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Here is a very short account of the reign of Jotham, a pious prosperous prince, of whom one would wish to have known more: but we may better dispense with the brevity of his story because that which lengthened the history of the last three kings was their degeneracy in their latter end, of which we have had a faithful account; but there was no occasion for such a melancholy conclusion of the history of this reign, which is only an account, I. Of the date and continuance of this reign, 2Ch 27:1,8. II. The general good character of it, 2Ch 27:2,6. III. The prosperity of it, 2Ch 27:3-5. IV. The period of it, 2Ch 27:7,9.
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The Reign of Jotham (758 BC)
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約坦作王（主前 758 年）
¹ 約坦登基的時候年二十五歲，在耶路撒冷作王十六年。他母親名叫耶路沙，是撒督的女兒。 ² 約坦行耶和華眼中看為正的事，正與他父親烏西雅所行的一樣；只是不入耶和華的殿。百姓卻仍然行邪僻的事。 ³ 他建造耶和華殿的上門，又在俄斐勒城牆上多有建造。 ⁴ 又在猶大山地建造城邑，在樹林中建築營寨和樓。 ⁵ 他與亞捫人的王爭戰，勝了他們。當年亞捫人給他銀子一百他連得、小麥一萬歌珥、大麥一萬歌珥；第二年、第三年也是這樣進貢。 ⁶ 約坦在耶和華他神面前行正道，日漸強盛。 ⁷ 約坦其餘的事，和他一切爭戰，並他的作為，都寫在以色列和猶大列王記上。 ⁸ 他登基的時候年二十五歲，在耶路撒冷作王十六年。 ⁹ 約坦與他列祖同睡，葬在大衛城裡；他兒子亞哈斯接續他作王。
關於約坦，此處所記比先前王下十五32～38等處所記的，並不多多少。
一、他治國治得好。「他行耶和華眼中看為正的事」；他作王的方針是好的，是神所喜悅的。他以神的恩寵為目標，以神的話為法則；並且（這表明他是出於好的原則行事）「他在耶和華他神面前行正道」（代下二十七6）——就是說，他謹慎周密地行事，設法避惡行善。他向前面觀看，把自己的事務安排到這樣的地位和方法中，使規律的管理更為容易。或者說，他在耶和華面前堅立或固定他的道路——就是說，他穩定而恆常地行在本分之道上，在其中始終如一、堅定不渝：不像他前面一些人那樣，雖然有些好處，卻因反覆無常、前後不一而失去信用。他們起先跑得好，後來卻有事物攔阻了他們。約坦不是這樣。此處他的為人有兩點值得留意：1. 他父親所行的惡，他在自己身上加以改正（代下二十七2）：他「照他父親所行一切好的、明智的事去行」；只是他不效法父親所作的惡——他「不入耶和華的殿」去燒香，像他父親所作的，而是以他父親的結局為戒，不敢妄自行這樣放肆的事。請注意：我們不可效法最好的人、我們最尊敬的人，超過他們所行的善；相反，他們的跌倒和其所帶來的有害後果，當作為我們的鑑戒，使我們行事更加謹慎，免得我們在同一塊石頭上絆跌。2. 他百姓所行的惡，他卻無力糾正：「百姓仍然行邪僻的事。」這也許反映他有所不是：在改革國家的事上他沒有盡自己的本分。人自己可以很好，卻沒有勇氣和熱心去作他們所能作的、以改革別人。然而這肯定大大反映了百姓的不是：他們沒有盡自己所能作的、去善用這樣好王朝所賜的機會；他們受了好的教導，也有好的榜樣擺在眼前，卻不肯受改正；以致連在好王作王之時，也如在惡王作王之時一樣，他們是在「為自己積蓄忿怒，以致忿怒的日子」；因為他們仍然行邪僻的事，熔煉者鎔化也是徒然。
二、他興盛，並且真正得了美名。1. 他建造。他從「耶和華殿的門」開始——加以修理、美化和加高。然後「堅固俄斐勒的城牆，又在猶大山地建造城邑」（代下二十七3、4），盡一切可能照顧國家的堅固和充實。2. 他得勝。他勝了亞捫人——他們在約沙法年間曾侵犯猶大（代下二十1）。他勝過他們，並向他們索取大量的貢物（代下二十七5）。他「日漸強盛」（代下二十七6）——在財富和權勢上，以及在鄰國中的影響力上都如此；他們討好他的友誼、懼怕他的不悅。而他之所以如此，是因為「他在耶和華他神面前行正道」。我們在宗教上越堅定，在抵擋罪惡和施行善事上就越有能力。
三、他的路程結束得太早，卻帶著尊榮結束。他不幸中年去世；但與此相抵的福分是：他沒有像他前三任先祖那樣活得比自己的名聲更久。他死的時候只有四十一歲（代下二十七8）；然而「他的爭戰和他的作為」——他在外的爭戰和他在家的作為——如此榮耀，以致都記在以色列列王記上，也記在猶大列王記上（代下二十七7）。本章末了的話最為悲涼，因為它告訴我們：「他兒子亞哈斯」——這人各方面都與他相反——「接續他作王」。當智慧人用來行善的財富和權力傳到愚昧人手中、被用來行惡時，這是可悲的，也必成為可悲的。
英文原文
The Reign of Jotham (758 BC)
¹ Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok.
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 temple of the LORD. And the people did yet corruptly.
³ He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.
⁴ Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.
⁵ He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third.
⁶ So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.
⁷ Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
⁸ He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.
⁹ And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
There is not much more related here concerning Jotham than we had before, 2Ki 15:32-38, etc.
I. He reigned well. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord; the course of his reign was good, and pleasing to God, whose favour he made his end, and his word his rule, and (which shows that he acted from a good principle) he prepared his ways before the Lord his God (2Ch 27:6), that is, he walked circumspectly and with much caution, contrived how to shun that which was evil and compass that which was good. He looked before him, and cast his affairs into such a posture and method as made the regular management of them the more easy. Or he established or fixed his ways before the Lord, that is, he walked steadily and constantly in the way of his duty, was uniform and resolute in it: not like some of those that went before him, who, though they had some good in them, lost their credit by their inconstancy and inconsistency with themselves. They had run well, but something hindered them. It was not so with Jotham. Two things are observed here in his character:—1. What was amiss in his father he amended in himself (2Ch 27:2): He did according to all that his father did well and wisely; howbeit he would not imitate him in which he did amiss; for he entered not into the temple of the Lord to burn incense as his father did, but took warning by his fate not to dare so presumptuous a thing. Note, We must not imitate the best men, and those we have the greatest veneration for, any further than they did well; but, on the contrary, their falls, and the injurious consequences of them, must be warnings to us to walk the more circumspectly, that we stumble not at the same stone that they stumbled at. 2. What was amiss in his people he could not prevail to amend: The people did yet corruptly. Perhaps it reflects some blame upon him, that he was wanting in his part towards the reformation of the land. Men may be very good themselves, and yet not have courage and zeal to do what they might do towards the reforming of others. However it certainly reflects a great deal of blame upon the people, that they did not do what they might have done to improve the advantages of so good a reign: they had good instructions given them and a good example set before them, but they would not be reformed; so that even in the reign of their good kings, as well as in that of the bad ones, they were treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath; for they still did corruptly, and the founder melted in vain.
II. He prospered, and became truly reputable. 1. He built. He began with the gate of the house of the Lord, which he repaired, beautified, and raised. He then fortified the wall of Ophel, and built cities in the mountains of Judah (2Ch 27:3,4), took all possible care for the fortifying of his country and the replenishing of it. 2. He conquered. He prevailed against the Ammonites, who had invaded Judah in Jehoshaphat's time, 2Ch 20:1. He triumphed over them, and exacted great contributions from them, 2Ch 27:5. He became mighty (2Ch 27:6) in wealth and power, and influence upon the neighbouring nations, who courted his friendship and feared his displeasure; and this he got by preparing his ways before the Lord his God. The more stedfast we are in religion the more mighty we are both for the resistance of that which is evil and for the performance of that which is good.
III. He finished his course too soon, but finished it with honour. He had the unhappiness to die in the midst of his days; but, to balance that, the happiness not to out-live his reputation, as the last three of his predecessors did. He died when he was but forty-one years of age (2Ch 27:8); but his wars and his ways, his wars abroad and his ways at home, were so glorious that they were recorded in the book of the kings of Israel, as well as of the kings of Judah, 2Ch 27:7. The last words of the chapter are the most melancholy, as they inform us that Ahaz his son, whose character, in all respects, was the reverse of his, reigned in his stead. When the wealth and power with which wise men have done good devolve upon fools, that will do hurt with them, it is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
這裏對約坦作王的記述十分簡短。約坦是一位敬虔而興盛的君王，人們本會希望多知道一些關於他的事；然而他這段簡短的記載，我們較能釋懷，因為前三任君王的歷史之所以被拉長，乃是由於他們晚節不保，這一點我們已有忠實的記述；但這段王朝的歷史卻無須以如此憂傷的結局收場。本章只記載：一、這段王朝的年代與持續時間（代下 27:1,8）。二、對其整體的美好評價（代下 27:2,6）。三、其中的興盛（代下 27:3-5）。四、其終結（代下 27:7,9）。