Catholic Commentary on 2 Chronicles 27

"Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God." (2 Chronicles 27:6)

Jotham's Faithful Reign

Jotham is twenty-five when he becomes king and reigns sixteen years. He does what is right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he does not enter the Temple of the LORD. He builds the Upper Gate of the Temple and does extensive work on the wall of the hill of Ophel. He builds towns and fortresses and towers. He fights the Ammonites and prevails; they bring him tribute for three years. Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God. The Catechism draws from Jotham the principle of the leader who learns from his predecessor's failure: he had seen his father reach beyond the priestly boundary and he did not repeat the error (CCC 2216).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, Jotham was powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God. The ground of his power was not strategy or political skill but steadfastness before God. The leader whose walking before God is consistent develops a power that human calculation alone cannot produce. Walk steadfastly. The power follows.

Prayer

Lord God, make us steadfast walkers before you, that whatever power we carry would flow from that walking rather than from human calculation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

27
Jotham Reigns in Judah
(2 Kings 15:32-38)
1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerushah * 27:1 Jerushah is a variant of Jerusha; see 2 Kings 15:33. daughter of Zadok. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah † 27:2 Uzziah is also called Azariah; see 2 Kings 14:21. had done. In addition, he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people still behaved corruptly.
 
3 Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD, and he worked extensively on the wall at the hill of Ophel. 4 He also built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.
 
5 Jotham waged war against the king of the Ammonites and defeated them, and that year they gave him a hundred talents of silver,‡ 27:5 100 talents is approximately 3.77 tons or 3.42 metric tons of silver. ten thousand cors of wheat,§ 27:5 10,000 cors is approximately 62,400 bushels or 2.2 million liters (probably about 1,920 tons or 1,740 metric tons of wheat). and ten thousand cors of barley.* 27:5 10,000 cors is approximately 62,400 bushels or 2.2 million liters (probably about 1,450 tons or 1,315 metric tons of barley). They paid him the same in the second and third years. 6 So Jotham grew powerful because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.
 
7 As for the rest of the acts of Jotham, along with all his wars and his ways, they are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. 8 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. 9 And Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Ahaz reigned in his place.

*27:1 27:1 Jerushah is a variant of Jerusha; see 2 Kings 15:33.

†27:2 27:2 Uzziah is also called Azariah; see 2 Kings 14:21.

‡27:5 27:5 100 talents is approximately 3.77 tons or 3.42 metric tons of silver.

§27:5 27:5 10,000 cors is approximately 62,400 bushels or 2.2 million liters (probably about 1,920 tons or 1,740 metric tons of wheat).

*27:5 27:5 10,000 cors is approximately 62,400 bushels or 2.2 million liters (probably about 1,450 tons or 1,315 metric tons of barley).

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