And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.
When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead. They quickly forced him to leave the temple, and he himself hurried to get out because the LORD had struck him with this disease.
This verse describes how King Uzziah was immediately removed from the temple after God struck him with leprosy for his prideful disobedience.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes the dramatic moment when King Uzziah of Judah was struck with leprosy while illegally burning incense in the temple, a duty reserved only for priests. Uzziah had been a successful king for many years, but his pride led him to overstep his God-given role and enter the temple to perform priestly duties. Leprosy was considered a sign of God's judgment and made a person ceremonially unclean, requiring immediate isolation from the community.
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