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2 Chronicles
Dylan Allegrezza
OBST515
10-08-23
1
Introduction
In the protestant Bible, Chronicles is made into 2 separate books. The Hebrew canon has
these two books in one. “If Chronicles is treated as a whole, there is a major break after the
genealogies at 1 Chronicles 9. Another major break comes after 2 Chronicles 9, which records
the death of Solomon.”
1
1 & 2 Chronicles looks at some of the same information that are found
in 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings. 1 & 2 Chronicles focuses on the religious history of the time.
There is much debate surrounding the date of 1 & 2 Chronicles, but one scholar explains, “The
attention given to temple worship and priestly duties would seem to imply a date following the
dedication of the Second Temple (that is, after 516/15 BC).”
2
The first king that the reader can see in 2 Chronicles 26-29 is Uzziah who became king of
Judah when he was 16 years old (2 Chronicles 26:3) and ruled the southern kingdom of Judah for
52 years. His father was King Amaziah who ruled from 796 to 767 BC. He was a good king who
honored God, “He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of
God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.” (2 Chronicles 26:5) His succuss led
to a pride problem within him, and eventually led him to God disciplining him with leprosy.
Uzziah had a son named Jotham who was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he
reigned in Jerusalem for 16 years (2 Chronicles 27:1). He ruled and honored God just as his
father did. After Jotham, Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king. He was known to be
an extremely sinful, evil, and wicked king as he reigned over his people. Ahaz closed the doors
of the temple of the Lord, worshiped, false, gods, and wanted nothing to do with God. It was
clear that God did not bless them during this time. Hezekiah became king after Ahaz when he
1 Thompson, John Arthur. 1, 2 Chronicles. Broadman & Holman, 1994.
2 Mabie, Frederick. 1 and 2 Chronicles The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Zondervan Academic, 2017.
2
was twenty-five years old. Hezekiah honored God and did right by Him. Hezekiah also restored
and repaired the temple of the Lord.
Authorship and Audience
Jewish tradition gives Ezra credit for the authorship of 2 Chronicles. The audience of 2
Chronicles is the Jewish people in Jerusalem in the surrounding areas following their return from
the Babylonian exile. Victor P. Hamilton notes, “So it appears that whoever wrote Chronicles
was writing to an audience of Judean Jews, most of whom not long before had returned from a
lengthy exile in Babylon.”
3
Theological Themes
The first theological theme that the reader can see in 2 Chronicles is God’s faithfulness to
his faithful followers. All of the kings and leaders that followed God and honored God received
blessings over the nation. It is clear that disobedience brought about discipline and punishment
for the nation. Ahaz, being the evil king, brought about punishment over his rule, because of his
disobedience and dishonor of God. It is clear throughout the whole Bible, that God hates sin, and
will not tolerate it of His followers. The second theological theme, that the reader can see in 2
Chronicles is God’s restoration in his people. As Hezekiah brought the nation back to focus on
God and restored the temple. God restored the nations blessings as they were focused on Him.
The third theological theme would be God’s holiness and standard for his people. God expects
and demands obedience of his followers and his people. He disciplines his followers if they turn
away from Him, but he blesses those who are living a life of obedience.
3 Victor P. Hamilton, Handbook on the Historical Books (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001), 478.
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3
Chapter 26 Verses 1-5: Uzziah and His Background
Uzziah, son of Amaziah and Jekoliah, became king when he was a teenager, sixteen years
of age to be exact. He rebuilt the ancient city of Elath and restored it to Judah. The city itself is
mentioned in multiple places in the Bible (Deuteronomy 2:8, 1 Kings 9:26, 2 Kings 14:22, 2
Chronicles 8:17-18). The emphasis on the background of this young king was that “He did what
was right in the eyes of the Lord.” Uzziah had a desire to honor God, which is what led to great
successes in his rule. John Courson explains, “In the life of Uzziah, we see a singular path to
prosperity. That is, as long as he sought the lord, God made Uzziah to prosper. And that path has
changed to this day.”
4
Verses 6-15: Uzziah's Ruling Successes
This section focuses on king Uzziah’s foreign policies. Verse six starts off by stating that
He went to war against the Philistines and took down the walls of Gath. Which was the most
exposed center for Hebrew attack, was probably around twenty miles west of Hebron though
there is still dispute about the exact location of Gath. After this event he rebuilt towns near
Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. Verse 7 is clear that God helped Uzziah win the
battles against the enemies of the Philistines and the Arabs. The summery of the next few verses
focus on Uzziah’s rise to fame and ultimately his power. He even became famous as far as the
border of Egypt because he was so powerful. If one looks at verse 15, Raymond B. Dillard states,
“The note that Uzziah provided the army with its weapons and armor reflects both Uzziah’s
prosperity under divine blessing, and a departure from ordinary practice in expecting conscripts
to provide their own arms.”
5
4 Courson, Jon. Jon Courson’s Application Commentary: Old Testament. Nelson Reference &
Electronic, 2006.
5 Dillard, Raymond B. 2 Chronicles. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000.
4
Verses 16-23: Uzziah's Pride and Aliment
As with any person who becomes famous and powerful, pride is a strong temptation. He let
the power go to his head and began to turn away from God. For example, He entered the temple
of the Lord to burn incense on the altar and was confronted by the priests stating that that honor
is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron. God punished King Uzziah by infecting him with
leprosy. Marco Conti explains, “When King Uzziah carried a censer and violently took on
himself to sacrifice, against the law of God, and refused to submit or give place, despite the
opposition of Azariah the priest, he was confounded by God’s indignation and defiled with the
markings of leprosy on his forehead, branded by the Lord’s anger on that part of the body on
which those who win the Lord’s favor are sealed.”
6
This shows that God does not take kindly to
disobedience of his followers. Especially when his followers become prideful. Proverbs 16:18
explains what pride can do perfectly, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a
fall." Also Proverbs 11:2, "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes
wisdom." This seems to be exactly what happened to King Uzziah. He became prideful, leading
on his own understanding and relying on himself. He lived with the consequences of his pride for
the rest of his life. He lived with the leprosy until the day he died.
Chapter 27 Verses 1-2: Jotham's Reign and Religious Standing
Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king and ruled with following the Lord. It
is clear that he learned from the mistakes of his father, King Uzziah and did not enter the temple
of the Lord. The shows that Jotham, was wise and showed honor to God in his life.
6 Conti, Marco. 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. IVP Academic, 2014.
5
Verses 3-7: Jotham's Accomplishments
Jotham’s accomplishments are many, and God blessed him because of his faithfulness. The
first accomplishment he made was Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord and
did extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel. Gaebelein notes, “The temple’s upper gate,
which Jotham rebuilt, was stationed on its northside. The hill of Ophel on the other hand, lay,
south in the upper part of the old city of David.”
7
Another thing Jotham did was he built towns in
the hill country of Judah and forts and towers in the wooded areas. Peter Leithart states, “Like
Solomon and other heroic kings, Jotham is a builder. Building is a sign of productivity,
fruitfulness, prosperity, and good management.”
8
After this Jotham waged war against the king of
the Ammonites and won the war. Hill explains,
“Jotham’s war with Ammonites (27:5) is not
mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament, but the campaign extends his father’s military
expansion from areas southwest of Judah to the east.”
9
Since Jotham followed and honored God,
he became very powerful. This is what happens when one follows and honors God, He will bless
him. Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says, "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his
commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.
All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God."
Verses 8-9: Jotham's Death and Offspring
Any other accomplishments, such as war is recorded in book of the kings of Israel. Jotham is
25 when he took the throne and rules for 16 years. Jotham eventually died and was buried in the
7 Gaebelein, Frank E., J. D. Douglas, and Dick Polcyn. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: With the New
International Version of the Holy Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1976.
8 LEITHART, PETER J. 1 & 2 Chronicles. S.l.: BRAZOS BAKER, 2024.
9 Hill, Andrew E. 1 & 2 Chronicles: Niv Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2003.
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6
city of David. The age in which Jotham died is not specified. After he passed away, his son, Ahaz
took the throne.
Chapter 28 Verses 1-5: Ahaz’s Wickedness Against God
Ahaz who is known as a wicked King, was twenty years old when he took the throne. Darby
explains, “The reign of Ahaz forms an epoch. Entirely forsaking Jehovah, he gives himself up
wholly to idolatry; and, the more he is smitten of God, the more he sins against Him.”
10
The first
thing that can be noticed in verses 1-5 is that he made idols for worshiping Baal. In the ancient
world, Baal was associated with fertility in crops and weather in ancient Canaanite religions.
Because of Ahaz’s rejection of the ways of God, the Lord delivered him into the hands of the
king of Aram. In summary, there was heavy consequences for the kings, actions, and idolatry
such as King Pekah of Israel attacking, Zikri killed important people in Judah's leadership. All of
these were punishments and disciplines for the sin of idolatry.
Verses 22-27: Ahaz’s Heart Continued To Be Evil and The Nation Suffered
Even though the king was in times of trouble he drifted further and further from God and
became even more unfaithful to Him. He started to worship the gods of Damascus. Andrew Hill
says, “Ahaz’s time of trouble (2 Chron. 28:22) affords the king the opportunity to seek the Lord
in penitent prayer a providential act of divine grace, in a way, but instead of turning to God and
heeding Isaiah’s injunction to fear the Lord (Isa. 7:13), he strays even further from Yahweh’s
covenant moorings by worshiping the gods of the victorious Syrians or Arameans (2 Chron.
10 Darby, J. N. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. London: T.H. Gregg, 1857.
7
28:23).”
11
Ahaz is a perfect example of how depraved the human heart is. Jeremiah 17:9 states,
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" His heart
became so wicked and sinful, that he ends up, closing the doors to the temple of the Lord.
Eventually, he passed away and Hezekiah, his son, succeeded him as king.
Chapter 29 Verses 1-3: Hezekiah Honors God and Did Right By Him
Hezekiah, who was twenty-five years old when he became king, was very different from
Ahaz because he honored the Lord and did what was right in God’s eyes. It was clear that he
learned that dishonoring God does not work nor is it benefitable for the land. The first action he
took was to open the temple of the Lord once again and then he repaired them as well. Hezekiah
knew that the people needed a place to come before God so that they could worship and honor
God. Hezekiah was a great reformer in his time, changing the foundation of the nation to worship
God instead of Pegan gods.
Verses 4-11: Hezekiah Speech
It seems that the Levites and the temple were so desecrated and wicked, the king himself had
to have a speech to motivate the Levites to cleanse themselves and devote themselves and the
temple to the Lord. He commands them to throw out all unholy items and all defilement from the
sanctuary. He continues to explain how evil their parents were in the eyes of God and that
something must change. Douglas Mangum states, “In contrast to his father Ahaz, who desecrated
Yahweh’s house, Judah’s King Hezekiah restores Yahweh’s house and proper worship of Yahweh
as soon as he becomes king. Hezekiah reconsecrates Yahweh’s house (29:3–19) and reestablishes
11
Hill, Andrew E. 1 & 2 Chronicles: Niv Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2003.
8
the priestly burning of offerings (29:20–35).”
12
God’s anger on the nation was clear in chapter
28. God will not tolerate sin of those He has chosen. God disciplined the nation with many trials
and tribulations which is why Hezekiah knew that something needed to change and return the
hearts of the people back to God. Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch explain, “This address
was heard with gladness. The Levites present assembled their brethren, and set to work, after
they had all sanctified themselves, to purify the temple.”
13
Verses 12-19: Cleansing of the Temple of the Lord
The work began on the temple. They obeyed the king by purifying the temple of the Lord.
Verses 18-19 summarizes everything that they did. Then they went in to King Hezekiah and
reported: “We have purified the entire temple of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering with all its
utensils, and the table for setting out the consecrated bread, with all its articles. We have prepared
and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz removed in his unfaithfulness while he was king.
They are now in front of the Lord’s altar.”
Verses 20-36: Offerings to the Lord
King Hezekiah instructed the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer seven bulls, seven rams, seven
lambs, and seven male goats on the altar of the Lord. Adam Clarke explains, “This is more than
the law required; it ordered one calf, or ox for the sins of the people in one coat for the sins of the
12
Douglas Mangum, ed.,
Lexham Context Commentary: Old Testament
, Lexham Context Commentary
(Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), 2 Ch 29:1–32:33.
13
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch,
Commentary on the Old Testament
, vol. 3 (Peabody, MA:
Hendrickson, 1996), 680.
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9
prince; but Hezekiah here offers many more. And the reason appears sufficiently evident: the law
speaks only of the sins of ignorance; but here were the sins of every kind.”
14
He also wanted to
make sure that he did not overstep his bounds as Uzziah did in chapter 26. He did this with
respect and according to God’s instructions. After King Hezekiah cleansed the temple, and
offered sacrifices to the Lord he invited people to play instruments, and sing to the Lord in
worship. The chapter ends with Verse 36 which states, “So the service of the temple of the Lord
was reestablished. 36 Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his
people, because it was done so quickly.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, there can be three major theological themes that are found in 2 Chronicles
26-29 that would apply to the Christian today. The first would be God’s holiness and standard. It
is clear in chapter 26 that the king had a pride problem after he had many successes in battle and
blessings from the Lord. He became prideful, and the Bible is very clear that God does not like
pride from his followers. Looking at the New Testament, one can see that Christians are to stay
humble always. James 4:6 explains, "But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'" Also in Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing
out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not
looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." The Bible is clear
that God does not take kindly to pride from his people and will oppose the proud but only gives
grace to those who are humble.
The second would be God’s faithfulness as stated earlier in the introduction. This applies
to the Christian today because God is the same as he was in the old testament and is still faithful
14 Clarke, Adam. Adam Clarke’s Commentary (One-Volume Edition). Grand Rapids MI: Baker B/H, 1967.
10
to his followers. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 explains, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you
and guard you against the evil one.” Also, in
Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of
our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
The third and last theological theme, that the reader can see in 2 Chronicles is God’s
restoration in his people which applies to the Christian today as well. There are two verses that
fully show how God restores His people: 1 Peter 5:10, “And the God of all grace, who called you
to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and
make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the
new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” God restores his people and then the
Holy Spirit sanctifies them. In 2 Thessalonians 2:13 the Apostle Paul explains, “But we ought
always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as
first fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”
There are more theological themes found in 2 Chronicles to be examined, but these three
are the most consistent in the book of 2 Chronicles that applies to the Christian today.
11
Bibliography
Clarke, Adam. Adam Clarke’s Commentary (One-Volume Edition). Grand Rapids MI: Baker
B/H, 1967.
Conti, Marco. 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. IVP Academic, 2014.
Courson, Jon. Jon Courson’s Application Commentary: Old Testament. Nelson Reference &
Electronic, 2006.
Dillard, Raymond B. 2 Chronicles. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000.
Darby, J. N. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. London: T.H. Gregg, 1857.
Gaebelein, Frank E., J. D. Douglas, and Dick Polcyn. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: With
the New International Version of the Holy Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House,
1976.
Hamilton, Victor P. Handbook on the Historical Books. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic,
2001.
Hill, Andrew E. 1 & 2 Chronicles: NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2003.
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12
Keil, Carl Friedrich, and Franz Delitzsch. Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 3. Peabody,
MA: Hendrickson, 1996.
Leithart, Peter J. 1 & 2 Chronicles. S.l.: BRAZOS BAKER, 2024.
Mabie, Frederick. 1 and 2 Chronicles The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Zondervan Academic,
2017.
Mangum, Douglas, ed. Lexham Context Commentary: Old Testament, Lexham Context
Commentary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020.
Thompson, John Arthur. 1, 2 Chronicles. Broadman & Holman, 1994.