Bible Commentaries
2 Chronicles 27

Introduction

Second Chronicles Chapter 27

2 Chronicles 27:1 "Jotham [was] twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also [was] Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok."

In the last lesson, we learned that Jotham began to reign, when his father became leprous. He was not actually crowned king, until many years later. Jotham did that which was right in the sight of the LORD. It appears, he followed in the steps of his father in following God, and took a warning from the leprosy that God caused his father to have for his disobedience. There is very little known of his mother, Jerushah. There are several people named Zadok in the Bible, but very little else is known of this particular one. Jotham began to reign when he was 25, and reigned for 16 years. "Jotham" means Jehovah is upright.

2 Chronicles 27:2 "And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the LORD. And the people did yet corruptly."

It appears, that Jotham greatly feared the LORD, and did not go into the temple as his father did. The people remained corrupt in their worship in the high places and burned incense to false gods. This was a time when the nation was away from God, even though they still clung to a form of worshipping God. That is very similar to our society today. We have a form of religion, but we are out of relationship with God.

2 Chronicles 27:3 "He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much."

This is the northern gate of the inner court, that was rebuilt by Jotham. He tried to repair the wall and the gate, that had been torn down.

2 Chronicles 27:4 "Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers."

These were actually fortifications to be used against any oncoming army they might face. These were not castles, in the sense of the king’s palace, but a high building as a fortification.

2 Chronicles 27:5 "He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third."

It appears, he defeated the Ammonites, but instead of killing them, he made them pay tribute to Judah. The 100 talents of silver would weigh 150,000 ounces. This, along with the wheat and barley, was paid for three consecutive years. The large amounts of wheat and barley that were paid each year for three years give us some idea of just how fertile the land of the Ammonites was.

2 Chronicles 27:6 "So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God."

Now, we see the reason for the blessings God bestowed on Jotham. His first thought was loyalty to his God. He stayed faithful to the LORD his God. He walked in the belief in his God daily.

2 Chronicles 27:7 "Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they [are] written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah."

Jotham lived and reigned pleasing unto the LORD. The book of the kings of Israel and Judah could be a historical book, but he is, also, spoken of in the book of Kings in the Bible. The one really outstanding thing he was remembered for, was the re-building of the temple gates.

2 Chronicles 27:8 "He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem."

This is, probably, speaking of his formal reign as king. He actually reigned as a subordinate to his father, before he died of leprosy. He was, probably, just a lad, when he filled in for his dad in his illness. He was 25, when he was crowned king.

2 Chronicles 27:9 "And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead."

When Jotham died, he was buried with honor in Jerusalem. This son, Ahaz, was a very evil king. He did not follow in his father’s steps. Ahaz followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel.

2 Chronicles 27 Questions

1. How old was Jotham, when he began to reign?

2. How many years did he reign?

3. What was his mother’s name?

4. When did he begin to reign for his father?

5. What kind of a king was he?

6. What was the one thing his father did, that he did not do?

7. The people remained __________.

8. How was Judah, then, similar to our land today?

9. What great thing is mentioned, that he did in 2 Chronicles 27:3?

10. Which gate is this?

11. He built _________ in the mountains of Judah.

12. What were these really?

13. Who did he fight against and prevail?

14. What did he do, instead of killing the Ammonites?

15. How many ounces of silver did they give in one year?

16. What food products did they give Judah, in way of tribute?

17. How many years did they have to pay tribute?

18. Why did Jotham become mighty?

19. What was the one really outstanding thing Jotham is remembered for?

20. Where was Jotham buried?

Verses 1-9

2Ch 27:1-9

2 Chronicles 27:1-9

THE REIGN OF JOTHAM THE SON OF UZZIAH

JOTHAM (750-735 B.C.)

"Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his father Uzziah had done: howbeit he entered not into the temple of Jehovah. And the people did yet corruptly. He built the upper gate of the house of Jehovah, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. Moreover he built cities in the hill-country of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers. He fought also with the king of the children of Ammon, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon render unto him, in the second year also, and in the third. So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before Jehovah his God. 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. He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

"The people did yet corruptly" (2 Chronicles 27:2). 2 Kings 15:35 has the information that the high places were not removed; thus God’s people continued their idolatrous worship in the high places.

"The wall of Ophel" (2 Chronicles 27:3). "This wall was part of the old Jebusite city, a very important part of Jerusalem, also called `the City of David.’" Jotham’s fortifying this part of Jerusalem, "Indicated that he feared an external attack, probably from Assyria and Samaria. This faithless trust which Judah at that time put in fortifications was rebuked by the prophets (Hosea 8:14; and Isaiah 2:15)."

"Ten thousand measures of wheat" (2 Chronicles 27:5). Curtis (Madsen) estimates this amount of wheat as 120,331 bushels. Ammon had been subject to Uzziah, Jotham’s father, but they rebelled against Jotham who put down their insurrection and exacted heavy toll for three years.

None of the commentaries available to us carries any extensive comment on Jotham’s reign.

E.M. Zerr:

2 Chronicles 27:1. The 16 years of the reign will not include those of his service before the death of his father, but the period of his own right as king.

2 Chronicles 27:2. In the sight of the Lord is a significant expression. Many things are right or approved in the sight of men that are wrong before the Lord. In fact it is usually that way. (Luke 16:15.) Howbeit is the same as "except." The language of the verse might seem as if his not entering into the temple was an exception to his following in the righteous footsteps of his father. We know that it was right for him not to enter the temple as his father did. The exception is not made to the statement pertaining to the righteous conduct of Uzziah. The writer made a general reference to the life of the former king and said that his son followed in his steps. Then, realizing that part of the life of Uzziah was not right and should not have been imitated, he added the exception noted. And while the life of Jotham generally was good, he was somewhat short of his duty in not curbing the corruptions of the people.

2 Chronicles 27:3. When historians are writing up the good deeds of kings or other prominent men, they generally point out the things that indicate their interest in the public good. Hence we are told that Jotham built (repaired) the high gate which means the upper or most important one. It was so considered because it was "the king’s gate eastward." (1 Chronicles 9:18.) Ophel was a prominent elevation in the vicinity of Jerusalem and there was a wall or tower there; Jotham repaired that place.

2 Chronicles 27:4. Always it should be remembered that when a man is said to have "built" something, it does not necessarily mean that he constructed it for the first time; it often denotes that he rebuilt or repaired it. Castles and towers were institutions for defense and other military purposes. Jotham was concerned about the security of the nation, and took all these steps with that in view.

2 Chronicles 27:5. Jotham was so victorious in his wars with the Ammonites that he forced them to pay him tribute for three years.

2 Chronicles 27:6. The success of Jotham is explained by the fact of his regard for the Lord. Prepared his ways means he established his conduct in the light of what the Lord would consider right.

2 Chronicles 27:7. This verse refers to some "outside" writings covering the same subject matter that has been considered here. See the comments at 1 Kings 14:19.

2 Chronicles 27:8. This is a repetition of 2 Chronicles 27:1.

2 Chronicles 27:9. Slept with his fathers calls for the comments at 1 Kings 2:10. Jotham was buried in the city of David, otherwise called Mount Zion, a main spot in Jerusalem.