[348] His misfortune must have made a deep impression, and is possibly alluded to in Hos. iv. 4: "For thy people are as they that strive with the priest."
[349] The Chronicler attributes the good part of his reign to the influence of an unknown Zechariah, "who had understanding in the visions of God"; and says that when Zechariah died Uzziah altered for the worse.
[350] This high priest, Azariah, is only mentioned elsewhere in 2 Chron. xxvi. 17, 20.
[351] Josephus says that he had put on a priestly robe, and that a great feast was going on, and that the earthquake (Amos i. 1; Zech. xiv. 5) happened at the moment, which broke the Temple roof, so that a sunbeam smote his head and produced the leprosy. We here see the growth of the Haggadah.
[352] For instance, two verses earlier (2 Kings xv. 30) we read of the twentieth year of Jotham.
[353] Isa. i. 10-17.
[354] Amos viii. 2.
[355] Amos iv. 1-3.
[356] It is probable that our present Book of Zechariah is composed of the works of three prophets of different dates, each of whom may have borne that name. See my Minor Prophets ("Men of the Bible" Series).
[357] Zech. xi. 8. In 2 Kings xv. 10 the LXX. read καὶ επάταξεν αὐτὸν ἐν κεβλαάμ; and Ewald thinks that "before the people" (קָבָל־צָם) is really a proper name of the third king in one month—"and Kobolam slew him." There is insufficient ground for this; though a similar name is found in Assyrian records.