Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Kings 15:32-38

"In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign. Five 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. And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. Howbeit 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. Now 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? In those days Jehovah began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah. And 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." — 2 Kings 15:32-38 (ASV)

THE REIGN OF JOTHAM IN JERUSALEM. (Compare to 2 Chronicles 27:0)

In the second year of Pekah. —Who came to the throne in the last year of Uzziah (Azariah, 2 Kings 15:27).

According to all that his father Uzziah had done. —The chronicler qualifies this general statement by adding that Jotham did not, like his father, invade the Holy Place. (Compare to 2 Chronicles 27:2, with 2 Chronicles 26:16.)

However the high places.—The chronicler generalises this statement: And the people did yet corruptly.

He built. —Rather, He it was who built. For “the higher gate,” see Note on 2 Chronicles 27:3. Thenius considers that the term higher denotes rank rather than local position. (Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 8:5; Ezekiel 8:14; Ezekiel 8:16; Ezekiel 9:2; Ezekiel 40:38–43; and compare to 2 Kings 12:9.)

Now the rest of the acts of Jotham. —Some of these are related in 2 Chronicles 27:4–6. We read there how Jotham built towns and castles, and towers of refuge, and how he fought victoriously against Ammon, and exacted from that nation a heavy tribute three years running. Ewald and Thenius admit the historical value of this brief narrative, which is indeed evident on the face of it.

In those days — i.e., in the last year of Jotham. The attacks of the allies at first took the form of isolated raids. In the next reign the country was invaded by them in full force. (See 2 Kings 16:5 and following, and the Notes there.)

Rezin. —Compare to Rezon, Hebrew, Rĕzôn (1 Kings 11:23), the founder of the dynasty. The present name is spelled in the Hebrew of Kings and Isaiah (Isaiah 7:1) Rĕçín. The Assyrian spelling in the records of Tiglath Pileser, who conquered and killed Rezin, suggests that the right spelling was Raçôn (Assyrian, Bagunnu). The first and last kings of the Syrian monarchy thus bore similar names, both, perhaps, meaning “prince.”