(2 Kings 14:2), he could scarcely have been his eldest son. Probably there was, therefore, a special

reason for his selection by the people. Possibly there may be some connection between it and the

twofold name which he bears in Holy Scripture. In 2 Chronicles -written, as we may say, from the

priestly point of view - the new king is always called Uzziah,* while in the Book of Kings he is

designated during the first part of his reign as Azariah, while one notices of the latter part of that

period he appears as Uzziah (2 Kings 15:13, 30, 32, 34).

* With the exception of 1 Chronicles 3:12, which forms part of a bare genealogical list.

The usual explanations either of a clerical error through the confusion of similar letters,* or that h e

bore two names,** seem equally unsatisfactory. Nor is the meaning of the two names precisely the

same - Azariah being "Jehovah helps;" Uzziah, "My strength is Jehovah." May it not be that

Azariah was his real name,*** and that when after his daring intru sion into the sanctuary (2

Chronicles 26:16-20), he was smitten with lifelong leprosy, his name was significantly altered into

the cognate Uzziah - "My strength is Jehovah" - in order to mark that the "help" which he had

received had been dependent on his relation to the LORD.

* The r is supposed to be confused with y ; but we can scarcely imagine a confusion so often

** Of this there is not another instance in the Old Testament as regards kings.

*** This is the name always given on the Assyrian monuments, Azrijahu.

This would accord with the persistent use of the latter name in 2 Chronicles - considering the

view-point of the writer and with its occurrence in the prophetic writings (Hosea 1:1; Amos 1:1;

Isaiah 1:1; 6:1; 7:1). And the explanation just suggested seems confirmed by the circumstance that

although this king is always called Uzziah in 2 Chronicles, yet the Hebrew word for "help," which

forms the first part of the name Azariah, recurs with marked emphasis in the account of the Divine

help accorded in his expeditions (2 Chronicles 26:7, 13, 15).

At the accession of Uzziah (as we shall prefer to call him) the throne of Israel had been already

occupied for fourteen years by Jeroboam II., the son and successor of that Jehoash who had

inflicted such defeat on Amaziah of Judah (2 Kings 14:23). His exceptionally long reign extended

over fifty-one years,* being the longest of that of any Israelitish king."**

* In 2 Kings 14:23, the number is 41 - am - which must be a clerical error for 51, an . For a

comparison of the date in 2 Kings 14:23 with that in 15:8, gives 15 + 38 = 53 years, or deducting

one at each end (the years not being full), fifty-one years. Commonly the numerals are conciliated

by assuming an interregnum of ten or eleven years after the death of Jeroboam II. (2 Kings 15:8).

But of this there is not the least indication in 2 Kings 14:29 - rather the contrary. Again, according

to Hosea 1:1, that prophet's activity extended from the reign of Jeroboam II, to that of Hezekiah o f

Judah - a period almost impossible if Jeroboam II. had only reigned forty-one years. For other

attempts to conciliate the numbers here and in 2 Kings 15:1, see the Art. Zeitrechrung (Herzog.

Real-Enc. u.s., pp. 471, 472). We have followed Bahr in his Comment. on the passage in Lange's

Bibel-Werk, Part vii.

** This even if we make his reign one of forty-one years.

Holy Scripture gives only the briefest sketch of outward events during that half-century in Israel.

Religiously, it was marked by a continuance of the wrongful institutions of the founder of the

Israelitish monarchy (Jeroboam I.). Politically, it was distinguished by the complete defeat of

Syria, and the recovery of all the territory which had, in the most flourishing times of united

Judah,* been conquered by David or occupied by Solomon' in the language of the sacred text,

"from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain" (2 Kings 14:25).