Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/349

Rh turn away from following the they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there. And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah. And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. Sixteen years old

a conspiracy] Athaliah, Joash, Amaziah each fell one after the other before a conspiracy. Jehoiada's example had far-reaching results.

to Lachish] Perhaps he was trying to reach Egypt.

28. upon horses] Render, upon the horses; i.e. upon the horses of some of his pursuers.

the city of Judah] Read, with the mg., the Versions and 2 Kin., the city of David.

XXVI. 1—4 (= 2 Kin. xiv. 21, 22, xv. 2, 3).&emsp;

1. all the people of Judah] Popular choice does not seem to have determined the succession to the throne, except when the reigning king had perished by a violent or untimely death, cp. xxii. 1.

Uzziah] Called "Azariah" in 1 Chr. iii. 12 and in 2 Kin. (eight times), but "Uzziah" in 2 Kin. xv. 13, 32, 34; Is. i. 1, vi. 1; Hos. i. 1; Amos i. 1; Zech. xiv. 5. The two forms of the name when written in Heb. consonants closely resemble each other; moreover the meanings of the two are similar, "Jah is my strength" and "Jah hath given help." Perhaps the king bore both names; cp. "Abram" and "Abraham"—"Eliakim" and "Jehoiakim" (xxxvi. 4).

2. Eloth] So spelt in viii. 17 (= 1 Kin. ix. 26), but "Elath" in Deut. ii. 8; 2 Kin. xiv. 22. In 2 Kin. xvi. 6 the two forms are found side by side in one verse.

after that the king, etc.] The meaning seems to be it was after king Amaziah slept with his fathers that Uzziah his son restored Elath to Judah; and it is a natural inference that Uzziah was ruling in Jerusalem for some while before the death of Amaziah at Lachish left him sole and undisputed king. A considerable time may have elapsed between Amaziah's flight and his capture as related in xxv. 27. Yet this is not very likely, and from the position of the present verse in Kings it would seem as though the statement in its original context should be interpreted thus: "he, Amaziah, built Eloth," etc.; and the king referred to in the clause "after that the king slept with his fathers" is probably Jeroboam king of Israel (so Barnes on 2 Kin. xiv. 22).