2 Chronicles 26:21

2Ch 26:21 And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, [being] a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son [was] over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.

Ver. 21. A leper until the day of his death.] Some leprosy was curable, and some not.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch 26:21. Uzziah was a leper unto the day of his death — God would have this leprosy to be incurable, as a lasting monument of his anger against such presumptuous invaders of the priest’s office. Dwelt in a several house, &c. — As he was obliged to do by law, which he durst not now resist, being under the hand of God, and under the fear of worse plagues, if he did not so. For he was cut off from the house of the Lord — He dwelt in a several house, because he might not come into the temple and courts, nor consequently into any public assembly. So the punishment answers the sin, as face does to face in a glass. He thrust himself into the temple of God, whither the priests only had admission: and for that was thrust out of the very courts of the temple, into which the meanest of his subjects might enter. He invaded the dignity of the priesthood, to which he had no right, and is for that deprived of the royal dignity, to which he had an undoubted right.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26:21 The leprosy forced King Uzziah to spend the end of his life in quarantine in a separate house (literally a free house). The significance of this term is not known; it is often interpreted to mean that he was free from the duties of the monarchy. In Ugaritic texts, it seems to be a euphemism for a place of total confinement.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

According to the commandment of the Lord, Lev. 13:46.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

dwelt in a several house--in an infirmary [BERTHEAU].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 21. And dwelt in a several house] He was separated, because of the infectious nature of his disorder, from all society, domestic, civil, and religious.

Jotham - was over the king's house] He became regent of the land; his father being no longer able to perform the functions of the regal office.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(21) Was a leper . . . several house.—2Ki_14:5. Rather, in the hospital, or lazar house.

For he was cut off (Psa_88:5; Isa_53:8) from the house of the Lord.—This ground of Uzziah’s dwelling in a sick house is added by the chronicler. Having been formally excluded as a leper from the sacred precincts, he was obliged to isolate himself from society. (Comp. Lev_13:46.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21–23 (= 2Ki_15:5-7). The End of Uzziah

21. a several house] i.e. separate, special; cp. Num_28:13; Mat_25:15. The same Heb. word is used in Psa_88:5, “free (R.V. “cast off”) among the dead.”

cut off] The same Heb. word is translated in the same way in Isa_53:8.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

So Uzziah slept with his fathers,.... Died as they did, the same year, according to Dr. Lightfoot (e), in which he was smitten with the leprosy; and in the year of his death it was Isaiah had the vision related in Isa 6:1, &c.

and they buried him with his fathers; See Gill on Kg2 15:7.

(e) Works, vol. 1. p. 99.

Next: 2 Chronicles Chapter 27

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

A several house - See the marginal reference “q” note; and compare Ps. 88, which is supposed by some to refer to Uzziah.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Unto the day of his death: God would have this leprosy to be incurable, as a lasting monument of his anger against such presumptuous invaders of the priest’s office.

Dwelt in a several house; as he was obliged to do by law, Lev 13:16, which he durst not now resist, being under the hand and stroke of God, and under the fear of further and worse plagues, if he did so.

For he was cut off; so the following words are a reason of the former; he dwelt in a several house, because he might not come into the temple or courts, nor consequently into any public assembly, or the society of others. Or, and therefore, as the Hebrew chi often signifies; and the particle and is oft understood. So it is an inference from the next foregoing words, He was a leper, and therefore he was cut off, &c. He who could not content himself with God’s allowance, but usurped the priest’s place and office, is now deprived of the privilege of the meanest of his people. A just and most suitable judgment.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

21. A several house — Free from, or apart from, others, as the law required. Lev_13:46; Num_5:3. See note on 2Ki_15:5. Jotham his son was over the king’s house — Thus the son was pro-rex some time before his father’s death.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And dwelt in a several house. The Hebrew for "several house" is twOvpjh the parallel (2Ki_15:5) showing yod instead of van in the last syllable. The verbal root is vpj and occurs once. (Lev_19:20, with the Authorized Version rendering "was free;" in the same verse is also found a feminine noun derived from it, and rendered in the Authorized Version "freedom The adjective yvipj; occurs sixteen times, and is always rendered in the Authorized Version "free," except once "at liberty". (Jer_34:16) The "freedom" conveyed by the word is that of separation, in the use of it as found here. The leper and the house in which he lived were kept free from contact with others. (Lev_13:46) Gesenius appears, however, to prefer the idea of "infirmity," "sickness," as determining the cast of the meaning of the word in our text, and goes so far as to translate it an "hospital," quoting the word of Suidas, to nosokomeion.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

His death - God would have this leprosy to be incurable, as a lasting monument of his anger against such presumptuous invaders of the priest's office. Dwelt, &c. - As he was obliged to do by law, which he durst not now resist, being under the hand of God, and under the fear of worse plagues, if he did not so. For - He dwelt in a several house, because he might not come into the temple or courts, nor consequently into any publick assembly. So the punishment answered the sin, as face does to face in a glass. He thrust himself into the temple of God, whether the priests only had admission: and for that was thrust out of the very courts of the temple, into which the meanest of, his subjects might enter. He invaded the dignity of the priesthood, to which he had no right, and is for that deprived of the royal dignity, to which he had an undoubted right.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

to the day of his death

"until he died" or "the rest of his life"

lived in a separate house

This indicates that he lived away from other houses and other people.

he was cut off from the house of Yahweh

Here being "cut off" from Yahweh's house represents being excluded from the temple. AT: "he was excluded from the house of Yahweh" or "he was not allowed to go to the temple" (See: Metaphor)

Jotham, his son, was over the king's house

Here being over something represents having responsibility or authority for it. AT: "Jotham, his son, was responsible for the king's house" or "Jotham, his son, was in charge of the palace" (See: Metaphor)

the king's house

This refers to the king's palace, which the king was no longer living in.

translationWords

die

cut off

Jotham

people group

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

in a house of retirement Heb. בֵּית הַחָפְשִׁית. And in Yerushalmi (unknown) it is explained that he made himself a house in the cemetery, reminiscent of (Ps. 88:6): “Among the dead, a free man (חָפְשִׁי).”

for it had been decreed upon him to come no longer among people, similar to (Esther 2:1): “and that which was decreed upon her.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.