Jotham King of Judah

2022-05-25

Fast Facts

Age at Ascension: 25 years (2 Kings 15:33; 2 Chronicles 27:1)
Reign Began: ca. 758/740 B.C.
Reign Ended: ca. 742/730 B.C.
Reign Duration: 16 years (2 Kings 15:33; 2 Chronicles 27:1)
Father: Azariah
Mother (or Queen): Jerusha/Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok (2 Kings 15:33; 2 Chronicles 27:1)
Predecessor: Azariah
Successor: Ahaz
Aliases and Alternate Spellings: Joatham (Matthew 1:9)
Location of Reign: Jerusalem (2 Kings 15:33; 2 Chronicles 27:1)
Burial: City of David (2 Kings 15:38; 2 Chronicles 27:9)

Summary

Jotham did many kingly duties while his father Uzziah was in a several house because of his leprosy. When his father passed away, he became king in Judah. He also did what was right before the Lord, but he did not try to do priestly duties like his father. Like his father, he did some building improvements. He built the Temple high gate, the wall of Ophel, and cities throughout the mountains of Judah. He fought with the Ammonites, and he subjected them, as his father did.

“So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God” (2 Chronicles 27:6). We do not see any major sin in his life, so he must have learned much from his father’s experience. However, we also see that “the people did yet corruptly” (2 Chronicles 27:2) and that “In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah” (2 Kings 15:37). Even though he was a righteous king, the people were not following the Lord. His own son Ahaz also went with that culture of the day. The results were these invasions of rulers from the north.

This is a part of the Kings of Judah series. To go back to the table of contents, proceed here.