John Gill Bible Commentary
Jotham was twenty five years old,.... See Gill on Kg2 15:33.
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2 Chronicles 27:2
ch2 27:2
ch2 27:2
ch2 27:2And he did that which was right,.... See Gill on Kg2 15:34,
howbeit, he entered not into the temple of the Lord; to burn incense, as his father did; he did according to his good ways, but not his evil ones:
and the people did yet corruptly; in sacrificing and burning incense in the high places, Kg2 15:35 which some think Joash himself did, and is meant in the preceding clause; but the sense given is best.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
There is not much more related here concerning Jotham than we had before, Kg2 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 (Ch2 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 (Ch2 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 were treasuring 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 (Ch2 27:3, Ch2 27:4), 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, Ch2 20:1. He triumphed over them, and exacted great contributions from them, Ch2 27:5. He became mighty (Ch2 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 (Ch2 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, Ch2 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.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
27:1 After a co-regency of eleven years with his father, Uzziah (750–740 BC), Jotham became king in his own right and reigned five more years (740–735 BC). This represents the sixteen years mentioned in the text. Jotham lived at least four more years, for we read that Hoshea came to power in the northern kingdom “in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah” (2 Kgs 15:30). But Jotham’s son, Ahaz, had already begun a co-regency with Jotham. After Jotham’s sixteen official years, Ahaz began to rule in his father’s stead (see study note on 2 Kgs 16:1-2). However, Ahaz presumably had his official accession ceremony following his father’s death in 732 BC, so the author of 2 Chronicles reckons Ahaz’s official regnal years starting in 731 BC (see 2 Chr 28:1).
