xxxv. 8, 15) and a harmonisation of Chronicles with Kings (see note

on 2 Chronicles xxxvi. 5; compare also verse 15) have occurred in that brief section.

Except in these two chapters the old Greek Version has unfortunately perished, and for all the rest of Chronicles comparison can only be made with a much later Greek Version, which is a translation of a Hebrew text almost identical with the present, Masoretic, form. Even so, differences are found, notably a substantial passage deleted from the Hebrew in 2 Chronicles xxxv. 19 (where see note). It is a legitimate conjecture that, if the _old_ Greek Version were extant throughout Chronicles, considerable variations between the earlier and the present text might be disclosed. (3) Finally, internal evidence suggests that a few passages are of a secondary character; i.e. interpolations by a writer later than the Chronicler: such perhaps are 1 Chronicles vi. 50‒53; viii. 29‒38; xxiv. 20‒31; 2 Chronicles xv. 16‒19 (see note verse 17); xx. 33 (see note xvii. 6); xxxi. 17‒19.

Interpolations on a large scale are not likely to have been made. Yet it must be borne in mind that Chronicles‒Ezra‒Nehemiah were once a continuous work, and study of Ezra‒Nehemiah shows that those writings have undergone a complex literary process, involving serious omissions and transpositions. This heightens the possibility that Chronicles also, before or after its separation from Ezra‒Nehemiah, was treated with freedom. Thus “the recurrence of 1 Chronicles ix., Nehemiah xi. [both giving a list of inhabitants of Jerusalem] in a single work hardly looks like an original feature; like the more remarkable repetition of Ezra ii., Nehemiah vii., the feature seems to point to the combination of sources which were primarily distinct” (Cook, _1 Esdras_, in Charles’ _Apocrypha_, p. 19, but see note on ix. 17). On the other hand the homogeneity of style and purpose in Chronicles tells strongly against the probability of large interpolations, and it is reasonable to believe that in the present text we have _substantially_ the work produced by the Chronicler.

(II) _Authorship._ Chronicles‒Ezra‒Nehemiah contain no hint whatsoever of the name of their author, and external evidence fails us equally. From the contents and tone of the work we can infer with comparative certainty that he belonged to the Levitical order, and in all probability was a member of one of the Levitical guilds of musicians and singers (see, e.g. 2 Chronicles xxxiv. 12, note). His character and conceptions can also be discerned from the nature of his work. That he was a man of strong intellect and vivid imagination is shown by his qualities as a narrator (see p. xxi) and by the consistency and power with which the whole work has been designed and carried through (see below, §§ 5, 6, 8). Beyond this it is futile to conjecture.

§ 4. CONTENTS

The books of Chronicles‒Ezra‒Nehemiah give a history of Israel and its ancestors from Adam down to the conclusion of Nehemiah’s activity on behalf of the post-exilic community in Jerusalem, _circa_ 432 B.C. Of this history the two books of Chronicles cover the period from Adam to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.¹ Before giving a detailed analysis, it may be of advantage to call attention to certain outstanding features. Remark that (1) the traditions of the period from Adam to Saul’s death have been compressed into a series of genealogical lists which occupy chapters i.‒ix.; (2) the rest of the two books gives an account of the history of _Judah_ from the death of Saul down to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586, the fortunes of North Israel being ignored, except for some scornful allusions to its degeneracy in comparison with Judah and Jerusalem; (3) the keenest interest is displayed by the writer in all matters connected with the Levites, the Temple, and its worship, so that an extraordinary amount of space is allotted to those subjects――note especially 1 Chronicles vi., xxii.‒xxix.; 2 Chronicles iii.‒vii., xxix.‒xxxi., xxxiv. 8‒xxxv. 19.

¹ Actually Chronicles concludes with the first three verses of Ezra i., which relate the famous edict of Cyrus, permitting the Jews to return to Jerusalem: see § 2 (1).

The following Table gives a general survey of the contents of 1 and 2 Chronicles¹.

¹ The sign “=” in the Table means that the passage in Chronicles is a transcription, with little or no change, of the passage given in brackets; the sign “compare” is used where the account in Chronicles differs considerably from or has only a faint connection with that of the passage in brackets.

(A) 1 Chronicles i.‒ix. INTRODUCTORY GENEALOGIES.

i. 1‒4 (compare Genesis v. 3‒32). Genealogy from Adam to the sons of Noah.

5‒23 (= Genesis x. 2‒29). The descendants of Japheth, Ham, and Shem.

24‒28 Genealogy from Shem to Ishmael.

29‒31 (= Genesis xxv. 12‒16). Ishmaelite descendants of Abraham.

32, 33 (= Genesis xxv. 1‒4). Arabian descendants of Abraham.

34‒37 (compare Genesis xxxvi. 10‒14). Edomite descendants of Abraham.

38‒42 (compare Genesis xxxvi. 20‒28). Genealogy of the Horite inhabitants of Seir.

43‒51a (compare Genesis xxxvi. 31‒39). The early kings of Edom.

51b‒54 (compare Genesis xxxvi. 40‒43). The “dukes” of Edom.

ii. 1, 2 (compare Genesis xxxv. 22b‒26). The sons of Israel.

3‒iv. 23 Genealogies of the tribe of Judah:

ii. 3‒17 Descent of the sons of Jesse.

18‒55 Caleb. Jerahmeel. Caleb.

iii. 1‒9 (= 2 Samuel iii. 2‒5; v. 14‒16). David’s sons.

10‒24 The Davidic Line before and after the Captivity.

iv. 1‒23 Additional genealogies of Judah.

iv. 24‒v. 26 Genealogies of Simeon, Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh.

vi. 1‒81 The tribe of Levi:

1‒3 Genealogy from Levi to Eleazar.

4‒15 The line of the high-priests to the Captivity.

16‒30 The three clans of the Levites.

31‒47 The singers.

48‒53 Distinction between the sons of Aaron and the rest of the Levites.

54‒81 The cities of the Levites.

vii. 1‒40 Genealogies of Issachar, Zebulun (see note on vii. 6), Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Asher.

viii. 1‒40 Genealogies of Benjamin:

1‒28 Various Benjamite families.

29‒40 (compare ix. 35‒44). The genealogy of the house of Saul.

ix. 1‒17 The heads of the families of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, which dwelt in Jerusalem.

18‒34 The duties of porters and Levites.

35‒44 (= viii. 29‒38). The genealogy of the house of Saul.

(B) x.‒xxix. DAVID.

x. 1‒14 (= 1 Samuel xxxi. 1‒13). The death of Saul at the battle of Gilboa.

xi. 1‒9 (= 2 Samuel v. 1‒10). Coronation of David and capture of Jebus.

10‒47 (compare 2 Samuel xxiii. 8‒39). David’s mighty men.

xii. 1‒40 David’s adherents who brought him to the kingdom.

xiii. 1‒14 (=2 Samuel vi. 1‒11). The removal of the Ark from Kiriath-jearim. Death of Uzza.

xiv. 1‒7 (compare 2 Samuel v. 11‒16). David’s sons born in Jerusalem.

8‒17 (= 2 Samuel v. 17‒25). Two Philistine attacks repulsed.

xv. 1‒24. Preparations for bringing home the Ark.

25‒xvi. 6 (compare 2 Samuel vi. 12‒20). The Ark brought into the city of David.

xvi. 7‒36 (= Psalms cv. 1‒15; xcvi. 1‒13; cvi. 1, 47, 48). David’s psalm of praise.

37‒43 Arrangements for daily worship.

xvii. 1‒27 (= 2 Samuel vii. 1‒29). Permission to build a Temple refused to David.

xviii. 1‒17 (= 2 Samuel viii. 1‒18). David’s foreign wars. His officials.

xix. 1‒xx. 8 (= 2 Samuel x. 1‒19; xi. 1; xii. 26‒31; xxi. 18‒22). Wars with Ammon, Syria, and the Philistines.

xxi. 1‒30 (= 2 Samuel xxiv. 1‒25). The census and the plague.

xxii. 1‒xxix. 20. David’s preparations for the building of the Temple and for the establishment of its services:

xxii. The choice of the Temple site. The charge to Solomon.

xxiii. The organisation of the Levites.

xxiv. The divisions (“courses”) of the Priests.

xxv. The divisions of the singers.

xxvi. The divisions of the doorkeepers.

xxvii. Various officers of David.

xxviii. 1‒xxix. 20 David’s charge to Solomon and to all Israel.

xxix. 21‒30 The Epilogue: The Great Rejoicing; the Anointing of Solomon; Summary of David’s reign.

(C) 2 Chronicles i.‒ix. SOLOMON.

i. 1‒6 (compare 1 Kings iii. 4). Solomon’s sacrifice at Gibeon.

7‒13 (= 1 Kings iii. 5‒15). The Vision and the prayer for wisdom.

14‒17 (= 1 Kings x. 26‒29). Chariots and horses.

ii. 1, 2, 17, 18 (compare 1 Kings v. 15, 16). Bearers of burdens and hewers of wood and stone.

3‒16 (compare 1 Kings v. 2‒11). Negotiations with Huram (Hiram) king of Tyre.

iii. 1‒v. 1 (compare 1 Kings vi. 1‒vii. 50) The building and furnishing of the Temple.

v. 2‒14 (= 1 Kings viii. 1‒11). The bringing in of the Ark and the descent of the cloud.

vi. 1‒11 (= 1 Kings viii. 12‒21). Solomon’s blessing.

12‒42 (= 1 Kings viii. 22‒50). Solomon’s prayer.

vii. 1‒3 The descent of the fire upon the sacrifices.

4‒10 (= 1 Kings viii. 62‒66). The final rejoicings.

11‒22 (= 1 Kings ix. 1‒9). The second Vision and the acceptance of Solomon’s prayer.

viii. 1‒13, 17, 18 (compare 1 Kings ix. 10‒28). Various Acts of Solomon.

14‒16 Organisation of the Priests and Levites in the Temple.

ix. 1‒28 (= 1 Kings x. 1‒27). The Visit of the Queen of Sheba. Solomon’s greatness.

29‒31 (= 1 Kings xi. 41‒43). The Epilogue.

(D) 2 Chronicles x.‒xxxvi. THE ACTS OF THE KINGS OF JUDAH.

x. 1‒xi. 4 (= 1 Kings xii. 1‒24). The Revolt of the Ten Tribes.

xi. 5‒xii. 16 (compare 1 Kings xiv. 21‒31). The Acts of Rehoboam.

xiii. 1‒22 (compare 1 Kings xv. 1‒8). The Acts of Abijah (Abijam).

xiv. 1‒xvi. 14 (compare 1 Kings xv. 9‒24). The Acts of Asa.

xvii. 1‒19 Jehoshaphat’s religious measures. His captains.

xviii. 1‒34 (= 1 Kings xxii. 1‒37). Jehoshaphat with Ahab at Ramoth-Gilead.

xix. 1‒xx. 30 Jehoshaphat’s judges. His victory in the wilderness of Tekoa.

xx. 31‒37 (= 1 Kings xxii. 41‒49). The rest of the Acts of Jehoshaphat.

xxi. 1‒20 (= 1 Kings xxii. 50; compare 2 Kings viii. 17‒24). Jehoram.

xxii. 1‒9 (= 2 Kings viii. 25‒29; compare ix. 27, 28). Ahaziah.

10‒xxiii. 21 (= 2 Kings xi. 1‒20). The rise and fall of Athaliah.

xxiv. 1‒14 (= 2 Kings xii. 1‒16). Restoration of the Temple under Joash.

15‒22 Apostasy of the princes. Assassination of the prophet Zechariah.

23‒27 (compare 2 Kings xii. 17‒21). The Syrian War and the end of Joash.

xxv. 1‒13 (compare 2 Kings xiv. 1‒7). Amaziah. The Edomite War. The Ephraimite ravages.

14‒16 Apostasy of Amaziah.

17‒28 (= 2 Kings xiv. 8‒20). Capture of Jerusalem. Death of Amaziah.

xxvi. 1‒23 (compare 2 Kings xv. 1‒7). Uzziah (Azariah).

xxvii. 1‒9 (compare 2 Kings xv. 32‒38). Jotham.

xxviii. 1‒27 (compare 2 Kings xvi. 1‒20). Ahaz.

xxix. 1‒xxxi. 21 Hezekiah. Cleansing of the Temple. The Great Passover. Care for the priesthood.

xxxii. 1‒23 (compare 2 Kings xviii., xix.). The deliverance from Sennacherib.

24‒33 (compare 2 Kings xx. 1‒21). Hezekiah’s sickness. His death.

xxxiii. 1‒20 (compare 2 Kings xxi. 1‒18). Manasseh. His captivity and repentance.

21‒25 (= 2 Kings xxi. 19‒26). Amon.

xxxiv. 1‒7 (compare 2 Kings xxii. 1, 2; xxiii. 4‒20). Josiah. Removal of the emblems of idolatry.

8‒28 (= 2 Kings xxii. 3‒20). Repair of the Temple. Discovery of the Book of the Law.

29‒33 (= 2 Kings xxiii. 1‒3). Renewal of the Covenant.

xxxv. 1‒19 (compare 2 Kings xxiii. 21‒23). Josiah’s Great Passover.

20‒27 (compare 2 Kings xxiii. 28‒30a). The death of Josiah.

xxxvi. 1‒4 (compare 2 Kings xxiii. 30b‒34). Jehoahaz.

5‒8 (compare 2 Kings xxiii. 36‒xxiv. 6). Jehoiakim.

9, 10 (compare 2 Kings xxiv. 8‒17). Jehoiachin.

11‒21 (compare 2 Kings xxiv. 18‒xxv. 21). Zedekiah. The Captivity of Judah.

22, 23 (= Ezra i. 1‒3a). The decree of Cyrus.

It will be seen at a glance that large portions of earlier canonical Scripture have been reproduced in Chronicles exactly or very closely: viz.

Genesis x. 2‒29; xxv. 1‒4, 10‒16; xxxvi., _passim_.

1 Samuel xxxi.

2 Samuel v.‒viii.; x.; xxiii. 8‒xxiv. 25.

1 Kings iii. 4‒14; v.‒vii. (in part); viii.‒x.; xi. 41‒xii. 24; xiv. 21‒xv. 24 (in part); xxii. (in part).

2 Kings viii. 17‒29; xi., xii.; xiv. 1‒22; xv., xvi. (in part); xxi.‒xxiv. (in part).

Ezra i. 1‒3.

As the foregoing list shows, Chronicles by no means includes all the narrative of Samuel and Kings. In particular may be noted the omission of any account of the early life of David (1 Samuel _passim_), the _Court History_ of David (2 Samuel xi.‒xx.), the history of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings xvii.‒xxi.; 2 Kings i. 1‒viii. 15), and the affairs of the Northern Kingdom with a few exceptions.

On the other hand, Chronicles contains a great deal which is either independent of or not immediately dependent on earlier books of the Old Testament: note especially the opening nine chapters of genealogies, the last seven chapters of 1 Chronicles, and many passages, long and short, in 2 Chronicles x.‒xxxvi. The origin and significance of this new material will be discussed in the section on the _Sources_, § 5.

§ 5. THE SOURCES

From what has been said in § 1 regarding the nature of ancient historical writings it will be realised that a careful examination of the material used in the compilation of Chronicles is a necessary preliminary to the task of estimating the purpose and value of the work in its final form. Only when the extent of the sources has been determined can we say whether contributions made by the writer who combined those sources into the existing work are so great or so small that we ought to reckon him in the one case a narrator whose personality must be seriously considered, or in the other a mere copyist and compiler.

(1) In considering the material of Chronicles, it is convenient to begin with those passages which seem to be copied or adapted from earlier books of the Old Testament. That such passages are numerous, and constitute a very large amount of 1 and 2 Chronicles will be seen by a glance at the table of contents given in § 4. Occasionally the Chronicler reproduced the canonical text _verbatim_, but generally he introduced alterations, which were sometimes both numerous and important. The discrepancies thus produced between Chronicles and other parts of canonical Scripture presented a grave difficulty to the older commentators, and the theory was put forward that the Chronicler used, not the canonical books, but the still older sources from which the canonical books themselves were built up and to which they frequently refer. It was hoped thus to minimise the divergences by supposing that the Chronicler had copied somewhat different portions of these old sources, and had approached them from a different standpoint. Not only was this hypothesis in the highest degree improbable, but the reconciliation it was supposed to effect is now recognised to be for the most part untenable. The theory is finally discredited by the fact that these sources of the canonical books _always_ appear in Chronicles combined together in precisely the same manner in which they are found combined in the canonical books; i.e. they appear always ‘edited,’ and never in their original, independent, form. It may be definitely asserted therefore that for all the passages which are common to Chronicles and other canonical works the Chronicler was indebted solely to the text of the canonical books as it appeared in his time.

As for the divergences, real and apparent, between Chronicles and other canonical Scriptures, it is now recognised that, whilst they are properly a subject for historical investigation, they do not involve a religious problem. The old “religious” difficulty is answered by a deeper comprehension of the nature of Inspiration. The real inspiration of the Scriptures does not, as was once thought, rest upon points of historical accuracy: see the article _Inspiration_ by A. E. Garvie in the _Encyclopedia Britannica_¹¹, vol. xiv., especially pp. 647 _ad fin._, 648, with the references there given.

(2) More important and difficult is the problem of the source of the _new_ material in Chronicles. Nearly one-half of the two books of Chronicles is material otherwise unknown to us, and not to be regarded as mere ornamental amplification of the passages drawn from canonical sources. Rather it is precisely these new parts which give colour to the whole work, and there can be no doubt that the Chronicler must have dwelt with special fondness on just these passages. The question is, Can we discern or infer sources from which these independent chapters and paragraphs have been derived, or is the Chronicler himself their only source and origin?

In attempting to answer that question, our first task is to note and discuss a long list of works to which the Chronicler appeals, either as authorities for what he says or as sources where fuller information might (presumably) be expected. They are as follows:

A. _Those with specific prophetic titles._

[For the reigns of David and Solomon.]

(1) The history (literally _words_, or _acts_) of Samuel the seer (1 Chronicles xxix. 29).

(2) The history of Nathan the prophet (1 Chronicles xxix. 29; 2 Chronicles ix. 29).

(3) The history of Gad the seer (1 Chronicles xxix. 29).

(4) The last acts of David (1 Chronicles xxiii. 27). [Perhaps the same as (5).]

(5) The chronicles (literally _acts of the days_) of king David (1 Chronicles xxvii. 24).

(6) The prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite (2 Chronicles ix. 29).

(7) The visions of Iddo the seer (2 Chronicles ix. 29).

[For the kings of Judah (excepting Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah, Amon, Jehoahaz, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah).]

(8) The histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer (2 Chronicles xii. 15).

(9) The commentary (literally _Midrash_¹) of the prophet Iddo (2 Chronicles xiii. 22).

(10) The history of Jehu the son of Hanani which is inserted in the books of the kings of Israel (2 Chronicles xx. 34).

(11) A writing of Isaiah the prophet (2 Chronicles xxvi. 22).

(12) The vision of Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz in the books of the kings of Judah and Israel (2 Chronicles xxxii. 34).

(13) ? The history of Hozai (literally _the seers_) (2 Chronicles xxxiii. 19).

(14) ? A genealogical register compiled in the time of Jotham and Jeroboam II (1 Chronicles v. 17).

(15) A collection of “lamentations” (2 Chronicles xxxv. 25).

B. _Those with general titles._

(1) A Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel (cited for the reigns of Asa, Amaziah, Ahaz, and Hezekiah; 2 Chronicles xvi. 11, xxv. 26, xxviii. 26, xxxii. 32). Compare (12) above.

(2) A Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah (cited for Jotham, Josiah, and Jehoiakim; 2 Chronicles xxvii. 7, xxxv. 27, xxxvi. 8).

(3) A Book of the Kings of Israel (cited for genealogies, 1 Chronicles xix. 1; for the reign of Jehoshaphat, 2 Chronicles xx. 24; and for Manasseh, 2 Chronicles xxxiii. 18).

(4) A _Midrash_¹ of the Book of Kings (for the reign of Joash, 2 Chronicles xxiv. 27).

¹ The noun _Midrash_ is derived from a verb meaning to _search out, explore_. The word occurs only in 2 Chronicles xiii. 22,