2 ChroniquesChapitre 27

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

He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done—except that he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people continued in their corrupt ways.

He rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD, and he did extensive building on the wall of Ophel.

He also built cities in the hill country of Judah, and forts and towers in the wooded areas.

He went to war against the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat, and ten thousand cors of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same tribute in the second and third years as well.

So Jotham grew powerful, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.

The rest of the acts of Jotham, all his wars and all his ways, 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.

Then Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Ahaz became king in his place.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 27

Main Theme: King Jotham’s righteous rule over Judah and his military and building successes.

Content: Jotham became king at the age of 25 and reigned for 16 years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the Lord’s eyes, just as his father Uzziah had done, but he did not enter the temple. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord and fortified works on the Ophel wall, as well as cities and towers throughout Judah. He defeated the Ammonites, who paid him a large tribute for three years. Jotham became powerful because he kept his ways firm before the Lord, yet the people continued to act corruptly.

Key Words/Images:

The Upper Gate: Jotham’s building project at the temple shows his care for God’s house.
Ammonite Tribute: 100 talents of silver and 20,000 cors of grain annually testify to Jotham’s military strength.
"Kept his ways firm": The key to Jotham’s success was his faithfulness to the Lord.
The People’s Corruption: Despite the king’s piety, the people continued in sin.

Contexte historique

People

Jotham was king of Judah and reigned approximately 750–735 B.C.E. He was the son of Uzziah (Azariah) and effectively took over the rule while his father was still alive, after Uzziah was struck with leprosy for entering the temple to burn incense (2 Chron 26:21). Jotham is described as a righteous king who learned from his father’s mistakes by respecting the limits of royal power—he "did not enter the temple of the Lord." His mother Jersheh, daughter of Zadok, is specifically mentioned, which may indicate that she belonged to a prominent priestly family, since Zadok was an important priestly name in Jerusalem.

Places

The upper gate of the house of the Lord (v. 3) was a major entrance to the temple area. Its identification with the "Gate of Benjamin" mentioned elsewhere is uncertain, but the gate was likely located on the north side of the temple complex. Ophel (הָעֹפֶל) was a fortified hill south of the temple platform, between the City of David and the temple area. Archaeological excavations have uncovered massive wall structures in this region from the Iron Age, including what may be remains of Jotham’s building activities. Ophel served as an administrative and defensive hub.

The hill country of Judah and the forested areas where Jotham built cities, fortresses, and towers refer to the central highlands and the wooded regions on the outskirts of Judah. Such towers served both as watchtowers and as refuges for farmers and shepherds.

Events and Customs

The tribute payment from Ammon (v. 5) is significant: 100 talents of silver (about 3.4 tons), 10,000 cors of wheat, and 10,000 cors of barley (one cor = about 220 liters) annually for three years. This represents enormous economic value and shows that Jotham had restored Judahite dominance over the Ammonites east of the Jordan. Such tribute in both precious metals and agricultural products was standard practice in the ancient Near East. The fact that the tribute lasted only three years may indicate that the Ammonites subsequently rebelled or that political changes occurred.

Key Terms

The expression "the people still acted corruptly" (וְע֥וֹד הָעָ֖ם מַשְׁחִיתִֽים, v. 2) points out that although the king was faithful, the people continued with syncretistic worship on "the high places"—local sacrificial sites that competed with the Jerusalem temple. This highlights the tension between the king’s faithfulness and the people’s ongoing syncretism.

The phrase "he prepared his ways before the Lord" (הֵכִ֣ין דְּרָכָ֔יו לִפְנֵ֖י יְהוָ֥ה, v. 6) is a characteristic expression from the books of Chronicles that describes deliberate and consistent faithfulness, not merely isolated acts of obedience.

Personnages5

David1 Zadok (High Priest)1 Jerusha1 Ahaz (son of Jotham)1 Jotham (Jerubbaal's (Gideon's) youngest son who survived Abimelech's massacre)2

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Mots-clés7

Jotham — A king of Judah who ruled righteously and feared God. He was the son of King Uzziah and father of King Ahaz.
Lord — Another name for God, the almighty Creator who, according to Genesis, created heaven, earth, and all life.
Temple — A holy place where people worshiped God and offered gifts. In Jerusalem stood the first temple built by King Solomon.
High Place — A hill or plateau where people in ancient times performed religious ceremonies and worshiped gods, including idolatry.
Fortress — A military structure or building designed to protect against enemy attacks.
Ammonites — An ancient people who lived east of the Jordan River. They were often in conflict with the people of Israel.
War — An armed conflict between two or more parties, often involving countries, groups, or nations.