SEV Biblia, Chapter 15:5
Mas el SEÑOR hirió al rey con lepra, y fue leproso hasta el día de su muerte, y habitó en casa separada, y Jotam hijo del rey tenía el cargo del palacio, gobernando al pueblo de la tierra.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 15:5
Verse 5. The Lord smote the king, so that he was a leper] The reason of this plague is well told in the above quoted chapter, 2 Chron. xxvi. 16. That his heart being elated, he went into the temple to burn incense upon the altar, assuming to himself the functions of the high priest; that Azariah the priest, with fourscore others, went in after him, to prevent him; and that while they were remonstrating against his conduct, the Lord struck him with the leprosy, which immediately appeared on his forehead; that they thrust him out as an unclean person; and that he himself hurried to get out, feeling that the Lord had smitten him; that he was obliged to dwell in a house by himself, being leprous, to the day of his death; and that during this time the affairs of the kingdom were administered by his son Jotham.
A poet, ridiculing the conduct of those who, without an episcopal ordination, think they have authority from God to dispense all the ordinances of the Church, expresses himself thus:- But now the warm enthusiast cries, The office to myself I take; Offering the Christian sacrifice, Myself a lawful priest I make: To me this honour appertains, No need of man when GOD ordains.
[Some go into the contrary extreme, and in affect say, no need of GOD when MAN ordains.] Though kings may not so far presume, "Tis no presumption in a clown, And, lo, without a call from Rome, My flail or hammer I lay down; And if my order's name ye seek, Come, see a new Melchisedek! Ye upstart (men-made) priests, your sentence know, The marks you can no longer hide; Your daring deeds too plainly show The loathsome leprosy of pride; And if ye still your crime deny, Who lepers live shall lepers die.
CHARLES WESLEY.
This is very severe, but applies to every man who, through pride, presumption, or the desire of gain, enters into the priest's office, though he have the utmost authority that the highest ecclesiastical officer can confer.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. And the Lord smote the king , etc.] With leprosy; the reason of it was, because he intruded into the priest’s office, and went into the temple to burn incense on the altar of incense, ( 2 Chronicles 26:19,20), so that he was a leper unto the day of his death ; but how long it was to it from his being smitten cannot be said with certainty; Dr. Lightfoot f158 thinks he died the same year he was smitten: and dwelt in a several house : without Jerusalem, as the Targum; for lepers, according to the law, were to dwell separate without the camp or city, ( Leviticus 13:46) the word for “several” signifies “free” f159 ; here he lived alone, free from the company and conversation of men, free from the business of government, his son doing that for him, and in the country, where he might freely walk about, as lepers did, and take the air; the Jews say f160 , his house was among the graves, where he was free among the dead, as the phrase is, ( Psalm 88:5), but not likely; much better is what Abendana observes from R. Jonah, that the word, in the Arabic f161 language, signifies a little house, and so this might be in which he dwelt out of the city, in comparison of his palace: and Jotham the king’s son was over the house ; had the direction of the palace, and the management of all affairs in it: judging the people of the land ; administering justice in all cases, for which they came to him, and so filled up his father’s place; he did not depose his father, nor take upon him to be king, only did the business of one.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - Uzziah did for the most part that which was right. It was happy for the kingdom that a good reign was a long one.
Original Hebrew
וינגע 5060 יהוה 3068 את 853 המלך 4428 ויהי 1961 מצרע 6879 עד 5704 יום 3117 מתו 4194 וישׁב 3427 בבית 1004 החפשׁית 2669 ויותם 3147 בן 1121 המלך 4428 על 5921 הבית 1004 שׁפט 8199 את 853 עם 5971 הארץ׃ 776
