II Kings 15:32-38 · Bible study
2 Kings 15:32-38 Commentary: Jotham's Faithful Reign and Its Troubling Shadow
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A study of Jotham of Judah: his faithful rule, the unresolved high places, and the ominous beginning of Syria-Israel pressure, along with the chronological puzzle of
Research Summary
- Meaning: A faithful king whose reign was marred by incomplete reform and the beginnings of enemy pressure.
- Key words: 'high places' (bamot), local worship sites never fully removed; 'began to send' (hechel lehashliach), divine initiation of judgment.
- Main debate: Reconciling Jotham's 16-year reign with Pekah's 20-year reign; solved by a co-regency with Uzziah.
- Theological theme: Personal righteousness does not guarantee national revival; God's judgment can begin incrementally.
- Best use: A sobering study on the limits of godly leadership and the long-term effects of tolerated sin.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
32In the second year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah over Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah.
33He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.
34And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done.
35Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD.
36As for the rest of the acts of Jotham, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
37(In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.)
38And Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David his father. And his son Ahaz reigned in his place.
WEB World English Bible 2000
32In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign.
33He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.
34He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes. He did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
35However the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. He built the upper gate of Yahweh’s house.
36Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
37In those days, Yahweh began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.
38Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in his father David’s city; and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.
KJV King James Version 1769
32In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
33Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
34And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
35Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the Lord.
36Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
37In those days the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
38And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
32In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
33Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.
34And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
35Howbeit the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of Jehovah.
36Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
37In those days Jehovah began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
38And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
32In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel reigned hath Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah.
33A son of twenty and five years was he in his reigning, and sixteen years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Jerusha daughter of Zadok,
34and he doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that Uzziah his father did he hath done.
35Only, the high places have not turned aside--yet are the people sacrificing and making perfume in high places; he hath built the high gate of the house of Jehovah.
36And the rest of the matters of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah?
37In those days hath Jehovah begun to send against Judah Rezin king of Amram and Pekah son of Remaliah.
38And Jotham lieth with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers, in the city of David his father, and reign doth Ahaz his son in his stead.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
32In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign.
33He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
34And he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
35Only, the high places were not removed: the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. It was he who built the upper gate of the house of Jehovah.
36And the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
37In those days Jehovah began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
38And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
32In the second year of Phacee, the son of Romelia king of Israel, reigned Joatham, son of Ozias, king of Juda.
33He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Jerusa, the daughter of Sadoc.
34And he did that which was right before the Lord: according to all that his father Ozias had done, so did he.
35But the high places he took not away: the people still sacrificed, and burnt incense in the high places: he built the highest gate of the house of the Lord.
36But the rest of the acts of Joatham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda?
37In those days the Lord began to send into Juda, Rasin king of Syria, and Phacee the son of Romelia.
38And Joatham slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David, his father; and Achaz, his son, reigned in his stead.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Kings 15:32
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators generally agree on the main lines of Jotham's reign. Matthew Henry, Gill, and the Geneva Notes all affirm that he did what was right in Yahweh's eyes, following his father Uzziah's example, except for Uzziah's sin of usurping the priestly office (2 Chronicles 26:16, 21). The Cambridge Bible notes that Jotham's goodness is praised even by Josephus. Yet all note the glaring qualification: the high places remained, and the people continued sacrificing there. On the chronological puzzle, Jotham began in Pekah's second year, reigned sixteen years, yet Pekah reigned twenty, Barnes, Keil & Delitzsch, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown propose that Jotham ruled as co-regent with his leprous father Uzziah for some years before his sole reign. This harmonizes the numbers. The Lord 'began to send' Rezin and Pekah against Judah during Jotham's days, though the full war erupted under Ahaz. The commentators see this as divine judgment already stirring, even during a good reign.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Co-regency with Uzziah: Jotham ruled as regent during Uzziah's leprosy (2 Kings 15:5), so his 16-year reign includes that period; his sole reign was shorter, harmonizing with Pekah's 20 years.
- Non-overlapping reigns: Some chronologists argue that Pekah's 20 years included a period of rival reign or that Jotham's 16 years began after Uzziah's death, forcing a different calculation of Pekah's accession.
- Textual error in numbers: A few scholars suggest a copyist error in one of the regnal numbers (e.g., 16 should be 6 or 20 should be 12), but the supplied sources do not support this reading for this passage.
What is clear: Jotham was a king who personally followed the Lord, but his reign was marked by the persistence of high places and the beginning of hostile pressure from Israel and Syria.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Chronology of Jotham's reign | Jotham reigned 16 years and his reign began in Pekah's second year. | Some hold these 16 years began when he became sole king after Uzziah's death; others argue they include a period of co-regency with his leprous father, which better matches Pekah's 20-year reign. |
| Evaluation of Jotham's character | All traditions affirm that Jotham did what was right in God's eyes, following Uzziah's positive example. | The Chronicler adds that Jotham 'did not enter the temple of the Lord' (2 Chronicles 27:2), highlighting his restraint. Some see this as a contrast to Uzziah; others think Kings intentionally omits Uzziah's sin in Jotham's account. |
| The high places | The high places were not removed during Jotham's reign, and the people continued to sacrifice there. | Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions often interpret the high places as permitted local worship before the temple became the sole center; many Protestant commentators view them as a persistent disobedience to the law of centralization (Deuteronomy 12). |
| When the Syro-Ephraimite war began | The Lord 'began to send' Rezin and Pekah during Jotham's days, implying the conflict started in his reign. | Some commentators (Gill, Keil) argue this only means the alliance was formed and initial pressure applied, while war itself broke out under Ahaz. Others see verse 37 as indicating actual military incursions already in Jotham's time. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jotham inherited a kingdom in transition. His father Uzziah (also called Azariah) had been struck with leprosy for entering the temple to burn incense, and for years Jotham had served as regent, overseeing the palace and governing the people (2 Kings 15:5). Uzziah's long reign of fifty-two years had brought military strength, building projects, and a measure of prosperity. By the time Jotham became sole king, Israel's northern kingdom was in chaos: a series of assassinations had placed Pekah on the throne after he killed Pekahiah (2 Kings 15:25).
The period saw the rising power of Assyria under Tiglath-Pileser III. Pekah and Rezin of Syria formed a defensive alliance against Assyria and pressured Judah to join them. When Jotham (and later Ahaz) refused, they turned hostile (Isaiah 7:1, 2). The Chronicler records that Jotham built extensively, cities in the hill country, castles and towers in the forests, and the Upper Gate of the temple (2 Chronicles 27:3, 4). This gate, probably on the north side, was a strategic fortification. The northern approach was the most vulnerable, and Jotham's strengthening may reflect awareness of the Syrian-Israelite threat.
Jotham's mother Jerusha was the daughter of Zadok, likely the high priestly family. This connection underscores the priestly influence on his upbringing. Yet despite his personal piety, the high places remained. These local worship sites, condemned in Deuteronomy 12, had been tolerated by earlier kings and were now deeply embedded in Judah's religious life. The common people saw no conflict, but the narrator of Kings quietly notes the failure to remove them as a lasting blemish.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants for 2 Kings 15:32, 38. The Masoretic text is stable across versions (WEB, KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby, Douay). The chronological difficulty is considered an interpretive issue, not a scribal corruption. Lange's commentary mentions a possible letter-number interchange for an earlier verse (15:1) but not for this passage.
Reception History
Early Christian interpreters focused on Jotham's righteousness as a type of the faithful ruler. Jerome and others saw his building of the Upper Gate as a figure of Christ building the heavenly temple. Medieval Jewish commentators like Rashi and David Kimchi emphasized the need for kings to remove high places, faulting Jotham for leaving them. The Reformation brought renewed attention to the contrast between Jotham's personal piety and the nation's decline; Calvin and Luther used it to warn against half-reforms. In the 19th century, critical scholars (Wellhausen, Thenius) used the chronological discrepancy to argue for composite sources, while conservative writers (Keil, Jamieson) defended the text's harmony through co-regencies. Matthew Henry's devotional reading remains influential: if magistrates cannot suppress vice entirely, they should at least beautify and support the worship of God. The passage continues to be preached as a caution that personal goodness is not enough, leaders must also address systemic sin.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- A good king with an incomplete reformation. Jotham did right in the Lord's eyes, but he did not remove the high places. His reign reminds us that personal righteousness does not automatically produce social or religious transformation. Faithfulness must extend to confronting entrenched sin.
- God's judgment can begin even during good times. Verse 37 says Yahweh 'began to send' Rezin and Pekah. The storm was gathering while Jotham still ruled. This warns us that consequences for national unfaithfulness often build gradually, and a righteous leader cannot reverse every trend.
- The legacy we leave matters. Jotham built the Upper Gate, a visible improvement. But his son Ahaz walked in evil. Our best efforts may be undone by those who follow. We invest in the next generation with hope, not guarantees.
Five-point outline
- Jotham's personal character: he did right (v34)
- The limit of his reform: high places remained (v35a)
- A constructive act: building the Upper Gate (v35b)
- The gathering storm: enemies begin to press (v37)
- The transition: Jotham buried with his fathers, Ahaz succeeds (v38)
Illustration hooks
- A pastor who preaches faithfully for years but sees the congregation still attached to a pet sin, like gambling or gossip. The high places were not removed.
- A church that renovates its building (like Jotham's gate) but neglects internal spiritual issues. The outer structure improves, but the inner complacency remains.
- The experience of a good manager who inherits a messy team. They set things right but leave before the long-term problems are fixed. The next manager undoes the progress.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did Jotham not tear down the high places? Was he afraid of the people?
- How can I be a faithful Christian when the culture around me keeps worshipping 'high places', money, success, entertainment?
- If Jotham was a good king, why did God allow the enemy coalition to form during his reign? Is God fair?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows a king who is personally faithful yet leaves significant spiritual problems untouched. The gathered storm of enemy kings hints that even a good reign cannot shield a nation from the consequences of earlier sins. As a group, explore what this teaches us about leadership, repentance, and God's timing.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 32, 34. What does it mean that Jotham 'did what was right in the eyes of the Lord'? How did he imitate his father Uzziah, and where did he differ?
- Why does the narrator mention specifically that 'the high places were not taken away' (v35)? What does this tell you about the spiritual state of Judah?
- Jotham built the Upper Gate of the temple. Why might the author include this detail? What does it reveal about his priorities?
- Verse 37 says 'the Lord began to send' Rezin and Pekah. Why would God send enemies against a good king? How do you reconcile this with Jotham's righteousness?
- How does the Chronicler's account (2 Chronicles 27) supplement what Kings gives us? Why might Kings leave out the details of Jotham's wars and building projects?
- In what areas of your own life or church do you see 'high places' that have not been removed? What holds you back from addressing them?
- Ahaz, Jotham's son, turned out to be one of Judah's worst kings. How does this challenge our assumptions about passing faith to the next generation?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 14:21 | All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. |
| II Kings 15:1 | In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. |
| II Kings 15:7 | Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in David’s city; and Jotham his son reigned in his place. |
| II Kings 15:13 | Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned for a month in Samaria. |
| II Kings 15:17 | In the thirty ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel for ten years in Samaria. |
| II Kings 15:23 | In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria for two years. |
| II Kings 15:27 | In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria for twenty years. |
| I Chronicles 3:12 | Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke points out that the Assyrian disasters began during Jotham's reign, though they peaked later. He ties the Jews' severe suffering to their disobedience, yet holds out scriptural hope for their eventual restoration. Still, he sees no evidence among the people themselves that their redemption is near.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes reads Jotham's fortification of the temple's upper gate as a military response to a specific northern threat, not a routine building project. He connects it to the alarm caused by recent Assyrian invasions and explains the resulting alliance between Pekah and Rezin, who then plotted to replace Judah's king with Ben-Tabeal.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the Chronicler gives a fuller record of Jotham than Kings does, including his building projects, his war with Ammon, and the fact he did not repeat his father's sin of entering the temple. It also observes that while God began sending enemies against Judah in Jotham's days, He still offered hope through Isaiah's prophecy.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes observe that even a king who did what was right in the Lord's sight, like Jotham, could leave the high places standing. This failure to remove the places of forbidden worship is why God began to send enemies against Judah while Jotham still reigned, linking his incomplete obedience to the onset of judgment.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Jewish tradition and Josephus give Jotham an unusually high moral character, lacking any scandalous sin, though he still failed to remove the high places. He also stresses that the wars with Syria and Israel that followed did not occur during Jotham's lifetime but only after his death.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB clarifies that Uzziah's reign began when he ruled alone, having previously governed as his father's vic
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch note that the Lord began sending Rezin and Pekah against Judah during Jotham's own reign, not after his death. This means the allied threat already hung over Jerusalem when Ahaz took the throne, even though Jotham was a faithful king like his father U
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange points out a clear chronological error in the verse: Uzziah's accession is placed in the 27th year of Jeroboam II, but the numbers show it should be the 15th. He argues that a scribe mistakenly swapped the numerals, a view now widely accepted by commentators.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that Jotham, though praised as a good king, could not remove the high places where people worshipped. His response was to invest in the temple itself, building the higher gate. For Henry this models a practical principle: when leaders cannot suppress every evil, they should work to promote and honour what is good.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies two points: the king had already reigned as his father's deputy before reigning alone, and the gate mentioned is not the temple gate but a court gate that led to the palace. He specifies the location to prevent misunderstanding.