Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 15:32–end
We have here a short account of the reign of Jotham king of Judah, of whom we are told, 1. That he reigned very well, did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, Kg2 15:34. Josephus gives him a very high character, stating that he was pious towards God, just towards men, and laid out himself for the public good, - that, whatever was amiss, he took care to have it rectified, - and, in short, wanted no virtue that became a good prince. Though the high places were not taken away, yet to draw people from them, and keep them close to God's holy place, he showed great respect to the temple, and built the higher gate which he went through to the temple. If magistrates cannot do all they woul…
Read the whole note in the consoleJamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 15:33
JOTHAM'S REIGN OVER JUDAH. (Kg2 15:32-38)
Five and twenty years was he when he began to reign--that is, alone--for he had ruled as his father's viceroy [Kg2 15:5].
Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 15:30
Hoshea the son of Elah - in the twentieth year of Jotham - There are many difficulties in the chronology of this place. To reconcile the whole, Calmet says: "Hoshea conspired against Pekah, the twentieth year of the reign of this prince, which was the eighteenth after the beginning of the reign of Jotham, king of Judah. Two years after this, that is, the fourth year of Ahaz, and the twentieth of Jotham, Hoshea made himself master of a part of the kingdom, according to Kg2 15:30. Finally, the twelfth year of Ahaz, Hoshea had peaceable possession of the whole kingdom, according to Kg2 17:1."
John Gill on 2 Kings 15:34
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord,.... Jarchi, in 2 Chronicles 27:2, observes, from a writer of theirs, that in all the kings of Judah before him, even in the best, some sins were found; but in Jotham there was nothing scandalous and reproachful; and it is a high character Josephus (i) gives of him, that there was no virtue wanting in him; he was pious towards God, just towards men, and careful of the public good; but the inspired historian chiefly respects matters of religious worship; he did not give into idolatry:
he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done; that is, according to what was well done by him; he did not imitate him in going into the temple…
