Commentary - 2 Chronicles 27:1-9

Bird's-eye view

The short account of Jotham's reign in 2 Chronicles 27 presents us with a picture of what we might call a second-generation faithfulness. Following the largely successful but pride-marred reign of his father Uzziah, Jotham does what is right in the sight of the Lord. He learns from his father's catastrophic mistake and avoids his specific sin of prideful intrusion into the temple. The result is a blessed and strengthened kingdom. Jotham builds, fortifies, and wins victories over his enemies, all because, as the text explicitly states, "he established his ways before Yahweh his God." However, a crucial counterpoint is noted: "the people continued acting corruptly." This chapter, therefore, serves as a study in contrasts. It shows the blessing that comes from a leader's personal integrity and covenant faithfulness, while also demonstrating that one man's piety, however sincere, is not enough to reverse the spiritual decay of a nation. It is a stable, prosperous, but ultimately limited reign, setting the stage for the disastrous apostasy of his son, Ahaz.

In essence, Jotham is a good king, but not a reforming king. He maintains the status quo of Yahweh worship at the top, but does not or cannot root out the corruption from the populace. His story is a sober reminder that national decline is a powerful current, and merely holding one's ground is a significant achievement, though it is not the same as turning the tide.

Outline

Context In 2 Chronicles

This chapter follows the long and tragic account of Jotham's father, Uzziah, in chapter 26. Uzziah's reign was marked by immense success and blessing, which led to pride, which in turn led to his downfall when he unlawfully entered the temple to burn incense. He was struck with leprosy and lived out his days in isolation. Jotham's story is therefore directly shaped by his father's failure. He has witnessed firsthand how pride can destroy a godly man. This chapter is a brief interlude of stability between the pride of Uzziah and the flagrant idolatry of Jotham's son, Ahaz, who is detailed in chapter 28. In the Chronicler's telling, Jotham represents a moment of potential, a holding pattern of righteousness that unfortunately fails to translate into a full-blown national reformation, making the subsequent slide under Ahaz all the more tragic.

Key Issues

The Steady Hand of a Godly Son

We live in an age that loves dramatic stories, tales of radical transformation from rags to riches or from sinner to saint. But the Bible also gives us accounts of something far more common, and in many ways, just as difficult: the challenge of steady, second-generation faithfulness. Jotham is the son of a great king who fell hard. He inherited a kingdom that was strong externally but was beginning to show signs of spiritual rot internally. His reign is not marked by spectacular revivals or astonishing deliverances. Rather, it is marked by a steady, determined, and quiet faithfulness. He saw his father's sin, learned the lesson, and refused to repeat it. In a world that was sliding toward corruption, Jotham stood firm. His story is not about turning the whole ship around, but about being a faithful captain who kept the ship from sinking on his watch. And in this, he is a profound example for all of us who have inherited a godly legacy and are tasked with the difficult work of simply carrying it on faithfully.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok.

The Chronicler begins with the standard formula for a new king. His age, the length of his reign, and the name of his mother are all noted. The mention of his mother, Jerushah, daughter of Zadok, is significant. The Zadokite priesthood was the line of faithful priests, and it suggests that Jotham was raised in a home where the law of God was honored. A godly heritage is no guarantee of a godly life, but it is a tremendous blessing and a foundational advantage, one that Jotham appears to have built upon.

2 And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; however he did not enter the temple of Yahweh. But the people continued acting corruptly.

This verse is the key to understanding Jotham's entire reign. First, the positive commendation: he did what was right, following the good example of his father. Uzziah, for all his tragic end, had a long and righteous reign, and Jotham continued in that path. But then comes the crucial qualifier: "however he did not enter the temple of Yahweh." This is not a criticism, but rather a point of praise through contrast. His father Uzziah's pride led him to unlawfully enter the holy place, and God struck him down for it. Jotham learned the lesson. He respected the boundaries God had set between the king and the priest. This was a righteous and humble fear. But the verse ends on a somber note. Despite the king's personal piety, the people were on a downward slide. "The people continued acting corruptly." A nation is more than its king. Jotham was a righteous governor, but he was not a national reformer. The grassroots corruption was a spiritual cancer that his steady leadership kept in check but could not cure.

3 He built the upper gate of the house of Yahweh, and he built extensively the wall of Ophel.

A faithful king is a builder. Jotham's piety was not merely internal; it had public expression. He builds up the infrastructure of both worship and defense. He builds the "upper gate" of the temple, showing his concern for the house of God. He also builds up the wall of Ophel, a key defensive fortification in Jerusalem. This is a picture of well-ordered, godly dominion. The king is responsible for both the spiritual and physical well-being of his people. True faith is not otherworldly; it builds walls, gates, and cities for the glory of God and the good of the nation.

4 Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built fortresses and towers on the wooded hills.

The building program extends beyond Jerusalem. He is securing the entire kingdom. Building cities in the hill country is an act of settlement and civilization, turning untamed land into productive communities. The fortresses and towers are for defense, providing security and stability. Jotham is a king who brings order, strength, and peace to his realm. This is the outworking of his righteous rule. He is exercising the dominion mandate given to Adam, stewarding the land God entrusted to him.

5 He fought also with the king of the sons of Ammon and prevailed over them. So the sons of Ammon gave him during that year 100 talents of silver, 10,000 kors of wheat, and 10,000 of barley. The sons of Ammon also brought back to him this amount in the second and in the third year.

Covenant faithfulness leads to covenant blessings, and one of those blessings is victory over your enemies. Jotham's domestic policy of building is matched by a foreign policy of strength. He doesn't just defend; he prevails. The victory over the Ammonites results in a hefty tribute for three years. This is not just economic gain; it is a sign of God's favor. When God's king walks in God's ways, God establishes his throne and subdues his enemies. The silver, wheat, and barley flowing into Jerusalem are tangible evidence of the prosperity that follows obedience.

6 So Jotham became strong because he established his ways before Yahweh his God.

Here the Chronicler gives us the divine commentary on Jotham's success. This is the theological summary of the whole chapter. Why did he have a successful building program? Why did he defeat the Ammonites? Why was he strong? The reason is given plainly: "because he established his ways before Yahweh his God." This phrase means he ordered his life, both personal and public, according to the standard of God's Word. His ways were not haphazard, pragmatic, or shifting with the political winds. They were fixed, prepared, and directed with God as the constant point of reference. This is the source of all true strength, for an individual and for a nation. To be established before God is to be unshakable before men.

7-8 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, even all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

The historian points his readers to the official records for more details, a common practice that underscores the historical nature of this account. He then repeats the basic biographical data from the first verse, framing the narrative and bringing it to a neat close. The life of this good king is now summarized and complete.

9 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Ahaz his son became king in his place.

Jotham's end is peaceful. He "slept with his fathers" and was given an honorable burial in the royal tombs. This is the final mark of a blessed reign. He finished well. But the final clause casts a dark shadow over the entire chapter. His son Ahaz took his place. As the next chapter will make painfully clear, Ahaz was one of the most wicked and apostate kings in Judah's history. Jotham's personal faithfulness, for all its blessings, was not successfully passed on to his own son. This is a tragic and sobering reminder that each generation must fight its own battles and that a godly heritage can be squandered in a moment.

Application

Jotham's reign provides us with at least three crucial points of application. First is the necessity of learning from the sins of our fathers. Jotham saw Uzziah's pride and its consequences, and he studiously avoided that particular pitfall. We are all called to do the same. We must look at the failures of the previous generation, not with an attitude of smug superiority, but with humble self-examination, asking God for the grace to not repeat those same mistakes.

Second, Jotham shows us that true strength comes from a life ordered by the Word of God. He "established his ways before Yahweh." Our lives are to be built on the bedrock of Scripture, not the sinking sand of cultural trends or personal feelings. When our finances, our family life, our business practices, and our politics are all consciously and deliberately placed before the Lord to be directed by Him, we will become strong in the truest sense of the word.

Finally, Jotham's story is a warning about the limits of personal piety in the face of widespread cultural corruption. Jotham was a good man, but the people continued to drift. It is not enough for Christians to be personally righteous while the world around us decays. We are called to be salt and light, to contend for the faith, to disciple the nations, and to actively work to reform the culture around us. Jotham's quiet faithfulness was good, but it was not enough. The corruption that he tolerated eventually gave birth to the wickedness of his son Ahaz, which nearly destroyed the nation. We must be faithful like Jotham, but we must also be courageous reformers, seeking to bring every aspect of our world under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.