Which king of Judah was struck with leprosy for burning incense in the temple? Uzziah was the king of Judah described in the Hebrew Bible as being struck with leprosy after unlawfully burning incense in the Jerusalem Temple.
The account appears in 2 Chronicles 26. Uzziah became king at age 16 and ruled for 52 years, gaining military strength and expanding Judah’s influence. Later, however, his success led to pride. He entered the Temple to burn incense on the altar, an act reserved for the appointed priests descended from Aaron.
The high priest Azariah confronted Uzziah with 80 priests. As the king angrily resisted them, leprosy—or the biblical skin disease often translated as “leprosy”—appeared on his forehead. He was forced to leave the Temple and lived separately until his death.
Uzziah is also called Azariah in parts of the biblical record, which can cause confusion. The incident is not associated with Manasseh, Josiah, or Hezekiah; those kings had different stories and reputations.