Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 26:6
Uzziah went out to wage war against the Philistines, and he tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built cities near Ashdod and among the Philistines.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Uzziah leads a military campaign against the Philistines following a period of divine favor granted while he sought the Lord through Zechariah’s instruction. He acts as king and commander, tearing down fortified cities and establishing new settlements in Philistine territory.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיִּפְרֹץ (va-yi-prōṣ, H6555) literally means "he made a breach" or "tore down," describing the destruction of the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. This action is paired with וַיֵּצֵא (va-yēṣē’, H3318, "he went out") to mark the king’s decisive military departure.
The thread — The campaign against Philistine strongholds echoes the earlier Philistine capture of the ark in Ashdod (1 Samuel 5:1) and contrasts with Isaiah’s warning that the Philistines should not rejoice over the breaking of their oppressing rod (Isaiah 14:29). The text frames Uzziah’s victories as direct divine assistance against these neighboring powers (2 Chronicles 26:7).
Why it lands — The passage records a king’s territorial expansion and fortification work achieved through military force and divine support. It demands recognition that earthly success remains contingent on sustained reliance on God, as the narrative immediately pivots to Uzziah’s subsequent pride and downfall.
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 he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 14:29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken. For a viper will spring from the root of the snake, and a flying serpent from its egg.
- 1 Samuel 5:1 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,
- 1 Samuel 5:6 Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.
- 2 Samuel 8:1 Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from the hand of the Philistines.
- 1 Chronicles 18:1 Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines.
- 2 Chronicles 21:16 Then the LORD stirred against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and Arabs who lived near the Cushites.