Chapter 27
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.
A. M. 3246-3262. B.C. 753-742. twenty and five
2 Kings 15:32,33-38 1 Chronicles 3:12 Isaiah 1:1 Hosea 1:1 Micah 1:1 Matthew 1:9
Joatham
Verse 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.
And he did
he entered not
He copied his father's conduct as far as it was pious and constitutional; and avoided his transgression.
26:16-21 Psalms 119:120 Acts 5:13
the people
He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.
high gate
Ophel
or, the tower. "The wall," says the Targum, "of the interior palace." Ophel appears to have been a tower, or fort, on the city wall, in which we read "the Nehthinim dwelt."
Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.
he built cities
the mountains
castles and towers
These castles and towers he doubtless built built for the protection of the country people against marauders.
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.
the king of the Ammonites
We find here, that he brought the Ammonites under a heavy tribute for three years; but whether this was the effect of his prevailing against them, is not so evident. Some think that they paid this tribute for three years, and then revolted; that, in consequence, he attacked them, and their utter subjection was the result.
20:1 Judges 11:4-33 2 Samuel 10:1-14 Jeremiah 49:1-6
ten thousand
Rather, "ten thousand cors (korim) of wheat." The cor was same as the homer, and contained about 32 pecks 1 pint.
So much
Heb. This.
So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.
Jotham
prepared
or, established.
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.
Now the rest
A. M. 3262. B.C. 742. they are written. There is not so much found in the book of Kings, which we have now, as here: in both places we have abridged accounts; the larger histories having been lost
Verse 9
And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.