2 Kings 15:5
And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the house, judging the people of the land. And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the house, judging the people of the land.
The verse concerns Azariah, also called Uzziah, king of Judah, whose son Jotham was over the house judging the people of the land. His reign stands in the succession of Judah's kings Ahaziah, Athaliah, Joash, Amaziah, Azariah or Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah and Jehoahaz through the nearly 300 years from 2 Kings 7 to 23. Judah's record in these reigns shows that under righteous, faithful rulers the kingdom always prospered, but rulers turning from God to gross idolatry brought calamity upon themselves and their people. The word several means separate, for the king dwelt in a separate house, a sense now rarely used outside some legal documents.
The king was struck with leprosy and lived apart, while Jotham administered the royal household and judged the people. This is an example of a son taking charge when the king could no longer govern, illustrating how Jotham could serve as a subordinate ruler during Uzziah's lifetime. This shows that even a king stricken with leprosy had to give up the scepter and live apart from society, with his son taking over governing the people. The verse belongs to the account of Azariah's reign, followed by Jotham, who is identified as good.