1.
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.
twenty and five years old: i.e. when he began to reign alone. He was twenty when his father was smitten, and when he became co-regent. At his father's death he was twenty-five, and Ahaz was five. See App-50 .
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.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
according to all: i.e. to all the good, not the evil. Hence the "howbeit", which follows.
entered not into. As his father had done (2 Chronicles 26:16 ). Not like Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:24 ).
3.
He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.
high = upper.
Ophel = the Ophel; or, the lofty place or tower at the north end of the hill of Zion, between Zion and the Temple.
4.
Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.
5.
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.
children = sons.
measures. Hebrew. kor. App-51 .
6.
So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.
became mighty = strengthened himself.
prepared = fixed, or established.
7.
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.
lo. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .
8.
He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.
five and twenty. Repeated here from 2 Chronicles 27:1 , to show that he continued his well-doing.
9.
And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
slept, &c. See note on Deuteronomy 31:16 . This chapter is complementary to 2 Kings 16 . See App-56 .