Matthew Poole's Commentary 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. Jotham reigneth well; prospereth, 2 Chronicles 27:1-4; rendereth the Ammonites tributaries: his reign. Ahaz succeedeth him, 2 Chronicles 27:5-9. No text from Poole on this verse. 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. He entered not into the temple of the Lord, to wit, to offer incense. But seeing this was not commendable, how is this mentioned as an exception from the foregoing character, that he did as his father did in that which was right, &c.? Answ. It is an exception only from the last clause, where also one word may be supplied out of the foregoing words, as is most usual in Scripture; thus, He did according to all that his father Uzziah did; then it fitly follows, howbeit, &c., i.e. except in his miscarriages. He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. He built, i.e. repaired it; for it was built before, 2 Chronicles 11:5. The high gate, otherwise called the new gate, Jeremiah 36:10. The wall of Ophel; a tower upon or near the wall of Jerusalem, which probably he fortified, as his father had done other towers, 2 Chronicles 26:9. Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers. No text from Poole on this verse. 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, it seems, endeavoured to shake off the yoke which from David’s time had been put upon them. So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God. Or, directed his ways, i.e. his counsels and actions, by the rule of God’s law. 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. No text from Poole on this verse. He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. No text from Poole on this verse. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead. No text from Poole on this verse. |
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