(21) Was a leper . . . several house.--2Kings 14:5. Rather, in the hospital, or lazar house.

For he was cut off (Psalm 88:5; Isaiah 53:8) from the house of the Lord.--This ground of Uzziah's dwelling in a sick house is added by the chronicler. Having been formally excluded as a leper from the sacred precincts, he was obliged to isolate himself from society. (Comp. Leviticus 13:46.)

Verse 21. - And dwelt in a several house. The Hebrew for "several house" is הַחָפְשׁות: the parallel (2 Kings 15:5) showing yod instead of van in the last syllable. The verbal root is חָפַשׁ, and occurs once (Leviticus 19:20, with the Authorized Version rendering "was free;" in the same verse is also found a feminine noun derived from it, and rendered in the Authorized Version "freedom"). The adjective חָפְשִׁי occurs sixteen times, and is always rendered in the Authorized Version "free," except once "at liberty" (Jeremiah 34:16). The "freedom" conveyed by the word is that of separation, in the use of it as found here. The leper and the house in which he lived were kept free from contact with others (Leviticus 13:46). Gesenius appears, however, to prefer the idea of "infirmity," "sickness," as determining the cast of the meaning of the word in our text, and goes so far as to translate it an "hospital," quoting the word of Suidas, τὸ νοσοκομεῖον.

26:16-23 The transgression of the kings before Uzziah was, forsaking the temple of the Lord, and burning incense upon idolatrous altars. But his transgression was, going into the holy place, and attempting to burn incense upon the altar of God. See how hard it is to avoid one extreme, and not run into another. Pride of heart was at the bottom of his sin; a lust that ruins many. Instead of lifting up the name God in gratitude to him who had done so much for him, his heart was lifted up to his hurt. Men's pretending to forbidden knowledge, and seeking things too high for them, are owing to pride of heart. The incense of our prayers must be, by faith, put into the hands of our Lord Jesus, the great High Priest of our profession, else we cannot expect it to be accepted by God, Re 8:3. Though Uzziah strove with the priests, he would not strive with his Maker. But he was punished for his transgression; he continued a leper to his death, shut out from society. The punishment answered the sin as face to face in a glass. Pride was at the bottom of his transgression, and thus God humbled him, and put dishonour upon him. Those that covet forbidden honours, forfeit allowed ones. Adam, by catching at the tree of knowledge which he might not eat of, debarred himself of the tree of life which he might have eaten of. Let all that read say, The Lord is righteous. And when the Lord sees good to throw prosperous and useful men aside, as broken vessels, if he raises up others to fill their places, they may rejoice to renounce all worldly concerns, and employ their remaining days in preparation for death.And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper,.... See Gill on 2 Kings 15:5,

for he was cut off from the house of the Lord; not, suffered to enter into that, because of his uncleanness:

and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land; see 2 Kings 15:5.