2 Chronicles 27 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

2 Chronicles 27

Jotham Reigns in Judah

27:1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people still followed corrupt practices. 3 He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD and did much building on the wall of Ophel. 4 Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and forts and towers on the wooded hills. 5 He fought with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed against them. And the Ammonites gave him that year 100 talents¹ of silver, and 10,000 cors² of wheat and 10,000 of barley. The Ammonites paid him the same amount in the second and the third years. 6 So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God. 7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. 8 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

[1] 27:5 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
[2] 27:5 A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters

Commentary

v1-2: Jotham, like Amaziah and Uzziah, followed the Lord partially. In contrast, Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah were more committed to the Lord. Jotham seems to have followed Uzziah's example, but he did not make the error of entering the temple of the Lord. The people continued to act corruptly; the leadership of Uzziah and Jotham did not ensure a deep repentance, nor faithfulness to God amongst the people.

v3-4: A commendation for Jotham, for he strengthened the temple and the wall.

v5: Jotham also defeated the Ammonites, and received tribute from them.

v6: To the extent that Jotham walked before the Lord God, he became powerful.

v7-9: Jotham's reign merits a few verses. He did not stand out as either a particularly godly, nor a particularly ungodly king.