1 & 2 Chronicles

• [Go Back]

• By Rev. Dr. Devadosan Sugirtharaj
• Posted 03/04/2025
• Viewed 29

• Tweet

1 & 2 Chronicles

Rev. Dr. Devadosan Sugirtharaj

Title

1. Hebrew: Dibre Hayyamim: “The words or events of the Days or Years”       ( The Annals) 1 Ch.27:24
2. Greek: “ The Books of Things left out” – Paraleipomenwn A, B.
3. Latin: “ The Chronikons” The Books of Ancient History (Jerome)
4. English: The Chronicles. The scrolls which recorded the daily events of each monarch’s rule (Es.2:23; 6:1; 10:2)

Canonicity

1. Originally one Scroll in Hebrew
2. Divided into two in Greek Translation 200 B.C
3. Latin and English followed the Greek Structure

Author

1. The book is anonymous (No author or compiler name is mentioned)
2. Assumption: The author must be a priest or Levite as focused on the temple.
3. Ezra the Scribe: Jewish Babylonian Talmud: Cyrus’ name is mentioned. Ezra and Chronicles have the same literary and linguistic features.

Date

1. During the mid-fourth century B.C. because of style, vocabulary, and genealogies.
2. 538 B.C.: Peria overtook Babylon and Cyrus issued orders to build Jerusalem and the temple (2 Ch.36:20-23)
3. Mid-second century B.C as it is closer to the Greek Version
4. Between 450-400 B.C. (1 Ch 3:1-24 lists the eighth generation of David (400 B.C)
5. After Exile

Sources

1. Canonical Sources
   1. Genesis
   2. Samuel
   3. Kings
2. Extra Canonical Sources
   1. The Book of the Kingdoms (or Kings) of Judah and Israel (or of Israel and Judah
   2. The Story (midrash) of the Book of the King's
   3. The Words of Ussiah composed by the prophet Isaiah
   4.  The Words of Shemaiah the Prophet of Iddo the Seer
   5. The Midrash of the Prophet Iddo
   6. The Words of Jehu the son of Hanani
   7. The Words of Hozai

Aim

To give the exiles hope in returning as God had not given up on them.

Importance of David and Solomon

1. The books are devoted to the reigns of David ( 1 Ch.11-29) and Solomon (2 Ch.1-9)
2. David and Solomon were idealized as God’s anointed/chosen kings than anyone.
3. The books appear to consciously adopt the succession of Moses and Joshua as a model for the succession of David and Solomon.

Purpose

1. To bear witness to the unity of God’s will for his people.
2. To bear witness to the continuity of the obedient response within the history of Israel.
3. To bear witness to the fundamental correspondence between an action and its outcome.
4. To give the Jews of the Second Commonwealth the true spiritual foundations of their theocracy as the covenant people of Jehovah.
5. To bear witness to the role of sacred scripture as providing the rule of faith by which the community lives.
6. To interpret the restored community in Jerusalem the history of Israel as an eternal covenant between God and David which demanded an obedient response to the divine law.
7. To reveal God’s desire to bless those who wholeheartedly worship Him and to curse those who resist Him in rebellion according to the Mosaic system of Temple worship.

Uniqueness

1. Telling the answer to the question of post-exilic Jews about the continuity of the past.
   1. Continuity with the past is signified by the temple in Jerusalem rebuilt
   2. Continuity with the past is highlighted by God’s sovereign acts of election of (i) the tribe of Levi and their service before the ark; (ii) David to be king over Israel; (iii) Solomon to be king and build the temple; (iv) of Jerusalem rebuilding; (v) of the temple worship revived.
   3. Continuity with the past is focused on the law and the prophets.
   4. Continuity with the past is connected with Israel’s hope for the promised Messiah, the son of David.

1 Chronicles

Key Words: Descendants until David

Key Theme: David’s House

Key Phrase: “ Build a house for my name” (14x)

Key Verse: 1 Ch 17:24: Let it be established, that your name may be magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel even a God to Israel, and let the house of your servant be established before you.

Key Lesson: Let us work to establish God’s house and pray that God will work to establish our home

Major Divisions

            1 Ch.1-10: House of Israel preserved: Tribes

            1 Ch. 11-21: House of David established: Throne

            1 Ch. 22-29: House of God prepared: Temple

2 Chronicles

Key Words: Solomon and Successors

Key Theme: God’s Temple

Key Phrase: “ Humble yourself” (12x)

Key Verse: 2 Ch 7:14: If my people, which are called by my name. shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal the land.

Key Lesson: Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It’s humility that counts.

Major Divisions

            2 Ch.1-9: Make yourself humble before God (7:14)

            2 Ch. 10-27: As Rehoboam made himself humble before God (12:12)

            2 Ch. 28-36: or God himself will make you humble before man (28:19)

Outlines

1 Chronicles

• Genealogies: Creation to Restoration (1Ch 1–9)
  • The Patriarchs (ch. 1)
  • The 12 Sons of Jacob/Israel (2:1–2)
  • The Family of Judah (2:3—4:23)
  • The Sons of Simeon (4:24–43)
  • Reuben, Gad and the Half-Tribe of Manasseh (ch. 5)
  • Levi and Families (ch. 6)
  • Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim and Asher (chs. 7–9)
• The Reign of David (1Ch 10–29)
  • Death of Saul (ch. 10)
  • Capture of Jerusalem; David’s Power Base (chs. 11–12)
  • Return of the Ark; Establishment of David’s Kingdom (chs. 13–16)
  • Dynastic Promise (ch. 17)
  • David’s Conquests (chs. 18–20)
  • The Census (ch. 21)
  • Preparations for the Temple (ch. 22)
  • Organization of the Temple Service (chs. 23–26)
  • Administrative Structures of the Kingdom (ch. 27)
  • David’s Final Preparations for Succession and the Temple (28:1—29:20)
  • Succession of Solomon; Death of David (29:21–30)

2 Chronicles

• The Reign of Solomon (2Ch 1–9)
  • The Gift of Wisdom (ch. 1)
  • Building the Temple (2:1—5:1)
  • Dedication of the Temple (5:2—7:22)
  • Solomon’s Other Activities (ch. 8)
  • Solomon’s Wisdom, Splendor and Death (ch. 9)
• The Schism, and the History of the Kings of Judah (2Ch 10–36)
  • Rehoboam (chs. 10–12)
  • Abijah (13:1—14:1)
  • Asa (14:2—16:14)
  • Jehoshaphat (17:1—21:3)
  • Jehoram and Ahaziah (21:4—22:9)
  • Joash (22:10—24:27)
  • Amaziah (ch. 25)
  • Uzziah (ch. 26)
  • Jotham (ch. 27)
  • Ahaz (ch. 28)
  • Hezekiah (chs. 29–32)
  • Manasseh (33:1–20)
  • Amon (33:21–25)
  • Josiah (34:1—36:1)
  • Josiah’s Successors (36:2–14)
  • Exile and Restoration (36:15–23)