Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 15
King Azariah of Judah is also called Uzziah. His rule over Judah was extremely long - only one king, Manasseh, ruled for a longer time (21:1). However, the account of Azariah’s rule in 2 Kings is very brief. 2 Chronicles chapter 26 tells us much more about his rule. It shows us that he truly was a great king. He was careful, responsible and skilful. The people in Judah benefited much from his work as their king.
So, this was a good period of time for those people who lived in either part of Israel. In northern and central Israel, Jeroboam was ruling with great success (14:23-29). Both Jeroboam and Azariah gained control over the nations that surrounded them (2 Chronicles 26:6-8). As at the time of Solomon, the people across Israel were living peaceful and successful lives (compare 1 Kings 4:20-21 and 4:24-25)
In ancient Israel, people recorded the dates of important events by reference to the years of their kings. Usually, they counted from the year when each of the kings began his rule. However, for both Azariah (15:8) and Jeroboam, the official records seem to begin at some date before they became kings. Azariah became king at the death of his father, 15 years after Jeroboam became king (14:17-21). However, this was called the 27th year of King Jeroboam.
There is another possible explanation for why this was called the 27th year. When Jeroboam had ruled for 15 years, his family only remained kings for another 27 years. So, perhaps the 27 years refer to years in the future, and not past years.
Next part: Azariah's religion (2 Kings 15:3-4)
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