2 Chronicles 26:18

18 They confronted Uzziah: "You must not, you cannot do this, Uzziah - only the Aaronite priests, especially consecrated for the work, are permitted to burn incense. Get out of God's Temple; you are unfaithful and a disgrace!"

2 Chronicles 26:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 26:18

And they withstood Uzziah the king
They not only stood against him, but stood about him, surrounded him, so as to hinder him from approaching the altar of incense:

and said unto him, it appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn
incense unto the Lord;
it did not belong to his office as a king, it was no part of it

but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn
incense;
and to them only; for even the Levites might not do it, only those of the tribe of Levi, that descended from Aaron, see ( Numbers 16:35 ) ,

go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed;
by going into that:

neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God;
but to his hurt, and be a brand of infamy upon him; for more is designed than is expressed, and as the event showed.

2 Chronicles 26:18 In-Context

16 But then the strength and success went to his head. Arrogant and proud, he fell. One day, contemptuous of God, he walked into The Temple of God like he owned it and took over, burning incense on the Incense Altar.

17 The priest Azariah, backed up by eighty brave priests of God, tried to prevent him.

18 They confronted Uzziah: "You must not, you cannot do this, Uzziah - only the Aaronite priests, especially consecrated for the work, are permitted to burn incense. Get out of God's Temple; you are unfaithful and a disgrace!"

19 But Uzziah, censer in hand, was already in the middle of doing it and angrily rebuffed the priests. He lost his temper; angry words were exchanged - and then, even as they quarreled, a skin disease appeared on his forehead.

20 As soon as they saw it, the chief priest Azariah and the other priests got him out of there as fast as they could. He hurried out - he knew that God then and there had given him the disease.