Why does the chapter say Joatham was strengthened?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Joatham was strengthened because he directed his way before the Lord, although the people still transgressed.

Chapter breakdown

Joatham was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Jerusa, the daughter of Sadoc. Throughout his reign, he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, following all that his father Ozias had done, except that he did not enter into the temple of the Lord. Meanwhile, the people continued in their transgressions.

Joatham conducted significant building works in the capital and across the territory of Juda. He constructed the high gate of the house of the Lord and built extensively upon the wall of Ophel. In the hill country of Juda, he built cities, and he constructed castles and towers within the forested areas.

Joatham waged war against the king of the children of Ammon and overcame them in battle. Following this defeat, the Ammonites paid him a tribute of one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand measures of barley. The children of Ammon rendered this exact tribute to him in the second year and in the third year. Joatham grew strong because he directed his way before the Lord his God. The rest of his acts, along with all his wars and his works, were recorded in the book of the kings of Israel and Juda. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. Joatham slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David, and his son Achaz reigned in his place.

The story inside

Joatham began at twenty-five and reigned sixteen years. He did right like Ozias but did not enter the temple. He built the high gate, worked on Ophel's wall, and built mountain cities and forest towers and castles. He overcame Ammon and received one hundred silver talents and ten thousand measures each of wheat and barley, repeated in the second and third years. The chapter separately attributes his strengthening to his ways before God, records his annals, and reports burial in David's city and Achaz's succession.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The causal explanation is expressly about Joatham's strengthening.
2
The people still transgressed despite the king's conduct.
3
Tribute and burial are recorded, but neither is expressly attributed to that conduct.

Test your recall

Why was Joatham strengthened even though the people still transgressed?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 46758–46760
And he did that which was right before the Lord, according to all that Ozias his father had done, only that he entered not into the temple of the Lord, and the people still transgressed.
Lines 46768–46772
He fought against the king of the children of Ammon, and overcame them, and the children of Ammon gave him at that time a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and as many measures of barley: so much did the children of Ammon give him in the second and third year.
Lines 46774–46775
And Joatham was strengthened, because he had his way directed before the Lord his God.