Uzziah

Excerpt

Judah’s king from around 792 to 740 bc (cf. 2 Kgs 14:21–22; 15:1–7; 2 Chr 26:1–23), the son of King Amaziah and Jecoliah of Jerusalem. Uzziah is the name he is called in Chronicles, but in Kings he is known as Azariah. Azariah means “the Lord has helped”; the meaning of Uzziah is “my strength is the Lord.” Azariah may have been his given name and Uzziah a throne name taken upon his accession. He came to the throne at the age of 16, after the death of his father, who was assassinated in Lachish as a result of a conspiracy arising from his apostasy.

Uzziah was a capable, energetic, and well-organized person, with many diverse interests. The Lord blessed him in all of his undertakings, so that he prospered. He is characterized as one who “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Kgs 15:3; 2 Chr 26:4). He determined to seek God and went to Zechariah (not the postexilic prophet) for spiritual instruction. Consequently, “as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper” (2 Chr 26:5). More

Elwell, Walter A., and Philip Wesley Comfort. Tyndale Bible dictionary 2001 : 1282. Print. Tyndale Reference Library.