1 Jotham H3147 was twenty H6242 and five H2568 years H8141 old H1121 when he began to reign, H4427 and he reigned H4427 sixteen H8337 H6240 years H8141 in Jerusalem. H3389 His mother's H517 name H8034 also was Jerushah, H3388 the daughter H1323 of Zadok. H6659
2 And he did H6213 that which was right H3477 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 according to all that his father H1 Uzziah H5818 did: H6213 howbeit he entered H935 not into the temple H1964 of the LORD. H3068 And the people H5971 did yet corruptly. H7843
3 He built H1129 the high H5945 gate H8179 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and on the wall H2346 of Ophel H6077 he built H1129 much. H7230
4 Moreover he built H1129 cities H5892 in the mountains H2022 of Judah, H3063 and in the forests H2793 he built H1129 castles H1003 and towers. H4026
5 He fought H3898 also with the king H4428 of the Ammonites, H5984 and prevailed H2388 against them. And the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 gave H5414 him the same year H8141 an hundred H3967 talents H3603 of silver, H3701 and ten H6235 thousand H505 measures H3734 of wheat, H2406 and ten H6235 thousand H505 of barley. H8184 So much did the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 pay H7725 unto H2063 him, both the second H8145 year, H8141 and the third. H7992
6 So Jotham H3147 became mighty, H2388 because he prepared H3559 his ways H1870 before H6440 the LORD H3068 his God. H430
7 Now the rest H3499 of the acts H1697 of Jotham, H3147 and all his wars, H4421 and his ways, H1870 lo, they are written H3789 in the book H5612 of the kings H4428 of Israel H3478 and Judah. H3063
8 He was five H2568 and twenty H6242 years H8141 old H1121 when he began to reign, H4427 and reigned H4427 sixteen H8337 H6240 years H8141 in Jerusalem. H3389
9 And Jotham H3147 slept H7901 with his fathers, H1 and they buried H6912 him in the city H5892 of David: H1732 and Ahaz H271 his son H1121 reigned H4427 in his stead.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 27
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 27 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Jotham having ascended the throne at the age of twenty-five, reigned altogether in the spirit and power of his father, with the single limitation that he did not go into the sanctuary of Jahve (cf. 2 Chronicles 26:16.). This remark is not found in 2 Kings 15, because there Uzziah's intrusion into the temple is also omitted. The people still did corruptly (cf. 2 Chronicles 26:16). This refers, indeed, to the continuation of the worship in the high places, but hints also at the deep moral corruption which the prophets of that time censure (cf. especially Isaiah 2:5., 2 Chronicles 5:7.; Micah 1:5; Micah 2:1.).
He built the upper gate of the house of Jahve, i.e., the northern gate of the inner or upper court (see on 2 Kings 15:35); the only work of his reign which is mentioned in the book of Kings. But besides this, he continued the fortifying of Jerusalem, which his father had commenced; building much at the wall of the Ophel. העפל was the name of the southern slope of the temple mountain (see on 2 Chronicles 33:14); the wall of Ophel is consequently the wall connecting Zion with the temple mountain, at which Uzziah had already built (see on 2 Chronicles 26:9). He likewise carried on his father's buildings for the protection of the herds (2 Chronicles 26:10), building the cities in the mountains of Judah, and castles ( בּירניּות , 2 Chronicles 17:12) and towers in the forests of the mountains of Judah ( חרשׁים from חרשׁ , a thicket).
He made war upon the king of the Ammonites, and overcame them. The Ammonites had before paid tribute to Uzziah. After his death they would seem to have refused to pay this tribute; and Jotham made them again tributary by force of arms. They were compelled to pay him after their defeat, in that same year, 100 talents of silver, 10,000 cor of wheat, and a similar quantity of barley, as tribute. לו השׁיבוּ זאת : this they brought to him again, i.e., they paid him the same amount as tribute in the second and third years of their subjection also. After three years, consequently, they would seem to have again become independent, or refused the tribute, probably in the last years of Jotham, in which, according to 2 Kings 15:37, the Syrian king Rezin and Pekah of Israel began to make attacks upon Judah.
2 Chronicles 27:6-7
By all these undertakings Jotham strengthened himself, sc. in the kingdom, i.e., he attained to greater power, because he made his ways firm before Jahve, i.e., walked stedfastly before Jahve; did not incur guilt by falling away into idolatry, or by faithless infringement of the rights of the Lord (as Uzziah did by his interference with the rights of the priesthood). From the כּל־מלחמתיו in the concluding remark (2 Chronicles 27:7) we learn that he had waged still other successful wars. The older commentators reckon among these wars, the war against Rezin and Pekah, which kings the Lord began in his days to send against Judah (see 2 Kings 15:37), but hardly with justice. The position of this note, which is altogether omitted in the Chronicle, at the end of the account of Jotham in 2 Kings 15:37, appears to hint that this war broke out only towards the end of Jotham's reign, so that he could not undertake anything important against this foe.
2 Chronicles 27:8-9
The repetition of the chronological statement already given in 2 Chronicles 27:1 is probably to be explained by supposing that two authorities, each of which contained this remark, were used.