2 Chronicles 27:2

And he did that which was right,.... See Gill on 2 Kings 15:34 , howbeit, he entered not into the temple of the Lord; to burn incense, as his father did; he did according to his good ways, but not his evil ones: and the people did yet corruptly; in sacrificing and burning incense in the high places, 2 Kings 15:35 which some think Joash himself did, and is meant in the preceding clause; but the sense given is best.

27:1-9 Jotham's reign in Judah. - The people did corruptly. Perhaps Jotham was wanting towards the reformation of the land. Men may be very good, and yet not have courage and zeal to do what they might. It certainly casts blame upon the people. Jotham prospered, and became mighty. The more stedfast we are in religion, the more mighty we are, both to resist evil, and to do good. The Lord often removes wise and pious rulers, and sends others, whose follies and vices punish a people that valued not their mercies.

He entered not into the temple of the Lord, to wit, to offer incense. But seeing this was not commendable, how is this mentioned as an exception from the foregoing character, that he did as his father did in that which was right, &c.? Answ. It is an exception only from the last clause, where also one word may be supplied out of the foregoing words, as is most usual in Scripture; thus, He did according to all that his father Uzziah did; then it fitly follows, howbeit, &c., i.e. except in his miscarriages.

Verse 2. - Howbeit . This word purports to render the Hebrew רַק , which might find a more telling reproduction in such a phrase as "and moreover." It has been said, wherein his father did right, so did he; and to his clear advantage, where his father went wrong, he did riot. The people did yet corruptly . The parallel, in its ver. 35, specifies in what this consisted, viz. that they continued the high places, burning incense and sacrificing at them. The early chapters of Isaiah depict forcibly the extent of this national apostasy, and the heinous offensiveness of it in the Divine sight. 2 Chronicles 27:2

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the {a} temple of the LORD. And the people did yet {b} corruptly. (a) That is, to offer incense against the word of God, which is spoken of in the commendation of Jotham. (b) They were not completely purged from idolatry.

(2) Howbeit he entered not. —The chronicler adds this reservation upon the preceding general statement. The author of Kings, having said nothing of Uzziah’s sacrilege, had no need to make such an exception. And the people did yet corruptly.—Still used to deal corruptly; a paraphrase of what we read in 2Kings 15:35, “the people still used to sacrifice and burn incense on the high places.” We know further, from the extant utterances of the prophets of those days, that a deep-seated moral corruption was sapping the strength of the nation. (Comp. Micah 3:10-12; Hosea 4:1-2.)

2. he did that which was right—The general rectitude of his government is described by representing it as conducted on the excellent principles which had guided the early part of his father's reign. the people did yet corruptly—(See 2Ki 15:35); but the description here is more emphatic, that though Jotham did much to promote the good of his kingdom and aimed at a thorough reformation in religion, the widespread and inveterate wickedness of the people frustrated all his laudable efforts.

Jotham having ascended the throne at the age of twenty-five, reigned altogether in the spirit and power of his father, with the single limitation that he did not go into the sanctuary of Jahve (cf. 2 Chronicles 26:16 .). This remark is not found in 2 Kings 15 , because there Uzziah's intrusion into the temple is also omitted. The people still did corruptly (cf. 2 Chronicles 26:16 ). This refers, indeed, to the continuation of the worship in the high places, but hints also at the deep moral corruption which the prophets of that time censure (cf. especially Isaiah 2:5 ., 2 Chronicles 5:7 .; Micah 1:5 ; Micah 2:1 .).

Among plants and hedges - Rather, "in Netaim and Gederah" Joshua 15:36 . With the king - Or, probably, "on the king's property." Both David and several of the later kings had large territorial possessions in various parts of Judaea 1 Chronicles 27:25, 1 Chronicles 27:31; 2 Chronicles 26:10; 2 Chronicles 27:4; 2 Chronicles 32:28-29.

Among plants and hedges - Rather, "in Netaim and Gederah" Joshua 15:36 . With the king - Or, probably, "on the king's property." Both David and several of the later kings had large territorial possessions in various parts of Judaea 1 Chronicles 27:25, 1 Chronicles 27:31; 2 Chronicles 26:10; 2 Chronicles 27:4; 2 Chronicles 32:28-29.