Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 26:18
They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD. Only the priests, the descendants of Aaron, are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully; you will not receive honor from the LORD God.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Azariah and eighty priests confront King Uzziah as he attempts to burn incense in the temple sanctuary. They physically intervene to halt his unauthorized ritual.
The words — The text highlights לְ/הַקְטִיר (le./hak.Tir), meaning "to make smoke" or "to burn incense," and וַ/יַּעַמְד֞וּ (va/i.ya.'am.Du), meaning "and they took their stand," describing the priests' direct opposition.
The thread — This restriction on incense burning appears in Exodus 30:7 and Numbers 18:7, where only Aaron's descendants are authorized, and is echoed in Hebrews 5:4 regarding the necessity of divine calling for priestly honor.
Why it lands — The passage demands recognition that sacred duties require specific consecration and authority, warning against assuming religious roles without legitimate commission.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God.
Cross-references
- Exodus 30:7 And Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he tends the lamps.
- Numbers 18:7 But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”
- Hebrews 5:4 No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.
- 2 Chronicles 19:2 Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.
- Jeremiah 13:18 Say to the king and to the queen mother: “Take a lowly seat, for your glorious crowns have fallen from your heads.”
- Numbers 16:39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar,
- Numbers 16:46 Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has begun.”
- 1 Samuel 2:30 Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.
- 2 Chronicles 16:7 At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and told him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.
- Daniel 4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.