Chronicles, Books of the

Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 3min
 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 12
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Like the Gospel of John among the Gospels, so these books among the historical books of the Old Testament have a special character. John goes back to “the beginning,” when the Eternal Word was with God: the Chronicles go back to the beginning of man’s history: “Adam, Sheth, Enosh,” in order to develop that history in the chosen line of promise and grace. The peculiarities of the Chronicles have been a stumbling block to some of the learned critics. It is evident from 1 Chronicles 6:1515And Jehozadak went into captivity, when the Lord carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. (1 Chronicles 6:15) and 2 Chronicles 36:22-2322Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 23Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up. (2 Chronicles 36:22‑23) that they date after the captivity of Judah, the writer compiling the records of the chosen line according to grace—grace which restored them from their captivity. It may be asked, Why omit so many things found in the books of Samuel and the Kings? and why add events not in those early books? There is design in the differences, God being the author of them. One fact should help the elucidation, namely, that after the division of the kingdom, the history of Judah only is given. Therefore more is said of David, and of his preparations and pattern for the Temple, and the history of David’s line is traced, with which the mercies of God for Israel were connected in the aspect of grace and of the blessing and ways of God with that people.
Like Deuteronomy, the Chronicles rehearse and show blessing to be consequent on obedience. The history in Samuel and Kings is far more general, and gives the history of the nation to whom the testimony of God was confided in the midst of other nations.
It is not known who wrote the Chronicles, but this is of little consequence, seeing that it does not touch the question of their inspiration, which is strongly marked by the peculiar character of their contents. It is thought that they were written by Ezra, and it will be seen that the end of 2 Chronicles agrees with the beginning of Ezra. The learned say that there are also internal resemblances which make it very probable that they are by the same writer. This has been objected to on the ground of the genealogy in 1 Chronicles 3:1-24: it is contended that the number of generations after Zerubbabel in 1 Chronicles 3:1919And the sons of Pedaiah were, Zerubbabel, and Shimei: and the sons of Zerubbabel; Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister: (1 Chronicles 3:19) is so large that the writer must have lived in the days of Alexander the Great, and therefore could not have been contemporary with Ezra. But there is a break in the genealogy in the middle of 1 Chronicles 3:2121And the sons of Hananiah; Pelatiah, and Jesaiah: the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shechaniah. (1 Chronicles 3:21); “the sons of Hananiah; Pelatiah, and Jesaiah” closes one list; and what follows is a separate list, and may have run parallel with the other.
The Chronicles are by the Jews included in the Hagiographa, or “Sacred Books,” and are placed at the end of the Hebrew Bible. “They were regarded as a summary of sacred history.”