uzziah's story serves as a powerful lesson on the dangers of arrogance and the consequences of overstepping divine boundaries. The Book of II Chronicles recounts Uzziah's rise to power, his achievements, and his downfall due to his attempt to perform a priestly duty, which led to his punishment by God.

Uzziah provided them—the whole army—with shields and spears, and helmets and mail, and bows and slingstones. He made clever devices in Jerusalem, set on the towers and the corners, for shooting arrows and large stones. His fame spread far, for he was helped wonderfully, and he became strong. When he was strong, he grew so arrogant he acted corruptly: he trespassed against his God by entering the Temple of the LORD to offer incense on the incense altar. The priest Azariah, with eighty other brave priests of the LORD, followed him in…

II Chronicles 26:14-23

A Leper's Conjugal Rights

TALMUD

King Uzziah, despite being a confirmed leper, was permitted to engage in conjugal relations, which serves as evidence when the topic is debated among the rabbis. In the Talmudic tractate Moed Katan, the rabbis discuss the permissibility of conjugal relations for a confirmed leper, using the example of King Uzziah.

And Rabbi Ḥiyya said: I deliberated this matter before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and said: Have you not taught us, our teacher, that King Jotham was only born to Uzziah, the king of Judah, during the days of his confirmed leprosy? This would indicate that a confirmed leper is permitted to engage in conjugal relations. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: I too said this; I am also of the opinion that a confirmed leper is permitted to engage in conjugal relations, in contrast to the opinion of Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda.

Moed Katan 7b:7

A Prophetic Earthquake

TANAKH

The catastrophic earthquake during King Uzziah's reign serves as a means of comparison for prophetic descriptions of future divine intervention. The Book of Zechariah, one of the Twelve Minor Prophets, contains prophecies about significant events, including a future geological upheaval likened to the earthquake in Uzziah's time.

And the Valley in the Hills shall be stopped up, for the Valley of the Hills shall reach only to Azal; it shall be stopped up as it was stopped up as a result of the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah.—And the ETERNAL my God, with all the holy beings, will come to you.

Zechariah 14:5

Uzziah's Spiritual Endeavor

CHASIDUT

Uzziah's leprosy, often seen as a punishment, is reinterpreted as a sign of his spiritual success and liberation. Rabbi Mordechai Leiner of Izbica, in his Chasidic commentary Mei HaShiloach, offers a profound spiritual perspective on Uzziah's actions and their consequences.

“The spider holds on with its hands, and it is in the chambers of the king.” (Mishlei, 30:28)
“Spider” (shmamit) teaches of anger and destruction (shomema). “Holds on with its hands” shows that the emergence of deficiency exists even with great people, for “the sages are the real kings.” And the sages, the leaders of thousands of Israel, have emerged from this to complete themselves, so as not to find this rooted in their hearts. So it was with Uziyah (see Divrei haYamim 2, Ch…

Mei HaShiloach, Volume I, Writings, Proverbs 30:3

The Pride and Punishment of King Uzziah

TALMUD

King Uzziah's pride led him to unlawfully burn incense in the Temple, resulting in a divine punishment of leprosy, fulfilling a curse among Solomon’s descendants. The Talmudic tractate Sanhedrin recounts the story of Uzziah’s transgression and its immediate consequence, emphasizing the importance of humility and obedience to divine law.

The curse of “a leper” was fulfilled among Solomon’s descendants in Uzziah, as it is written: “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” (II Chronicles 26:16). And it is also written: “And leprosy broke out on his forehead” (II Chronicles 26:19).

Sanhedrin 48b:16

No Preferential Treatment for Kings

COMMENTARY

Even a king, such as Uzziah, must be treated without preferential treatment and must be ostracized and isolated if afflicted with leprosy, just as any commoner would be. Rashbam, a medieval Jewish commentator, emphasizes the equal application of Torah laws, highlighting that even kings are subject to divine law.

השמר בנגע הצרעת לשמור מאד ולעשות, even if the person smitten with this disease is a king, as Uzziah, King of Yehudah, he will not be given preferential treatment and has to be ostracised and isolated just as any commoner afflicted with the same disease.

Rashbam on Deuteronomy 24:8:1

The Legacy of Uzziah's Falter

COMMENTARY

Jotham avoided the Temple because his father Uzziah's misstep there had profound consequences. Radak, a medieval Jewish commentator, provides insight into Jotham's actions and their historical context.

But [Jotham] did not enter the Temple of the Lord. That is, concerning this matter, he did not follow his father Uzziah, who went into the Temple of the Lord to offer incense (2 Chr 26:16). Alternatively, “But he did not enter the Temple of the Lord” means: Because his father Uzziah faltered there, he did not want to go inside to pray or to bring his offerings; so he offered them on shrines. For that is the meaning of “the people still acted corruptly,” as is made explicit in the book of Kings: “the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings at the shrines” (2 Kgs 15:35).

Radak on II Chronicles 27:2:1

The Rebellion of Uzziah

MIDRASH

The rebellion of Uzziah against the priesthood, forewarned by God to Moses, serves as a powerful lesson on the consequences of defying divine authority. The Midrash Tanchuma, an early medieval collection of homiletic teachings, draws a parallel between Uzziah's rebellion and Korah's, emphasizing the unique punishment of leprosy as a divine response.

(Lev. 8:3:) “And assemble the whole congregation.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Pay him honor in front of all Israel, in order that they may see him today when he enters the high priesthood. [In addition,] you are to warn them not to rebel against the priesthood like Korah and his crowd (in Numb. 16:1-35). For I know that Uzziah is going to arise and rebel against the priesthood (in II Chron. 26:16-21).” Thus it is stated (in Numb. 17:5), “It was to be a reminder to the Children of Israel that no outsider [who was not of Aaron's seed] should draw near [to offer incense before…

Midrash Tanchuma, Tzav 11:1

Isaiah's Vision in the Year of Uzziah's Affliction

TARGUM

The prophet Isaiah's vision of divine glory occurred in the year King Uzziah died. The Targum Jonathan, an Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, adds that this was the same year that he was afflicted with leprosy.

In the year in which King Uzziah was smitten with the leprosy the prophet said, I saw the glory of the Lord sitting upon His throne, high, and lifted up unto the highest heavens, and the temple was filled with the brightness of His glory.

Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 6:1

The Prophets Emerge

MIDRASH

The reign of King Uzziah marks the beginning of the prophetic activities of Hosea, Amos, and Isaiah, pivotal figures in Jewish prophetic literature. Louis Ginzberg’s early 20th-century work, Legends of the Jews, notes this overlap.

The reign of Uzziah, who for a little while occupied the throne during his father Amaziah's lifetime, is notable particularly because it marks the beginning of the activity of three of the prophets, Hosea, Amos, and Isaiah. The oldest of the three was Hosea, the son of the prophet and prince Beeri, the Beeri who later was carried away captive by Tiglath-pileser, the king of Assyria. Of Beeri's prophecies we have but two verses, preserved for us by Isaiah.

Legends of the Jews 4:9:10

Learn Moreלקריאה נוספת

Wikipedia

Childילדים

Yotam

Parentהורה

Amaziah

Roleתפקיד

Kings

Sheetsדפי מקורות

Related Sheets