מלכים ב ט״ו

בשנת עשרים ושבע שנה לירבעם וגו'. אפשר לומר כן, והלא עוזיה וירבעם מלכו כאחת, כמו שפירש בסמוך, אלא מה תלמוד לומר בשנת עשרים ושבע לירבעם מלך עזריה, שמלך מלכות מנוגעת, למדנו שנתנגע בשנת עשרים ושבע למלכותו:

In the twenty-seventh year of Yorovom, etc. Is it possible to say so? Did not Uzziyoh¹Azaryoh and Uzziyohu refer to the same person. See below verses 13 and 32. and Yorovom reign simultaneously, as was explained just before? What, then, is the meaning of the verse, ”In the twenty-seventh year of Yorovom … Azaryoh … became king”? That [from that year] he reigned a plagued kingship, [i.e.,] that he was stricken with tzora'as in the twenty-seventh year of his reign.

וינגע ה' את המלך. מפורש בדברי הימים (ב כו טז-כא) שנכנס להיכל להקטיר על המזבח הקטורת:

Adonoy brought a plague upon the king. It is explained in Divrei Hayomim²II Divrei Hayomim 26:16-21. that he entered the Temple to burn incense on the Incense Altar.³He was punished with tzora'as for attempting to assume the role of the kohein gadol and burn incense on the altar. See II Divrei Hayomim 26-16:21 and Rashi in Bamidbar 17:5.

בבית החפשית. עשה לו בית בבית הקברות, כמה דאת אמר (תהלים פח ו): במתים חפשי. בירושלמי:

In a retirement house. He made himself a house in the cemetery,⁴The word חפשי means freedom. The Gemara in Maseches Horiyos 10a explains that Uzziyohu became “free” of the duties of being king. Targum indicates that he lived outside the walls of Yerusholayim. The reason is because a metzora is forced to live in isolation. He was therefore unable to attend to his royal duties and was thus “freed” from his responsibilities. ⁵The house was in the cemetery because our Rabbis taught in Maseches Nedarim 12b that a metzora is accounted as dead. And like the dead who is free from the many toils of life, as it states in Tehilim 88:6, “I am [considered] among the dead who are free,” so is a metzora. as it is stated, ”I am [considered] among the dead who are free.”⁶Tehilim 88:6. In [Talmud] Yerushalmi.

בשנת שלשים ושמנה שנה לעזריהו מלך יהודה מלך זכריהו. אף מכאן יש ללמוד שמלך עזריה משמת יואש מלך ישראל חמש עשרה שנה בחיי אמציה אביו, שאם לא עמד עד שמת אביו, נמצא שלא עמד עד בשנת חמש עשרה לירבעם בן יואש, וירבעם מלך ארבעים ואחת, נמצא שמת ירבעם בשנת עשרים ושבע לעוזיה, והיאך הוא אומר בשנת שלשים ושמונה אלא על כרחך, עוזיה וירבעם מלכו כאחת, אלא שירבעם מלך בחיי אביו יהואש שלש שנים, לכך הוא אומר וירבעם ישב על כסאו, שישב כבר, ועוזיה עמד משמת יואש, ומלך ירבעם מלכות שלמה. ובסדר עולם ראיתי, שירבעם מלך בחיי אביו שנה, ואיני יודע אם שבוש הסופרים הוא, שאינו יכול ליישב בשנת שלשים ושמונה לעזריה מלך זכריה, אלא בענין זה:

In the thirty-eighth year of Azaryohu king of Yehudah, Zecharyoh … became king. From here too, it is possible to deduce that Azaryoh[u] reigned from the time that Yoash king of Yisroel died, fifteen years during the lifetime of Amatzyoh his father, for if he did not become [king] until his father died, it follows that he did not become [king] until the fifteenth year of Yorovom son of Yoash. Now, since Yorovom reigned forty-one years, it follows that Yorovom died in the twenty-seventh year of Uzziyoh. So, how does [Scripture] state, “In the thirty-eighth year?” Rather, we are forced [to deduce] that Uzziyoh and Yorovom reigned simultaneously, except that Yorovom reigned during the lifetime of his father Yehoash—three years. Therefore [Scripture] states, ”and Yorovom had sat on his throne,”⁷Above, 13:13. [i.e., on the throne] that he had already sat. And Uzziyoh became [king] when Yoash died and Yorovom reigned over a complete monarchy. I saw in Seder Olam that Yorovom reigned one year during his father's lifetime, and I do not know whether it is the writers' error, for I cannot reconcile, ”In the thirty-eighth year of Azaryohu … Zecharyohu … reigned,” except in this manner.

ויכהו קבל עם. ומחהי קדם עמא, לעיני העם:

And struck him before the people. [Targum Yonoson renders,] he struck him before the people [i.e.,] before the eyes of the people.⁸קבל in Aramaic means opposite, i.e., he struck him opposite the people.—Metzudas Tzion

ויהי כן. לא שהיתה כדאי מלכותו לימשך כל כך, אלא לקיים דבר מלך, שנאמר (ישעיהו נה יא): כן יהיה דברי אשר יצא מפי וגו':

And it was so. Not that his kingdom deserved to last that long, but to fulfill the word of the King,⁹I.e., the word of God stated in 10:30 above. as it is stated, ”So shall be My word, which will go forth from My mouth etc.”¹⁰Yeshayohu 55:11.

כי לא פתח. שר העיר לא פתח לו את העיר, לקבלו למלך עליהם:

Because it would not open. The governor of the city did not open the city for him, to accept him as king over them.

ההרותיה. את הנשים ההרות שבה, בקע:

Its pregnant women. The pregnant women therein, he ripped open.

שלישו. גבור שלו:

His mighty warrior. His mighty warrior.¹¹Alternatively, “his officer.”—Metzudas Tzion [Near] the palace and [near] the lion. Every ארגוב is an expression of important palaces, and every טרכונין in Aramaic [means] important palaces of the kingdom.¹²See Rashi in Devarim 3:4. Alternatively, “Argov” and “Aryeh” are names of two mighty warriors who were with Pekach, in addition to the fifty men.—Metzudas Tzion In the great chamber that was next to the palace.

את ארגוב ואת האריה. כל ארגוב לשון פלטין החשובין, וכל 'טרכונין' בלשון ארמי, פלטין החשובין למלכות בארמון הגדול אשר אצל הארגוב:

[Near] the palace and [near] the lion. Every ארגוב is an expression of important palaces, and every טרכונין in Aramaic [means] important palaces of the kingdom.¹²See Rashi in Devarim 3:4. Alternatively, “Argov” and “Aryeh” are names of two mighty warriors who were with Pekach, in addition to the fifty men.—Metzudas Tzion In the great chamber that was next to the palace.

ואת האריה. יש לומר, שהיה אריה של זהב עומד באותו ארמון:

And [near] the lion. It is possible to say that a golden lion was standing in that palace.

בשנת עשרים ליותם. היה לו לומר בשנת ארבע לאחז, שהרי כל ימי מלכות יותם שש עשרה שנה, אלא לפי שהיה אחז רשע, רצה הכתוב למנותם ליותם בקבר, ולא לאחז בחיים, כך הוא בסדר עולם:

In the twentieth year of Yosam. He should have said, “in the fourth year of Achaz,” because Yosam's entire reign lasted [only] sixteen years, but since Achaz was wicked, Scripture prefers to count [the years with reference] to Yosam who was in the grave, rather than to Achaz, who was alive.¹³Alternatively, because the Divine decree of destruction had been passed against Pekach during Yosam's reign, therefore its fulfillment is reckoned in terms of his reign even though it took place after his death.—Radak Thus it is [stated] in Seder Olam.

בימים ההם. בסוף ימיו של יותם:

In those days. At the end of Yosam's life.¹⁴Alternatively, after Yosam's death.—Radak

להשליח. לגרות:

To incite. To incite.¹⁵Alternatively, “to send,” as a punishment for the sins of Achaz.—Ralbag