John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them , etc.] These were brought into subjection by David; but in later times endeavoured to cast off the yoke, and even invaded the land of Judah, as in the days of Jehoshaphat, and now in the reign of Jotham, but succeeded not, (see Amos 1:13) and the children of Ammon gave him the same year one hundred talents of silver ; he obliged them to pay this tribute annually, and which they began to pay in the present year, and amounted to 35,330 pounds, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley ; the measure here is the “cor”, the same with the “homer”; which, according to Godwin f118 , held forty five gallons, or five bushels and five gallons, so that there must be upwards of 50,000 bushels of each of these paid to Jotham; according to Bishop Cumberland f119 , a “cor”, or “homer”, held seventy five wine gallons, and upwards of five pints: so much did the children of Ammon pay both the second year and the third ; the two following years as well as the present one; why this tribute was not continued to be paid cannot be said with certainty, whether the Ammonites refused and revolted, and could not be obliged, or whether the agreement was only for three years.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- 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 courag and zeal to do what they might. It certainly casts blame upon the people. Jotham prospered, and became mighty. The more stedfast we ar in religion, the more mighty we are, both to resist evil, and to d good. The Lord often removes wise and pious rulers, and sends others whose follies and vices punish a people that valued not their mercies _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew והוא1931 נלחם3898 עם5973 מלך4428 בני1121 עמון5983 ויחזק2388 עליהם5921 ויתנו5414 לו בני1121 עמון5983 בשׁנה8141 ההיא1931 מאה3967 ככר3603 כסף3701 ועשׂרת6235 אלפים505 כרים3734 חטים2406 ושׂעורים8184 עשׂרת6235 אלפים505 זאת2063 השׁיבו7725 לו בני1121 עמון5983 ובשׁנה8141 השׁנית8145 והשׁלשׁית׃7992
