26:5 Zechariah. Nothing more than this is known about this particular prophet Zechariah. One can speculate, however, that he was a namesake of the priest unjustly executed by Uzziah’s grandfather, King Joash. Like Jehoiada’s influence on Joash, Zechariah kept Uzziah true to God as long as he lived. He is not to be confused with the man who wrote the prophetic book of Zechariah; the latter prophesied in the days of the returning exiles.

26:5 sought the LORD. Uzziah’s rebellion, after a particularly long and successful reign, was halted by the sudden judgment of lifelong leprosy (II Chronicles 26:21). The principle that material prosperity accompanies faithfulness to God, and vice versa, was apparently applicable to the kings of Judah and Israel in most cases. This principle may possibly apply to modern heads of state as well, in many cases, but certainly cannot be applied to Christians in general (witness all the martyrs listed in Hebrews 11). God’s true rewards for his faithful servants await the future life.