2 Chronicles 27:8 (KJV)

What does 2 Chronicles 27:8 mean?

2 Chronicles 27:8 states that Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. This verse gives the basic facts about the length and timing of Jotham’s reign as king of Judah.

The verse is part of a summary about Jotham, who was one of the kings in the southern kingdom of Judah. The chronicler is providing historical details for the reader, listing Jotham’s age at the start of his reign and how long he served as king in Jerusalem. This information helps place Jotham’s rule within the larger timeline of Judah’s monarchy.

The Hebrew behind 2 Chronicles 27:8

• "Five" (חָמֵשׁ, ḥāmesh) and "twenty" (עֶשְׂרִים, ʿeśrîm) are combined in Hebrew to express "twenty-five," showing the way Hebrew numbers are constructed by joining smaller numbers.
• "Reign" and "reigned" (מָלַךְ, mālak) appear twice, emphasizing both the start and the duration of Jotham’s kingship. The repetition underlines the official nature of his rule.
• "Sixteen" (שֵׁשׁ, shēsh and עֶשְׂרֵה, ʿeśrê) is another example of Hebrew number construction, combining "six" and "ten" to make "sixteen."
• "Jerusalem" (יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם, Yerushalayim) marks the city as the center of Jotham’s reign, highlighting its importance as Judah’s capital.

Why 2 Chronicles 27:8 matters

• This verse helps clarify the timeline of Judah’s kings, making it easier to track the sequence and overlap of different reigns in the biblical narrative.
• The mention of Jerusalem as the seat of Jotham’s rule connects his reign to the ongoing story of the city as the religious and political heart of Judah.
• By stating both Jotham’s age and the length of his reign, the chronicler gives readers a sense of stability and continuity during this period of Judah’s history.