In the second year of Pekah, the son of Remaliah king of Israel, began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign. Pekah began to reign in the fifty second year of Azariah, or Uzziah, which was his last year, 2 Kings 15:27 , and which was the first of Pekah; Uzziah reigned full fifty two, and then Jotham succeeded, which was the beginning of the second of Pekah. read more
Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign ,.... Alone, after the death of his father: and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem ; and his reign, upon the whole, was a good reign: and his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok ; a person well known in those times; Dr. Lightfoot F8 Works, vol. 1. p. 100. thinks he was high priest. read more
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord ,.... Jarchi, in 2 Chronicles 27:2 , observes, from a writer of theirs, that in all the kings of Judah before him, even in the best, some sins were found; but in Jotham there was nothing scandalous and reproachful; and it is a high character Josephus F9 Antiqu. l. 9. c. 11. sect. 2. gives of him, that there was no virtue wanting in him; he was pious towards God, just towards men, and careful of the public good; but the inspired... read more
Howbeit the high places were not removed ,.... As they were not by his father, and the same is observed of the best of kings before: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still in the high places ; from which they could not be brought off by prophets or kings: he built the higher gate of the house of the Lord ; which was between the temple and the king's palace, which led to it; this he repaired and beautified, or added something to it; or otherwise it was built by Solomon, and... read more
Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Of which mention is often made by the inspired historians; some of Jotham's other acts are recorded in the canonical book of Chronicles, 2 Chronicles 27:1 . read more
In those days ,.... At the end of the days of Jotham, or after his death, things might be in design, and preparations made before, but nothing of what follows came to pass in his life, but in the times of his son: the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah : to make war with them as a scourge to Ahaz for his sins; of which is in the following chapter. read more
And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father ,.... Died, and was buried with the kings of Judah in their sepulchres: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead ; an account of whose reign we have in the next chapter. read more
Now the rest of the acts of Jotham - These acts are distinctly stated in 2 Chronicles 27:1-9 . He built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and he built much on the wall of Ophel. He built cities in the mountains of Judah; and in the forests he built castles and towers. He overthrew the Ammonites; and obliged them to give him one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley, for three consecutive years. He was twenty-five years old... read more
In those days the Lord began to send - It was about this time that the Assyrian wars, so ruinous to the Jews, began; but it was in the following reigns that they arrived at their highest pitch of disaster to those unfaithful and unfortunate people. However much we may blame the Jews for their disobedience and obstinacy, yet we cannot help feeling for them under their severe afflictions. Grievously they have sinned, and grievously have they suffered for it. And if they be still... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 15:32-38
We have here a short account of the reign of Jotham king of Judah, of whom we are told, 1. That he reigned very well, did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, 2 Kgs. 15:34. Josephus gives him a very high character, stating that he was pious towards God, just towards men, and laid out himself for the public good,?that, whatever was amiss, he took care to have it rectified,?and, in short, wanted no virtue that became a good prince. Though the high places were not taken away, yet to... read more