Uzziah the proud

According to 2 Chronicles 26, Uzziah was a powerful and successful king, but his power went to his head and he became proud. The Hebrew word behind “become proud” is gabah , related to gibeah , “high place.” Uzziah’s attempt to offer incense in the temple treated the temple as just another high place; it was a species of liturgical idolatry.

Importantly, this is the verb same word-group that Isaiah uses, especially in chapter 2, to describe the haughtiness and “loftiness” of proud Judah. Uzziah is a fitting king for the nation during this period: Wealthy, surrounded by armies, the land filled with wealth and weapons, but also full of pride. Uzziah is struck with leprosy, full of scabs, as is Israel (1:5-6) and the daughters of Zion (3:12).