2 Kings 14:21

And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) All the people of Judah.—Thenius explains, all the men of war, as in 2Kings 13:7.

Took.—The expression seems to imply that Azariah was not the eldest son. As Amaziah was fifty-nine years old at his death he probably had sons older than sixteen. Azariah was therefore chosen as a popular, or perhaps military, favourite.

Azariah.—See Note on 2Chronicles 26:1. Thenius thinks the soldiery gave Azariah the name of Uzziah. At all events, the king may have taken a new name on his accession, though which of the two it was we cannot; say. (Comp. 2Kings 24:17.) Sennacherib on investing Esarhaddon with sovereignty named him Asshurebil-mukin-pal.

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 14:21. The people of Judah took Azariah — Called Uzziah, chap. 2 Kings 15:30, and 2 Chronicles 26:1. The two names signify nearly the same thing, the former meaning the help of God, and the latter, the strength of God. And made him king — Either in opposition to the conspirators, or to show their affection to the house of David, and signify that their quarrel was only personal against Amaziah, whom they considered as the author of all their late calamities. But, it must be observed, the people did not do this till twelve years after Amaziah’s death. For Amaziah died in the fifteenth year of Jeroboam, (compare 2 Kings 14:23 with 2 Kings 14:1,) but Azariah did not begin his reign till the twenty-seventh of Jeroboam, (2 Kings 15:1,) for he was but four years old at the death of his father: so that, for twelve years, till he came to be sixteen, the government was in the hands of protectors.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

14:15-22 Amaziah survived his conqueror fifteen years. He was slain by his own subjects. Azariah, or Uzziah, seems to have been very young when his father was slain. Though the years of his reign are reckoned from that event, he was not fully made king till eleven years afterwards.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

All the people of Judah - The words imply that the conspiracy was one in which the general mass of the people did not participate. There was no confusion and trouble as on the occasion of the murder of Joash. Azariah ("the strength of Yahweh"), and Uzziah ("whom Yahweh assists"), were mere variants of one name.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2Ki 14:21, 22. Azariah Succeeds Him.

21. all the people of Judah took Azariah—or Uzziah (2Ki 15:30; 2Ch 26:1). The popular opposition had been personally directed against Amaziah as the author of their calamities, but it was not extended to his family or heir.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Which they did, either in opposition to the conspirators, or to show their affection to the house of David, and that their quarrel was only personal against Amaziah, whom they looked upon as thee author of all their late calamities. This Azariah is called Uziah, 2 Kings 15:30 2 Chronicles 26:1, both names signifying the same thing for substance; that God’s help, and this God’s strength.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And all the people of Judah took Azariah,.... Called Uzziah in the next chapter, and so in the book of Chronicles; both names signifying much the same, the one "the help of the Lord", the other "the strength of the Lord":

(which was sixteen years old;) yet as he began to reign in the twenty seventh year of Jeroboam, 2 Kings 15:1 and Jeroboam began to reign in the fifteenth yaer of Amaziah, 2 Kings 14:23, he could be but four years of age, for the solution of which; see Gill on 2 Kings 15:1,

and made him king instead of his father Amaziah; which was after his death, and not when he fled to Lachish, as Kimchi thinks.

Geneva Study Bible

And all the people of Judah took {i} Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.

(i) Who is also called Uzziah, 2Ch 26:1.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

21. All the people of Judah took Azariah] The people were all of one mind. They had rid themselves of the idolatrous father, but there was hope in the sixteen year old son. In Chronicles the name of this king is spelt Uzziah. This variation also occurs in the next chapter of 2 Kings (2 Kings 15:13; 2 Kings 15:30; 2 Kings 15:32; 2 Kings 15:34). With this may be compared Azareel (1 Chronicles 25:18), which is found in verse 4 of the same chapter to be the person who is also called Uzziel. There is not much difference in the signification of the two forms.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 21, 22. - SUCCESSION OF AZARIAH AND RESUMPTION OF THE WAR WITH EDOM. Though reserving his account of the reign of Azariah to the next chapter (vers. 1-7), the writer is led by the circumstances of Amaziah's death to mention at once the fact of his son Azariah's succession, and the first important act of his reign, the resumption of war with Edom. He then breaks off suddenly, in order to interpose an account of the reign of Jeroboam II., who was contemporary with Amaziah during fourteen years of his reign, Verse 21. - And all the people of Judah took Azariah. This is a new expression, and implies a new, perhaps a tumultuary, proceeding. The people, uncertain probably of the intentions of the conspirators, and fearful that they might set up a king not of the house of David, took the initiative, went to the royal palace, and finding there a son of Amaziah - whether his eldest son or not, we cannot say - proclaimed him king and placed him upon the throne. The author of Chronicles (2 Chronicles 16:1) agrees. Josephus is silent. Which was sixteen years old. Young certainly, considering that his father was fifty-four (see ver. 2), but not necessarily "a younger son," since Amaziah's earlier children may have been daughters, or he may have married late in life. It is not doubted that Manasseh was Hezekiah's eldest son, yet he was only twelve when Hezekiah died at the same age as Amaziah, viz. fifty-four. And made him king instead of his father Amaziah. There are two forms of the king's name, Azariah and Uzziah. The difference between them is not so great in the Hebrew, where they both begin with the same letter; but still it is considerable. One name is not a mere contraction of the other. Some suppose that the king changed one name for the other upon his accession; others, that he was called indifferently by either, since they were very similar in meaning. "Azariah" is "he whose help is Jehovah;" "Uzziah," "he whose strength is Jehovah." "Uzziah" is the predominant form, occurring four times in 2 Kings, twelve times in 2 Chronicles, three times in Isaiah, once in Hoses, once in Amos, and once in Zechariah; while "Azariah" occurs only in 2 Kings (eight times) and in 1 Chronicles 3:12 (once). Josephus uses the form "Ozias" (equivalent to, Uzziah), and so does St. Matthew (Matthew 1:8, 9). 2 Kings 14:21

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

All the people of Judah, i.e., the whole nation, not the whole of the men of war (Thenius), thereupon made his son Azariah (Uzziah) king, who was only sixteen years old. עזריה or עזריהוּ is the name given to this king here and 2 Kings 15:1, 2 Kings 15:6,2 Kings 15:8, 2 Kings 15:17, 2 Kings 15:23, and 2 Kings 15:27, and 1 Chronicles 3:12; whereas in 2 Kings 15:13, 2 Kings 15:30, 2 Kings 15:32, 2 Kings 15:34; 2 Chronicles 26:1, 2 Chronicles 26:3,2 Chronicles 26:11, etc., and also Isaiah 1:1; Isaiah 6:1; Hosea 1:1; Amos 1:1, and Zechariah 14:5, he is called עזּיה or עזּיּהוּ (Uzziah). This variation in the name is too constant to be attributable to a copyist's error. Even the conjecture that Azariah adopted the name Uzziah as king, or that it was given to him by the soldiers after a successful campaign (Thenius), does not explain the use of the two names in our historical books. We must rather assume that the two names, which are related in meaning, were used promiscuously. עזריה signifies "in Jehovah is help;" עזּיה, "whose strength is Jehovah." This is favoured by the circumstance adduced by Bertheau, that among the descendants of Kohath we also find an Uzziah who bears the name Azariah (1 Chronicles 6:9 and 1 Chronicles 6:21), and similarly among the descendants of Heman an Uzziel with the name Azarel (1 Chronicles 25:4 and 1 Chronicles 25:18).