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2 Chronicles 27

Jotham’s reign joins obedience to God with growing strength, while the people’s corruption remains an unresolved contrast.

Jotham becomes king in Jerusalem at twenty-five and rules Judah for sixteen years. He does what is right in YHWH’s eyes, following his father Uzziah’s example, though he does not enter the temple. The people continue to act corruptly. Jotham strengthens Jerusalem and builds defenses throughout Judah, then defeats Ammon and receives tribute. The account attributes his strength to ordering his ways before God, before closing with his death and Ahaz’s succession.

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1Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok.
2He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. However he didn’t enter into the LORD’s temple. The people still acted corruptly.
3He built the upper gate of the LORD’s house, and he built much on the wall of Ophel.
4Moreover he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and in the forests he built fortresses and towers.
5He also fought with the king of the children of Ammon, and prevailed against them. The children of Ammon gave him the same year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat, and ten thousand cors of barley. The children of Ammon also gave that much to him in the second year, and in the third.
7Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
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Key verses
2 Chronicles 27:1Jotham’s age, length of reign, and mother’s name place this brief account within Judah’s royal history.
2 Chronicles 27:3His work on the temple gate and Ophel wall shows his attention to Jerusalem’s worship and defenses.
2 Chronicles 27:4The building projects extend beyond Jerusalem, showing how Jotham strengthens Judah’s settlements and defenses across its terrain.
Where this chapter reaches

2 Kings shares the account of Jotham’s reign, including his mother’s name, the people’s continuing failure, and his construction of the upper temple gate. Isaiah and Hosea both name Jotham among the kings whose reigns frame their prophetic messages, placing him within a wider prophetic setting.

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What might ordering your ways before God involve in the responsibilities you carry?

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Questions people ask about 2 Chronicles 27

Why didn’t Jotham enter the temple?

The chapter notes that Jotham did not enter YHWH’s temple while comparing his conduct with Uzziah’s. It does not explain his reason here. The statement appears within an approving account of his reign, and his work on the temple’s upper gate shows attention to YHWH’s house.

Why did Jotham become mighty?

Verse 6 gives the reason: “because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.” This explanation follows his building projects and victory over Ammon. The account credits his growing strength to his conduct before God, while also recording that the people continued to act corruptly.

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2 Chronicles · 36 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).