2 Chronicles 27

This chapter belongs to the latter part of 2 Chronicles, which treats the kings of Judah in succession. 2 Chronicles 26 ends with the account of Uzziah being struck with leprosy after entering the temple to burn incense. This chapter turns to the reign of his son and successor, Jotham.

Outline

• Verses 1–2: Jotham becomes king at the age of twenty-five and reigns sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother is Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok. Like his father Uzziah, Jotham does what is right in the sight of the LORD, but he does not enter the temple of the LORD. The people, however, continue to act corruptly.
• Verses 3–4: He builds the high gate of the house of the LORD and builds extensively on the wall of Ophel. He also builds cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.
• Verses 5–6: He fights against the king of the Ammonites and prevails. That year the Ammonites pay him one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand measures of barley, and they pay the same amount in the second and third years. Jotham grows mighty because he orders his ways before the LORD.
• Verses 7–9: The rest of his acts are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His age at accession and the length of his reign are stated once more. Jotham is buried in the City of David, and his son Ahaz becomes king.

Key Verses

• 2 Chronicles 27:2 "howbeit he entered not into the temple of the LORD": This statement contrasts Jotham with his father, who entered the temple presumptuously and was punished.
• 2 Chronicles 27:6 "So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God": This verse briefly expresses the Chronicler's view that links a king's faithfulness with the prosperity of the nation.

People and Places

• Jotham: King of Judah, son of Uzziah and father of Ahaz.
• Uzziah: Jotham's father, also called Azariah in the books of Kings.
• Jerushah: Jotham's mother, the daughter of Zadok.
• Ahaz: Jotham's son and successor as king.
• Ammon: A people east of the Jordan who paid tribute to Jotham for three years.
• The temple of the LORD: Jotham built its high gate.
• Ophel: A hill area south of the temple in Jerusalem.

Points for Reflection

• 2 Kings 15, which covers the same period, records Jotham's reign more briefly and adds that in his days Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel began to come against Judah. The war with the Ammonites and their tribute appear only in 2 Chronicles.
• The statement that he "entered not into the temple" is generally read in light of Uzziah's actions in chapter 26, as meaning that Jotham did not encroach upon the priestly office.
• 2 Kings 15:30 refers to "the twentieth year of Jotham," which appears inconsistent with a sixteen-year reign. Some explain this by suggesting that the count includes other periods, such as a coregency during his father Uzziah's illness.
• Isaiah 1:1, Hosea 1:1, and Micah 1:1 each name the time of Jotham as part of the prophet's period of ministry. The chapter can therefore be read against the background of Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah.