2 Chronicles 26:15

New Living Translation

And he built structures on the walls of Jerusalem, designed by experts to protect those who shot arrows and hurled large stones from the towers and the corners of the wall. His fame spread far and wide, for the Lord gave him marvelous help, and he became very powerful.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He made skillfully designed devices in Jerusalem to shoot arrows and catapult large stones for use on the towers and on the corners. So his fame spread even to distant places, for he was wondrously helped until he became strong.

Hebrew Names Version
He made in Yerushalayim engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and on the battlements, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. His name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, until he was strong.

King James Version
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.

English Standard Version
In Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.

New Century Version
In Jerusalem Uzziah made cleverly designed devices. These devices on the towers and corners of the city walls were used to shoot arrows and large rocks. So Uzziah became famous in faraway places, because he had much help until he became powerful.

New English Translation
In Jerusalem he made war machines carefully designed to shoot arrows and large stones from the towers and corners of the walls. He became very famous, for he received tremendous support and became powerful.

Amplified Bible
In Jerusalem he made machines of war invented by skillful men to be put on the towers and on the [corner] battlements for the purpose of shooting arrows and large stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

New American Standard Bible
In Jerusalem he made machines of war invented by skillful workmen to be on the towers and the corners, for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. So his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

World English Bible
He made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and on the battlements, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. His name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, until he was strong.

Geneva Bible (1587)
He made also very artificial engins in Ierusalem, to be vpon the towres and vpon the corners, to shoote arrowes and great stones: and his name spred farre abroade, because God did helpe him marueilously, till he was mightie.

Legacy Standard Bible
In Jerusalem he also made devices of war devised by skillful designers to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

Berean Standard Bible
And in Jerusalem he made skillfully designed devices to shoot arrows and catapult large stones from the towers and corners. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped until he became powerful.

Contemporary English Version
Some of his skilled workers invented machines that could shoot arrows and sling large stones. Uzziah set these up in Jerusalem at his defense towers and at the corners of the city wall. God helped Uzziah become more and more powerful, and he was famous all over the world.

Complete Jewish Bible
In Yerushalayim he built devices designed by experts for the towers and angles, from which to shoot arrows and lob large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was miraculously helped, until he became strong.

Darby Translation
And he made in Jerusalem machines invented by skilful men, to be upon the towers and upon the bulwarks, wherewith to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he became strong.

Easy-to-Read Version
In Jerusalem, Uzziah made machines that were invented by clever men. These machines were put on the towers and corner walls. They shot arrows and large rocks. Uzziah became famous. People knew his name in far away places. He had much help and became a powerful king.

George Lamsa Translation
And his fame spread throughout all the lands, until he became very rich.

Good News Translation
In Jerusalem his inventors made equipment for shooting arrows and for throwing large stones from the towers and corners of the city wall. His fame spread everywhere, and he became very powerful because of the help he received from God.

Lexham English Bible
And he made siege machines in Jerusalem designed by skillful men to be set upon the towers and upon the corners to shoot arrows and large slingstones. And his fame went out far, for he helped marvelously, for he was strong.

Literal Translation
And he made engines in Jerusalem, the inventions of skillful men, to be on the towers and on the corners, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad; for he was wonderfully helped until he was strong.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And at Ierusale he made ordinaunce coningly, to be vpon the towres and in the pynnacles, to shute arowes and greate stones. And the fame of him came farre abrode, because he was specially helped, tyll he became mightie.

American Standard Version
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skilful men, to be on the towers and upon the battlements, wherewith to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.

Bible in Basic English
And in Jerusalem he made machines, the invention of expert men, to be placed on the towers and angles of the walls for sending arrows and great stones. And his name was honoured far and wide; for he was greatly helped till he was strong.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he made subtyll engins in Hierusalem, which he inuented and layed on the towres and corners, to shoote arrowes and great stones withall: And his name spread farre abrode, because he had prepared to him selfe marueylous strength.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skilful men, to be on the towers and upon the corners, wherewith to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.

King James Version (1611)
And hee made in Ierusalem engines inuented by cunning men, to bee on the towers, & vpon the bulwarks, to shoote arrowes and great stones withall: and his name spread farre abroad, for he was marueilously helped, till he was strong.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he made in Jerusalem machines invented by a wise contriver, to be upon the towers and upon the corners, to cast darts and great stones: and the fame of their preparation was heard at a distance; for he was wonderfully helped, till he was strong.

English Revised Version
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the battlements, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he made in Jerusalem engynes of dyuerse kynde, which he settide in touris, and in the corneris of wallis, that tho schulden caste arowis and grete stoonys; and his name yede out fer, for the Lord helpide hym, and hadde maad him strong.

Update Bible Version
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and on the battlements, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, until he was strong.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad; for he was helped in a wonderful manner, till he was strong.

New King James Version
And he made devices in Jerusalem, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong.

New Life Bible
In Jerusalem he made large objects of war, planned by able men, to be on the towers and the corners. They were for shooting arrows and big stones. So Uzziah's name became known in far away places. For he was helped by God in a very special way until he was strong.

New Revised Standard
In Jerusalem he set up machines, invented by skilled workers, on the towers and the corners for shooting arrows and large stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped until he became strong.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he made in Jerusalem, inventions invented of the inventor, to be upon the towers and upon the turrets, for throwing with arrows, and with great stones, - so that his name went forth afar, for he was marvellously helped, until that he was strong.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he made in Jerusalem engines of diverse kinds, which he placed in the towers, and in the corners of the walls, to shoot arrows, and great stones: and his name went forth far abroad, for the Lord helped him, and had strengthened him.

Revised Standard Version
In Jerusalem he made engines, invented by skilful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.

Young's Literal Translation
And he maketh in Jerusalem inventions -- a device of an inventor -- to be on the towers, and on the corners, to shoot with arrows and with great stones, and his name goeth out unto a distance, for he hath been wonderfully helped till that he hath been strong.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
In Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

Contextual Overview

¹ All the people of Judah had crowned Amaziah's sixteen-year-old son, Uzziah, as king in place of his father. ² After his father's death, Uzziah rebuilt the town of Elath and restored it to Judah. ³ Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. ⁴ He did what was pleasing in the Lord 's sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done. ⁵ Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord , God gave him success. ⁶ Uzziah declared war on the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built new towns in the Ashdod area and in other parts of Philistia. ⁷ God helped him in his wars against the Philistines, his battles with the Arabs of Gur, and his wars with the Meunites. ⁸ The Meunites paid annual tribute to him, and his fame spread even to Egypt, for he had become very powerful. ⁹ Uzziah built fortified towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the angle in the wall. ¹⁰ He also constructed forts in the wilderness and dug many water cisterns, because he kept great herds of livestock in the foothills of Judah and on the plains. He was also a man who loved the soil. He had many workers who cared for his farms and vineyards, both on the hillsides and in the fertile valleys.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cunning men: 2 Chronicles 2:7, 2 Chronicles 2:14, Exodus 31:4

to shoot arrows: These engines, it is probable, bore some resemblance to the baliste and catapulte of the Romans, which were employed for throwing stones and arrows, and were in reality the mortars and carcasses of antiquity. With respect to the towers which Uzziah built in the wilderness - 2 Chronicles 26:10, Mr. Harmer appears to have given a truer view of the subject than commentators in general have done, who suppose that they were conveniences made only for sheltering the shepherds from bad weather, or to defend them from incursions of enemies; for they might rather be designed to keep the nations that pastured there in awe, and also to induce them quietly to pay the tribute to which the 2 Chronicles 26:8, seems to refer. William of Tyre describes a country not far from the Euphrates as inhabited by Syrian and Armenian Christians, who fed great flocks and herds there, but were kept in subjection to the Turks, in consequence of their living among them in strong places.

spread far: Heb. went forth, Matthew 4:24

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 20:20 - thou shalt build 2 Chronicles 11:12 - he put shields 2 Chronicles 32:5 - darts Ezekiel 26:9 - General Mark 6:14 - his name

Cross-References

Genesis 21:25
Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's servants had taken by force from Abraham's servants.

Genesis 21:30
Abraham replied, "Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers, and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal,.... Such as with the Romans were called "catapultae", "ballistae" u, "scorpiones" w, c. and by this it appears that these were not first invented in Greece and Rome, but in Judea. It is said x, that the Romans received the machine to batter cities from the Greeks, and that the Trojan horse was no other than a battering ram but if they did, the invention of them must be ascribed, not to them, but rather to the Syrians and Phoenicians, according to Pliny y; though others z suppose the Carthaginians, who were a colony of theirs, to be the inventors of them; yet, after all, they seem to be the device of some skilful men among the Jews, in the times of Uzziah; according to Diodorus Siculus a, they were not found out when Nineveh was besieged in the times of Sardanapalus:

and his name spread far abroad; in distant countries, for his warlike dispositions and preparations, which made them stand in fear of him:

for he was helped until he was strong; he was wonderfully helped by the Lord to build fortified places, raise a numerous army, and provide all sorts of armour for them, and invent such machines as would greatly annoy the enemy, whereby he became very potent, and injected dread round about him.

u Cicero. Tusculan. Quaest. l. 2. Tacit. Hist. l. 3. c. 23. w Ammian. Marcellin. l. 23. x Vid. Valtrinum de re militari Roman. l. 5. c. 6. y Nat. Hist. l. 7. c. 56. z Vitruvius de Architectura, l. 10. c. 19. Tertullian. de Pallio, c. 1. & Salmasius in ib. Vid. Turnebi Adversaria, l. 29. c. 18. a Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 113.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Uzziah’s engines seem to have corresponded respectively to the Roman balista and catapulta. The balista, which threw stones, was known to the Assyrians as early as the time of Sardanapalus I, the contemporary of Jehoshaphat. The catapult is not represented either on the Assyrian or the Egyptian sculptures. It would seem on the whole most probable that both kinds of engines were invented in Assyria and introduced from thence into Palestine.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Chronicles 26:15. Engines - to shoot arrows and great stones — The Targum says, "He made in Jerusalem ingenious instruments, and little hollow towers, to stand upon the towers and upon the bastions, for the shooting of arrows, and projecting of great stones."

This is the very first intimation on record of any warlike engines for the attack or defense of besieged places; and this account is long prior to any thing of the kind among either the Greeks or Romans. Previously to such inventions, the besieged could only be starved out, and hence sieges were very long and tedious. Shalmaneser consumed three years before such an inconsiderable place as Samaria, 2 Kings 17:5-6; Sardanapalus maintained himself in Nineveh for seven years, because the besiegers had no engines proper for the attack and destruction of walls, c., and it is well known that Troy sustained a siege of ten years, the Greeks not possessing any machine of the kind here referred to. The Jews alone were the inventors of such engines and the invention took place in the reign of Uzziah, about eight hundred years before the Christian era. It is no wonder that, in consequence of this, his name spread far abroad, and struck terror into his enemies.