Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
2 Chronicles 27:3

Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 Chronicles 27:3. On the wall of Ophel — The wall, says the Targum, of the interior palace. Ophel was some part of the wall of Jerusalem, that was most pregnable, and therefore Jotham fortified it in a particular manner.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Prosperity followed by disaster (25:1-28:27)

Succeeding kings of Israel are passed over in silence (2 Kings 13:1-25). Judah was to have nothing to do with the northern kingdom, not even to the hiring of Israelite soldiers. Amaziah took the advice, and was rewarded with victory in a battle against Edom. But the victory, instead of increasing his dependence on God, gave him a feeling of independence. He turned from God and worshipped idols. The ungodly northern kingdom then became God’s instrument to punish the rebellious southern kingdom (25:1-28; see notes on 2 Kings 14:1-22).

Under the rule of Jeroboam II in the north (2 Kings 14:23-29) and Uzziah (or Azariah) in the south, both kingdoms enjoyed remarkable growth and prosperity. Unfortunately, this made Uzziah proud, and he arrogantly took to himself the rights of a priest. The writer points out that although the priesthood and the kingship were both appointed by God, they were separate and independent systems. One could not take over the functions of the other (26:1-23; see notes on 2 Kings 15:1-7).

Jotham followed the good policies of his father, while being careful not to repeat his father’s errors. In the Chronicler’s view, Jotham’s fear of God was the source of his strength and success (27:1-9; see notes on 2 Kings 15:32-38).

The great prosperity throughout both kingdoms was followed by unbelievable chaos. In the north the kingdom of Israel almost collapsed (2 Kings 15:8-31), and in the south the disastrous reign of Ahaz almost brought destruction to Judah (28:1-27; see notes on 2 Kings 16:1-20). Within a short time the northern kingdom was conquered by Assyria and its people carried away captive. This was the end of the northern kingdom (2 Kings 17:1-41).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE REIGN OF JOTHAM THE SON OF UZZIAH
X. 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 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" "This wall was part of the old Jebusite city, a very important part of Jerusalem, also called `the City of David.'"The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 391. 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)."Albert Barnes, Chronicles, p. 411.

"Ten thousand measures of wheat" Curtis (Madsen) estimates this amount of wheat as 120,331 bushels.International Critical Commentary, Chronicles, p. 454. 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Ophel was the name given to the long, narrowish, rounded spur or promontory, which intervenes between the central valley of Jerusalem (the Tyropoeon) and the Kidron, or valley of Jehoshaphat. The anxiety of Uzziah and Jotham to fortify their territory indicates a fear of external attack, which at this time was probably felt mainly in connection with Samaria and Syria (2 Kings 15:37 note). The faithless trust put in fortifications was rebuked by the prophets of the time Hosea 8:14; Isaiah 2:15.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 27

And chapter 27 takes up the reign of Jotham.

Twenty-five years old when he began to reign, reigned for sixteen years. He did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, just like his father Uzziah: however he didn't enter into the temple. But the people under him began to do corruptly ( 2 Chronicles 27:1-2 ).

And, of course, you'll get that in Isaiah's prophecy.

And Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God ( 2 Chronicles 27:6 ).

But not much is told us about him. The rest of what he did is told in the book of Kings, and he reigned for sixteen years. So he was actually just thirty-six years old. No, he was forty-one years old; twenty-five when he started.

And he slept with his fathers, they buried him in the city of David ( 2 Chronicles 27:9 ):

So that brings us up to chapter 28. Next week we will finish the book of II Chronicles as we come to the end of the books of history prior to their being carried away into the Babylonian captivity.

Now you know that the Old Testament is divided into different sections. The first being the first five books being the books of Moses; and then we have the books, really, of the history of the nation. Beginning with Joshua coming into the land, the period of their judges, and then the period of their kings up until the time of their captivity by Nebuchadnezzar. And then we have two more books of history, Ezra and Nehemiah. But the books of Ezra and Nehemiah carry you into the post-captive period after they returned from Babylonian captivity. So II Chronicles will bring us up to the what they call the pre-exilic history of the nation and the post-exilic we will have when we get the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Then we go into the books they call of poetry as we get into Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. And then we get into the books of the major prophets. Major only because of the length of their books, not because of the importance of their prophecies or the position, or not because one prophet was greater than another. But just the size of their books, the major prophets. And then the smaller books of the prophets, which are called the minor prophets because the books are smaller.

And when we get into the books of poetry, you must fit them back into this period of history we've already covered, because these books were written during this period. For instance, Job was written sometime during the historic period of Genesis. Job could have lived about the same time as did Abraham. And so that book goes way back historically.

The Psalms, of course, cover mainly David's reign but yet some of the psalms were written by Moses and some of them by Solomon and others of Asaph, one of David's musicians. As you get into Proverbs, of course, you're into Solomon's reign. As you're into Song of Solomon you've got again one of the thousand or more songs that Solomon wrote. Then as you get into the prophets, Isaiah, we're in the particular period of history right now where Isaiah comes in. And with Jeremiah this is the period of history that Jeremiah. We're coming right up now to Jeremiah in the next king. And that's when Jeremiah began his prophesying when he was just a lad of seventeen years old. And you begin to fit then the prophets back into this period of history.

So it's important that you sort of get the history in your mind because to understand the prophets and their messages you've got to know what were the circumstances of Judah and Israel at the time the prophets were telling them of the destruction that was going to come upon their enemies or the destruction that was going to come upon them because they had forsaken God. And so to get a good understanding of the prophets, it's important that we lay the foundational base in the history so that you'll be able to understand more completely the message of the prophets when we get there. So sometimes history has a way of being a drag, but yet it does have its value in understanding better the message of the prophets as we move on.

So shall we stand.

May the Lord fill your heart with praise and thanksgiving through the week that you might know God's work and God's victory in your life. May God help you to bring things into their proper perspective and the proper priorities. That you might seek first the kingdom of God, His righteousness. That you might realize the power and the glory of the God that you serve, in order that you might see His work in your life in a very real and beautiful way. In Jesus' name. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

K. Jotham ch. 27

Jotham was also a good king. He built up the temple and so contributed to the greater glory of Yahweh (2 Chronicles 27:3). Consequently his neighbors to the east submitted to him and paid him tribute (2 Chronicles 27:5). The Chronicler clearly stated the reason Jotham became strong: "he ordered his ways [i.e., conducted himself] before the LORD his God" (2 Chronicles 27:6).

However, Jotham appears to have failed to lead his people in righteousness (2 Chronicles 27:2). There was no reformation of abuses or revival during his reign, as far as we know.

Evidently the reference to Jotham not entering the temple (2 Chronicles 27:2) means that he did not inappropriately violate the holy place as his father had done (2 Chronicles 26:16).

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

He built the high gate in the house of the Lord,.... See the note on 2 Kings 15:35

and on the wall of Ophel he built much; which Kimchi interprets an high place; it was the eastern part of Mount Zion. Josephus f calls it Ophlas, and says it joined to the eastern porch of the temple; and some have thought the porch of the temple is meant; the Targum renders it a palace; it is a tradition of the Jews that it was the holy of holies g.

f De Bell. Jud. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 2. g Vid. Hieron Trad. Heb. in lib. Paralipom. fol. 86. A. F. G.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

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. 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. 3 He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. 4 Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers. 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. 6 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God. 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. 8 He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and 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 stead.

Verses 1-9 

There is not much more related here concerning Jotham than we had before, 2 Kings 15:32, etc. 

I. He reigned well. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord; the course of his reign was good, and pleasing to God, whose favour he made his end, and his word his rule, and (which shows that he acted from a good principle) he prepared his ways before the Lord his God (2 Chronicles 27:6), that is, he walked circumspectly and with much caution, contrived how to shun that which was evil and compass that which was good. He looked before him, and cast his affairs into such a posture and method as made the regular management of them the more easy. Or he established or fixed his ways before the Lord, that is, he walked steadily and constantly in the way of his duty, was uniform and resolute in it: not like some of those that went before him, who, though they had some good in them, lost their credit by their inconstancy and inconsistency with themselves. They had run well, but something hindered them. It was not so with Jotham. Two things are observed here in his character:-1. What was amiss in his father he amended in himself (2 Chronicles 27:2): He did according to all that his father did well and wisely; howbeit he would not imitate him in which he did amiss; for he entered not into the temple of the Lord to burn incense as his father did, but took warning by his fate not to dare so presumptuous a thing. Note, We must not imitate the best men, and those we have the greatest veneration for, any further than they did well; but, on the contrary, their falls, and the injurious consequences of them, must be warnings to us to walk the more circumspectly, that we stumble not at the same stone that they stumbled at. 2. What was amiss in his people he could not prevail to amend: The people did yet corruptly. Perhaps it reflects some blame upon him, that he was wanting in his part towards the reformation of the land. Men may be very good themselves, and yet not have courage and zeal to do what they might do towards the reforming of others. however it certainly reflects a great deal of blame upon the people, that they did not do what they might have done to improve the advantages of so good a reign: they had good instructions given them and a good example set before them, but they would not be reformed; so that even in the reign of their good kings, as well as in that of the bad ones, they weretreasuring up wrath against the day of wrath; for they still did corruptly, and the founder melted in vain. 

II. He prospered, and became truly reputable. 1. He built. He began with the gate of the house of the Lord, which he repaired, beautified, and raised. He then fortified the wall of Ophel, and built cities in the mountains of Judah (2 Chronicles 27:3-4), took all possible care for the fortifying of his country and the replenishing of it. 2. He conquered. He prevailed against the Ammonites, who had invaded Judah in Jehoshaphat's time, 2 Chronicles 20:1. He triumphed over them, and exacted great contributions from them, 2 Chronicles 27:5. He became mighty (2 Chronicles 27:6) in wealth and power, and influence upon the neighbouring nations, who courted his friendship and feared his displeasure; and this he got by preparing his ways before the Lord his God. The more stedfast we are in religion the more mighty we are both for the resistance of that which is evil and for the performance of that which is good. 

III. He finished his course too soon, but finished it with honour. He had the unhappiness to die in the midst of his days; but, to balance that, the happiness not to out-live his reputation, as the last three of his predecessors did. He died when he was but forty-one years of age (2 Chronicles 27:8); but his wars and his ways, his wars abroad and his ways at home, were so glorious that they were recorded in the book of the kings of Israel, as well as of the kings of Judah, 2 Chronicles 27:7. The last words of the chapter are the most melancholy, as they inform us that Ahaz his son, whose character, in all respects, was the reverse of his, reigned in his stead. When the wealth and power with which wise men have done good devolve upon fools, that will do hurt with them, it is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.