Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
2 Chronicles 26:10 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 10. 10Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The KJV term means farmers or cultivators, not married men as such. In 2 Chronicles 26:10, “husbandmen” belongs to the complete movement “Campaigns, towers, farms, and weapons make Uzziah strong.”
Read It With
- 2 Chronicles 26:6–15
Read 2 Chronicles 26:10 with 26:6–15. The selected wording supplies one step in the thought unit through its next action, speech, or consequence; the surrounding verses supply the causes, responses, and outcome summarized here: Uzziah defeats Philistines and Arabians, receives Ammonite tribute, fortifies Jerusalem, digs wells, supports livestock and farming, organizes a large army, and equips new engines of war.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within “Campaigns, towers, farms, and weapons make Uzziah strong,” 2 Chronicles 26:10 advances the thought unit through its next action, speech, or consequence through the wording “Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in….” Its placement is governed by this reviewed relationship: The achievement catalogue integrates agriculture and defense but repeatedly magnifies royal strength before the turning point. 2 Chronicles 26:1–5 has just established this prior movement: The people make sixteen-year-old Uzziah king; he restores Eloth, follows a qualified right path, and prospers while he seeks God under Zechariah's instruction. Together those details explain why “Campaigns, towers, farms, and weapons make Uzziah strong” belongs here rather than merely following a database record.
Read 2 Chronicles 26:6–15 together
Why these verses belong together: 2 Chronicles 26:6–15 forms the complete movement “Campaigns, towers, farms, and weapons make Uzziah strong”: Uzziah defeats Philistines and Arabians, receives Ammonite tribute, fortifies Jerusalem, digs wells, supports livestock and farming, organizes a large army, and equips new engines of war.
Verse 6. 6 And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
Verse 7. 7 And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gur-baal, and the Mehunims.
Verse 8. 8 And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.
Verse 9. 9 Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
Verse 10. 10 Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.
Verse 11. 11 Moreover Uzziah had an host of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains.
Verse 12. 12 The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred.
Verse 13. 13 And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.
Verse 14. 14 And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones.
Verse 15. 15 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.
Follow the Context
- Uzziah defeats Philistines and Arabians, receives Ammonite tribute, fortifies Jerusalem, digs wells, supports livestock and farming, organizes a large army, and equips new engines of war.
- The achievement catalogue integrates agriculture and defense but repeatedly magnifies royal strength before the turning point.
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“husbandmen”
In plain language: The KJV term means farmers or cultivators, not married men as such.
In 2 Chronicles 26:10, “husbandmen” belongs to the complete movement “Campaigns, towers, farms, and weapons make Uzziah strong.”
Why it matters: This wording materially sharpens the passage-specific meaning or boundary.
How certain? probableWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
2 Chronicles 26:10 does not permit the wording “Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in…” to be read apart from the selected verse's context. Engineering, farming, military success, and fame do not establish moral greatness or authorize imperial expansion and weapons worship.
What Remains True
Temple repair, prophetic truth, warfare, royal strength, priestly boundaries, illness, and succession show that good beginnings and institutional service never excuse later abuse. This unit tests that truth through the narrated movement: Uzziah defeats Philistines and Arabians, receives Ammonite tribute, fortifies Jerusalem, digs wells, supports livestock and farming, organizes a large army, and equips new engines of war. In 2 Chronicles 26:10, the concrete line “Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in…” keeps that truth accountable to the narrated evidence.
How It Can Shape Life
- The evidence to keep visible in this verse is “Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in….” Use transparent finances and skilled work, protect prophets and workers, refuse cruelty after victory, maintain role boundaries, and never stigmatize disease or disability. This response follows from the unit's own movement: Uzziah defeats Philistines and Arabians, receives Ammonite tribute, fortifies Jerusalem, digs wells, supports livestock and farming, organizes a large army, and equips new engines of war.
Teach It Back
Explain why 2 Chronicles 26:10 joins desert towers and wells with livestock, farmers, vineyards, and love of land. Use 26:6–15, paraphrase “Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in…,” state one source or reconstruction limit, identify one person or group power can obscure, and reject one conclusion this verse does not authorize.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read 2 Chronicles 26:6–15 — Campaigns, towers, farms, and weapons make Uzziah strongSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
The war notices, totals, and mechanical description are abbreviated and difficult to correlate externally; 'engines' should not be anachronistically imagined as modern artillery.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact KJV wording, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage for this thought unit.
Exact location: 2 Chronicles 26:6–15, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: 2 Chronicles
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Hebrew wording, morphology, names, clauses, regnal formulas, temple vocabulary, older-English controls, and translation limits.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/2Chr.xml, Masoretic words and morphology for 26:6–15
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible Full Notes: 2 Chronicles
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press; STEP Bible presentation, 2019 edition; current web presentation
Supports: Unit-bounded translation comparisons and only those lexical, textual, grammatical, numerical, historical, and parallel-passage notes attached to these verses.
Exact location: STEP Bible NET2full, 2 Chronicles 26:6–15, verse-attached translation and translator notes
Open source ↗