2 Kings 15:32

In the second year of Pekah, the son of Remaliah king of Israel, began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign. Pekah began to reign in the fifty second year of Azariah, or Uzziah, which was his last year, 2 Kings 15:27 , and which was the first of Pekah; Uzziah reigned full fifty two, and then Jotham succeeded, which was the beginning of the second of Pekah.

2 Kings 15:32 . Began Jotham the son of Uzziah to reign — Why he should be called all along Azariah, and here, and 2 Kings 15:34 , Uzziah, no account can be given, unless it was to show that he had two names. And it appears by the book of Chronicles, that the name Uzziah was as much used, when that book was written, as the other.

(32-38) THE REIGN OF JOTHAM IN JERUSALEM. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 27) (32) In the second year of Pekah.—Who came to the throne in the last year of Uzziah (Azariah, 2Kings 15:27). (34) 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. (Comp. 2Chronicles 27:2, with 2Chronicles 26:16.) (35) Howbeit 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 2Chronicles 27:3. Thenius considers that the term higher denotes rank rather than local position. (See Jeremiah 20:2; Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 8:5; Ezekiel 8:14; Ezekiel 8:16; Ezekiel 9:2; Ezekiel 40:38-43; and comp. 2Kings 12:9.) (36) Now the rest of the acts of Jotham.—Some of these are related in 2Chronicles 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. (37) 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 2Kings 16:5, seq., and the Notes there.) Rezin.—Comp.

Rezon, Heb., Rĕzôn (1Kings 11:23), the founder of the dynasty. The present name is spelt in the Hebrew of Kings and Isaiah (Isaiah 7:1) Rĕçín. The Assyrian spelling in the records of Tiglath Pileser, who conquered and slew 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.”

Verses 32-38. - REIGN OF JOTHAM. Once more the writer turns from Israel to Judah, and proceeds to give an account of the reign of Jotham the son of Azariah, or Uzziah, who was appointed regent in his father's place, when Uzziah was struck with leprosy (ver. 5). The account given of the reign is somewhat scanty, and requires to be supplemented from Chronicles ( 2 Chronicles 27 .). Verse 32. - In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah King of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah King of Judah to reign. In the second year of Pekah, Azariah died, and Jotham became actual king; but his joint reign with his father commenced very much earlier. His sole reign was probably a short one. 2 Kings 15:32

Reign of Jotham of Judah (cf. 2 Chronicles 27:1-9 ). - 2 Kings 15:32 . "In the second year of Pekah Jotham began to reign." This agrees with the statement in 2 Kings 15:27 , that Pekah became king in the last year of Uzziah, supposing that it occurred at the commencement of the year. Jotham's sixteen years therefore came to a close in the seventeenth year of Pekah's reign ( 2 Kings 16:1 ). His reign was like that of his father Uzziah (compare 2 Kings 15:34 , 2 Kings 15:35 with 2 Kings 15:3 , 2 Kings 15:4 ), except, as is added in Chr. 2 Kings 15:2 , that he did not force himself into the temple of the Lord, as Uzziah had done ( 2 Chronicles 26:16 ). All that is mentioned of his enterprises in the account before us is that he built the upper gate of the house of Jehovah, that is to say, that he restored it, or perhaps added to its beauty. The upper gate, according to Ezekiel 9:2 compared with 2 Kings 8:3 , 2 Kings 8:5 , 2 Kings 8:14 and 2 Kings 8:16 , is the gate at the north side of the inner or upper court, where all the sacrifices were slaughtered, according to Ezekiel 40:38-43 . We also find from 2 Chronicles 27:3 . that he built against the wall of Ophel, and several cities in the mountains of Judah, and castles and towers in the forests, and subdued the Ammonites, so that they paid him tribute for three years. Jotham carried on with great vigour, therefore, the work which his father had began, to increase the material prosperity of his subjects.

Azariah - Elsewhere in Chronicles called uniformly "Uzziah" ( 2 Chronicles 26:1 , 2 Chronicles 26:3 , 2 Chronicles 26:9 , 2 Chronicles 26:11 , etc.), but called indifferently "Azariah" and "Uzziah" in Kings ("Azariah" in 2 Kings 14:21 ; 2 Kings 15:1 , 2 Kings 15:6 , 2 Kings 15:17 , 2 Kings 15:23 , 2 Kings 15:27 , etc.; "Uzziah" in 2 Kings 15:13 , 2 Kings 15:32 , 2 Kings 15:34 ).