Notes on

1 Chronicles

2025 Edition

Dr. Thomas L. Constable

Introduction

Title

The earliest Hebrew title for the Books of Chronicles translates as "The Things Left Behind." This name describes Chronicles as containing remnants of Israel's monarchical history not recorded in the preceding Old Testament historical books. A later title that appears in most copies of the Hebrew Bible is "The Accounts of the Days," or "Daily Matters." This title emphasizes the nature of Chronicles as official annals (cf. Esth. 2:23; 1 Kings 14:19). Chronicles contains the official records of Israel's kings, especially David, Solomon, and those of the Southern Kingdom after the United Kingdom split into two parts. The English title "Chronicles" comes down to us from the early church father Jerome's statement that the books contained "the chronicle of the whole of sacred history."[1] As such, the title of this book describes its genre (type of literature), which is a rare thing among Old Testament books.[2]

As was true of the Books of Samuel and Kings, the Septuagint (Greek) translation of the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament) was responsible for dividing the single Book of Chronicles into 1 and 2 Chronicles.[3] Scribes divided these long books to make them easier for copyists and readers to handle. We could translate the Septuagint title as "Things Omitted." This title implies that Chronicles contains material left out of other inspired histories of Israel. This is true, but it also contains much material that the former historical books included.

"… fully 50 percent, of 1 & 2 Chronicles is the same material found in 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings."[4]

Writer and Date

Early Jewish tradition that was recorded in the Babylonian Talmud ascribed the authorship of Chronicles to Ezra and Nehemiah.[5] Modern studies of the linguistic differences that exist between the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles have led some scholars to reject this ancient view.[6] Internal evidence suggests that if the writer was not Ezra and/or Nehemiah, he was probably a contemporary of these men. It is very common today to speak of the unknown writer as "the Chronicler."

There is quite a bit of difference of opinion, even among conservative evangelical scholars, regarding the date of composition. Most of them place it within Ezra's lifetime (ca. 450-400 B.C.).[7] This date would make Chronicles one of the last, if not the last, historical book of the Old Testament. In the Hebrew canon, 1 and 2 Chronicles conclude the third major section: the Writings, which also suggests that they were written about this time. The date of composition of Ezra was probably about 446 B.C. The Book of Nehemiah probably came into existence between 420 and 400 B.C. The date of writing of Esther was probably shortly after 473 B.C.

"It is now clear from comparison of Chronicles with the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Greek translations of the Pentateuch that the text Chronicles used was more like these texts than the MT [Masoretic Text]."[8]

Some scholars hold a date as early as the middle of the fifth century B.C. (450 B.C.), while others date Chronicles as late as 200 B.C.[9]

"The best view is that Chronicles as a whole was in place by 500 B.C., but that additions as late as the early fourth century continued to be added, especially genealogies, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit."[10]

Scope and purpose

Chronicles covers a broader period of history than any other Old Testament book. In this it is similar to the Gospel of Luke, which also covers all of human history from creation to the writer's day, though with less emphasis on genealogies. Chronicles begins with Adam and ends with Anani, who lived eight generations after King Jehoiachin of Judah (1 Chron. 3:24). If we allow 25 years for each generation, the birth of Anani would have been between 425 and 400 B.C., assuming this genealogy is complete.

"In Near Eastern antiquity, the generation (that is the years between a man's birth and his begetting his first-born son) is ordinarily 25 years or less."[11]

Since the writer had great interest in David's family, it is unlikely that any of David's descendants after Anani was known to him when he wrote this book. If they had been, the writer probably would have included their names.

Other Old Testament books, especially Genesis, Samuel, and Kings, cover over half the material that Chronicles contains.[12] There are two main reasons for this repetition: First, the writer wanted to give his readers another version of those events. In this respect Chronicles and the other historical books are similar to the Gospels in the New Testament. Each gives a unique interpretation and emphasis. Each writer selected the historical materials that would present what he wanted to emphasize. Chronicles is more similar to John's Gospel than the other Gospels in that both books are very sermonic, and each has a purpose that is easy to identify (John 20:30-31; 2 Chron. 7:14). Chronicles is also similar to Deuteronomy, the last book of the Pentateuch, which also preaches by recalling history.

The second reason for the repetition of material in Chronicles is that the writer wanted to explain and to expound the meaning of many events in Israel's history, much like the writers of modern commentaries do. This was especially important because the original readers of Chronicles needed to remember their history and the spiritual issues that had molded and would mold their destiny. These observations would guide them as they sought to reestablish Israel in the Promised Land after the Babylonian Captivity.

"The purpose of these two volumes [1 and 2 Chronicles] is to review the history of Israel from the dawn of the human race to the Babylonian captivity and Cyrus' edict of restoration. This review is composed with a very definite purpose in mind, to give to the Jews of the Second Commonwealth [the Jews who returned to the Promised Land following the Babylonian Captivity] the true spiritual foundations of their theocracy as the covenant people of Jehovah. This historian's purpose is to show that the true glory of the Hebrew nation was found in its covenant relationship to God, as safeguarded by the prescribed forms of worship in the temple and administered by the divinely ordained priesthood under the protection of the divinely authorized dynasty of David. Always the emphasis is upon that which is sound and valid in Israel's past as furnishing a reliable basis for the task of reconstruction which lay ahead. Great stress is placed upon the rich heritage of Israel and its unbroken connection with the patriarchal beginnings (hence the prominence accorded to genealogical lists)."[13]

"… 'the Chronicler' is no mere chronicler! He is a theologian, sharing with all the biblical writers the burden of interpreting God's ways to human beings."[14]

The Chronicler saw certain principles operating in history. He selected unmistakable evidences of them and applied them to his own times.

"If Kings, composed after the final collapse of the kingdom in 586 B.C., concentrates on how sin leads to defeat (2 Kings 17:15, 18), then Chronicles, coming after the two returns from exile in 537 and 458 B.C., recounts, from the same record, how 'faith is the victory' (2 Chron. 20:20, 22)."[15]

"… the Chronicler goes even further than the Deuteronomic historian [i.e., the supposed writer of Samuel and Kings] in attempting to correlate blessing with faithfulness and judgment with disobedience within each separate generation."[16]

Another statement of the purpose of Chronicles is as follows:

"… to rally the returned remnant to hopeful temple worship … by demonstrating their link with the enduring Davidic promises."[17]

"The past is explained so that its institutions and religious principles become relevant to the present, and the ways of the present are legitimized anew by being connected to the prime source of authority—the formative period in the people's past."[18]

"It was above all things needful that the nation should read its past and its present and its future in the true way, that is, from the Divine standpoint; and it was with this very thing in mind—to meet this need and attain this end—that the 'Chronicles' were compiled."[19]

Distinctive Characteristics

"These books of Chronicles are in a great measure repetition; and yet there are no vain repetitions. We could ill spare them; for there are many most excellent useful things in them, which we find not elsewhere."[20]

Three major features of Chronicles appear when we isolate the material that the writer included that is not in Samuel or Kings: First, the genealogies reflect the writer's goal of encouraging Israel's racial and religious purity.[21] Second, the emphases on the temple, ark, and worship show his desire that the returned exiles reestablish worship according to the Mosaic Law.[22] Third, the record of David's glories and the victories that God gave his successors were his way of encouraging his original readers as they sought to reestablish their nation in the Promised Land.[23]

Sara Japhet pointed out four distinctive characteristics of Chronicles: (1) "The Chronicler writes his history as a series of literary 'blocks,' each of which is a comprehensive unit revolving around a specific topic and marked by formal features." (2) Speeches. (3) Public ceremonies. (4) Lists. She also noted various genres within the general category of historiography (history writing): "divine speeches, royal addresses, prophetic exhortations and oracles, prayers, letters, dialogues, and more."[24]

Theologically conservative students of Chronicles differ in their opinion concerning the amount of Messianic expectation the Chronicler held out to his readers.[25] My belief is that he presented much hope of a coming Messiah who would fulfill the promises given to David in the Davidic Covenant. I shall point this out at the appropriate places in the notes that follow.[26]

"I regard Chronicles as one of the richest mines of spirituality in all of Scripture."[27]

Outline

I.       Israel's historical roots chs. 1—9

A.      The early ancestors of Israel ch. 1

1.      From Adam to Noah's sons 1:1-4

2.      The descendants of Noah's sons 1:5-23

3.      From Shem to Abraham 1:24-27

4.      The sons of Abraham and their descendants 1:28-34

5.      The descendants of Esau 1:35-42

6.      The kings of Edom 1:43-50

7.      The chiefs of Edom 1:51-54

B.      Israel's descendants chs. 2:1—9:1

1.      Israel's 12 sons 2:1-2

2.      The southern tribes 2:3—4:43

3.      The Transjordanian tribes ch. 5

4.      The tribe of Levi ch. 6

5.      The northern tribes 7:1-13

6.      The central tribes 7:14—8:40

7.      A concluding summary 9:1

C.      The inhabitants of Jerusalem 9:2-34

D.      The ancestry and descendants of King Saul 9:35-44

II.       The reign of David chs. 10—29

A.      The death of Saul ch. 10

B.      David's coronation and capital 11:1-9

1.      David's coronation over all Israel 11:1-3

2.      David's capture of Jerusalem 11:4-9

C.      David's supporters 11:10—12:40

1.      The chiefs among David's mighty men 11:10-25

2.      The mighty men in David's army 11:25-47

3.      Other warriors who supported David ch. 12

D.      David and the ark chs. 13—16

1.      David's plan and unwise procedure ch. 13

2.      God's blessing on David's intent ch. 14

3.      David's preparations for bringing the ark into Jerusalem 15:1-24

4.      The entrance of the ark into Jerusalem 15:25—16:7

5.      David's psalm of thanksgiving 16:8-36

6.      Worship after the installation of the ark in Jerusalem 16:37-43

E.      David and the Davidic Covenant 17:1—22:19

1.      God's promises to David and His provisions for their fulfillment chs. 17—21

2.      David's preparations for the temple construction ch. 22

F.       David's assembly at Solomon's elevation as coregent chs. 23—27

1.      The announcement of the assembly 23:1-2

2.      The Levites' duties 23:3—26:32

3.      Preparations for governmental order ch. 27

G.      David's assembly at the end of his life 28:1—29:21

1.      David's address to Israel's leaders 28:1-8

2.      David's charge to Solomon 28:9-21

3.      David's challenge to Israel's leaders and their response 29:1-9

4.      David's prayer and the leaders' response 29:10-21

5.      Solomon's second anointing 29:22-25

H. David's death 29:26-30

(Continued in notes on 2 Chronicles)

Message

The central subject of 1 and 2 Chronicles is the temple of God, which the writer named at least 188 times.[28] Someone evidently wrote these books at the end of the Babylonian exile in order to encourage the Israelites to reestablish Israel's national life in the Promised Land. In view of this purpose, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was of little interest to the writer, because the Northern Kingdom had abandoned the divinely authorized kingship of David's line. Judah is the kingdom in view, and David is the king in view. The central passion in David's life is in view, namely, the building of the temple. Furthermore, the reason for David's passion for the temple is in view: He saw that the recognition of God is of supreme importance in national life.

This is the message of the book: The recognition of God is of supreme importance in national life—formally as well as actually. The writer demonstrated this fact in the genealogies, and he illustrated it in David's life in the rest of 1 Chronicles.

The genealogies demonstrate the supreme importance of recognizing God in national life.

What was the writer emphasizing by his selective genealogy? This genealogy (chs. 1—9) shows that God has chosen to bless some individuals more than others. This was His plan from Adam to Nehemiah, and it remains His plan. God also chose to bring blessing to those who obeyed Him, regardless of their other personal abilities or disabilities. Obedience is the key to true success, from God's perspective. We can see a heart for God in acts of obedience to God's will. There are two reasons that God blesses people: His sovereign choice to bless, and a person's obedience to Him. Character grows out of obedience. Likewise, God chose to bring cursing on those who were disobedient to Him, regardless of their other personal rights and privileges.

The reason that God chose to bless some individuals was to accomplish one ultimate goal. This goal was the fulfillment of His plans for His own glorification, including the fulfillment of His promises to humanity. All the details of His choices of individuals contributed to His ultimate goal.

The genealogies teach us this lesson. The way to achieve permanence and success in individual life, and the way to achieve stability and success in national life, is to recognize God in life. Throughout history people and nations have succeeded or failed as they have recognized (or "feared") God. This is a major point that the writer was demonstrating in the genealogies. God has been selecting, changing, interrupting, and moving through history relentlessly toward His ultimate goal.

The life of David, as narrated here, illustrates the supreme importance of recognizing God in national life (chs. 10—29).

The writer presented David as a strong model king. He selected four pictures from David's life. The first of these was his crowning, which shows God's choice of him. The second was his capture of Jerusalem, which was the victory that led ultimately to the building of the temple. The third picture was his mighty men, which shows his influence on personal character and his true power. The fourth was the gathering of multitudes behind his leadership, which shows his influence on the masses. All of these pictures are in a real sense the background for what follows concerning David.

What made David the great king that he was? The writer showed that it was his attitude toward God, which expressed itself in his attitude toward the temple. David's care for the ark (a symbol of God's grace) and his desire to build the temple (a symbol of worship, which responds to God's grace) reveal his deepest passion in life. His master passion was that Israel should never forget the God who had chosen her for special blessing in the world. We can see that his great desire was not simply to build the temple, because when God told him, through Nathan, not to build it, David accepted this. He was content to gather materials and to make preparations, because he saw the temple as a way of helping the people of Israel to remember their God.

The writer of 1 Chronicles wanted to show the importance of what the temple symbolized, namely, Israel's national recognition of God. David's great desire was that Israel should recognize God and express that recognition publicly.

As king, David ruled under the authority of God. As warrior, he executed the will of God. As poet, he constantly extolled the sovereignty of God. He glorified God in every aspect of his life. He also appreciated the importance of recognizing God nationally.

The message of this book is still a timeless one for Christians today. The recognition of God is still extremely important in life, both nationally and individually. Just as God governs all individuals, He also governs all nations—not just Israel. Amos stressed the fact that God governs all nations—not just Israel. All nations are accountable to Him (cf. Deut. 32). Even today, one of the Jews' favorite names for God is "King of the Universe."

It is important that we recognize God because of His selective activity, which the genealogies highlight. Throughout all of history, God has been choosing, selecting, lifting up, and putting down. He selects new people in every generation. If they fail, He selects others, and keeps moving ahead with His plan. If the person we would normally expect God to use is not ready or not qualified, God will choose another person (cf. Saul and David). If the person with privilege does not respond to his opportunity, God will pass him or her by, find some other person—even an obscure person—and move on. How foolish it is for nations and individuals not to recognize Him in view of God's sovereign rule. Christians have the great opportunity of helping people to see this.

It is also important that we today recognize God because of the effect that recognizing Him has on life. Take God out of the life of nations and individuals and what happens? There is no moral standard. An English politician once said: "If there is no Bible, where is your textbook of morals? There is the supreme difficulty. We must teach morals, and there is no textbook or standard in the world if we take the Bible away."[29]

When we lose our moral standard, we lose individual character. When we lose individual character, we lose the basis for civilized society. These things build on each other. Awareness of the throne of God (His sovereignty) and the government of God (His rule) is foundational for any social order.

It is extremely important for every nation to build the temple of God, that is, to recognize and acknowledge God in its life. This creates an opportunity for people to deal with God. Movements that advocate removing recognition of God from national life are harmful and damaging. Atheistic leaders such as Joseph Stalin in Russia, Mao Zedong in China, and Kim Jong Il in N. Korea, are modern examples of national leaders who have sought to remove the recognition of God from national life. The person who points people to God is the true patriot. David wrote, "Zeal for Your house has consumed me" (Ps. 69:9).[30] What is God's temple today? It is the church (Matt. 16:18). As the universal, true church, followers of Jesus Christ must—individually and collectively—point people to God. This was the "point" of church steeples in the past: to point people to God.[31]

Exposition

I.      ISRAEL'S HISTORICAL ROOTS chs. 1—9

This section of 1 Chronicles is the longest and most complete genealogical record in the Bible. The following four paragraphs by Thompson, and the others by other scholars that follow, provide some background information concerning biblical genealogies.

"The fact that the author of 1 and 2 Chronicles devoted nine chapters out of sixty-five to genealogies (1 Chr 1—9) makes clear that these were of great importance to him and bear significantly on his purpose in writing his work. This purpose needs to be understood by any commentator who would elucidate the nature of these volumes. …

"We may define a genealogy as 'a written or oral expression of the descent of a person or persons from an ancestor or ancestors.'[32] They may display breadth ('These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,' 1 Chr 2:1) and depth (the sons of Solomon: 'Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son,' 1 Chr 3:10). This latter genealogy and others of its type that display depth alone are termed 'linear.' Biblical genealogies, like the extrabiblical ones, are normally quite limited in depth, rarely extending beyond ten or twelve generations but often from four to six. In 1 Chronicles 2—9 we have an exception. Perhaps the writer sometimes joined separate genealogies. …

"If a genealogy displays breadth as well as depth, it is termed 'segmented,' or 'mixed.' In Chronicles multiple descendants of an ancestor are frequently named, but not all the lives are pursued to later generations. Genealogies may proceed from parent to child (descending, as in 1 Chr 9:39-44) or from child to parent (ascending, as in 1 Chr 9:14-16). …

"The two types of genealogy, linear and segmented, serve different purposes. The linear genealogy seeks to legitimize an individual by relating him to an ancestor whose status is established. The segmented genealogy is designed to express relationships between the various branches of a family."[33]

"Their function, broadly speaking, is to show that the promises and purposes of God continue."[34]

The aim of the genealogies "is to paint a portrait of the people of God in its ideal extent as a symbol of both the particularity of his election and the breadth of his grace."[35]

"The purpose is clear—to link God's creation purposes with David, whose divinely appointed role is recounted at the end of the first long narrative in the book, the one describing Saul's miserable failure (10:14)."[36]

"… it should be noted that a further theme of Chr[onicles]., that of the Lord's willingness to start afresh with his errant people, is also tucked away almost unnoticed in the genealogies."[37]

Three principles seem to have guided the writer in the record of Israel's tribes that follows: (1) the birth order of the tribal ancestors, (2) the geographical position of their tribal inheritances, and (3) the source or sources that he used.[38]

"No book makes more extensive use of sources."[39]

"The Chronicler mentions no fewer than thirty-two different sources in his work, almost all of which are no longer extant."[40]

"From among the biblical works, the Chronicler's major sources are the historical compositions that preceded him: the Pentateuch, the Former Prophets, and Ezra-Nehemiah."[41]

Both the Old and New Testaments open with genealogies—in Genesis and Matthew. Luke also opens with a genealogy.

The writer evidently chose, under divine inspiration, to open his book with genealogies in order to help his readers appreciate their heritage and to tie themselves to Adam, Abraham, and David in particular.

A.     The early ancestors of Israel ch. 1

"In order to show the connection of the tribal ancestors of Israel with the peoples of the earth, in chap. i. are enumerated the generations of the primeval world, from Adam till the Flood, and those of the post-diluvians to Abraham and his sons, according to the accounts in Genesis."[42]

The writer drew his information in chapter 1 from the Book of Genesis: from Adam to Noah's sons (vv. 1-4), the descendants of Noah's sons (vv. 5-23), from Shem to Abraham (vv. 24-27), the sons of Abraham and their descendants (vv. 28-34), the descendants of Esau (vv. 35-42), the kings of Edom (vv. 43-50), and the chiefs of Edom (vv. 51-54). Note the sevenfold division of this chapter, which, for the Jews, suggested a completed work of God.

1.     From Adam to Noah's sons 1:1-4

These are exactly the same 10 generations that Moses recorded in Genesis 5:3 through 32. The fact that the Chronicler recorded Adam, Seth, Enosh, and other antediluvians (people who lived before the Flood), indicates that he regarded them as historical characters and not simply legendary figures. Adam was important as the father of the human race, and Noah was important as the father of the post-diluvian race.

The writer probably also went back to Adam for another reason: God's provision of salvation in David and his descendants has roots that go back to the first promise of salvation given to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15.

2.     The descendants of Noah's sons 1:5-23

This section of verses can be divided as follows: Japhet's descendants (vv. 5-7), Ham's descendants (vv. 8-16), and Shem's descendants (vv. 17-23).

Japhet's descendants 1:5-7

"Fourteen nations descended from Japheth; thirty-one from Ham and twenty-six from Shem."[43]

The Rodanim (v. 7) were the natives of the Greek island of Rhodes.

Ham's descendants 1:8-16

The descendants of Ham were especially important because from Ham descended Canaan and the various tribal groups that occupied the Promised Land before the Israelites conquered it. The Caphtorim (v. 12) probably refers to the people from the island of Crete. Heth (v. 13) founded the nation of Hittites, who lived in what is now central Turkey, and who became a great empire of people in the middle of the second millennium B.C.

"From this verse [v. 14] to verse 17 the names are not those of individuals, but of people who all sprang from Canaan; and as several of them became extinct or were amalgamated with their brethren, their national appellations [names] are given instead of the personal names of their ancestors."[44]

This list of Ham's descendants is identical to the one in Genesis 10:2 through 20, though a few of the names are spelled differently.

Seth's descendants 1:17-23

All of Seth's descendants are listed in Genesis 10:21 through 30. Seth was the ancestor of the Israelites. Eber (v. 18) became the father of the Eberites, which was another name for the Hebrews. The earth was divided (v. 19) linguistically when God judged humankind at the Tower of Babel (Gen. 10:21; 11:10-26).

3.     From Shem to Abraham 1:24-27

The names in this list also appear in Genesis 11: 10 through 26. These names link Shem, the son of Noah, with Abraham. Abraham was important because of the promises that God gave him and his descendants in the Abrahamic Covenant. He was "the father of the faithful" (believers in Yahweh) as well as the father of the Israelites.

"By the breach which the former [Adam] made of the covenant of innocence, we were all made miserable; by the covenant of grace made with the latter [Abraham], we all are, or may be, made happy."[45]

4.     The sons of Abraham and their descendants 1:28-34

These names, taken from Genesis 25:13 through 16, 25:1 through 4, 25:25 and 26, and 32:28, can be divided as follows: Ishmael's descendants (vv. 28-31), Keturah's sons' descendants (vv. 32-33), and Isaac's sons (vv. 34).

5.     The descendants of Esau 1:35-42

The names in these verses were taken from Genesis 36:4 and 5, 11 through 13, and 20 through 28. The descendants of Esau were important not only because they were close relatives of the Israelites but also because they became consistent enemies of the Israelites. Seir (v. 38) was the name of the pre-Edomite ancestor of the people who populated the region that was later called Edom. He was not a descendant of Esau but was probably included in this list of Esau's descendants, and the one in Genesis, because of his connection with Esau's descendants: the Edomites.

6.     The kings of Edom 1:43-50

This list of names also appears in Genesis 36:32 through 39. The fact that kings ruled over Edom for many generations before Saul became the first king of Israel may explain, in part, why the Israelites wanted a king like all the other nations (1 Sam. 8:5).

"The list of the kings who reigned in Edom does not suggest any kind of dynastic line. The residences of the kings were at different places. Evidently these rulers were something like the 'judges' in the Bible. The establishment of a strong dynasty was a later development."[46]

7.     The chiefs of Edom 1:51-54

The tribal chiefs of Edom were the heads of families or clans within the Edomite nation.[47] A list of them also appears in Genesis 36:40 through 43.

B.     Israel's descendants 2:1—9:1

The writer's next concern was to trace the line of people to whom and through whom God promised to bring blessing and salvation. That nation was Israel, the descendants of the patriarch Jacob.

The Chronicler consistently used the name "Israel" rather than the name "Jacob." He probably did this because the name "Israel" means "Prince with God" whereas the name "Jacob" has negative connotations because it means "Heel Holder" or "Grasper." The Chronicler undoubtedly wanted his original readers to live up to the honored status that the name "Israel" represented.

1.     Israel's 12 sons 2:1-2

The writer viewed Israel as consisting of 12 tribes, not just the tribes represented by the returnees from Babylonian exile. His aim was to show that the nation as a whole would have a future.[48] In some lists of the 12 tribes in the Old Testament, Levi is omitted. Here it was probably included because of the importance of the Levites in the restoration community (the company of Israelites restored to the land from Babylonian exile). In order to keep the number of tribes 12, the writer combined Ephraim and Manasseh into Joseph, as had been done in other lists of the tribes.

"That a different place is assigned to Dan, viz. before the sons of Rachel, from that which he holds in the list in Gen. xxxv. 23ff., is perhaps to be accounted for by Rachel's wishing the son of her maid Bilhah to be accounted her own (vide Gen. xxx. 3-6)."[49]

2.     The southern tribes 2:3—4:43

The southern tribes may have been given priority in this genealogy because they remained faithful to the Davidic dynasty when the other tribes apostatized (departed from Yahweh and His will) when the United Kingdom split into Northern and Southern Kingdoms.

The tribe of Judah 2:3—4:23

Judah was blessed with leadership among the tribes (cf. Gen. 49:8-12; Num. 10:14; Deut. 33:7). And it was from Judah that David descended. Therefore the lineage of Judah was of great importance to the writer.

Judah's early descendants 2:3-8

2:3-4          This list begins by naming Judah's five sons (cf. Gen. 38:3-5, 29-30; 46:12). Of these five, three founded significant families: Shelah, Perez, and Zerah.

2:5-8          Perez founded two famous families through his sons Hezron and Hamul (cf. Gen. 46:12; cf. Num. 26:21). David descended from Perez and Hezron. David was important because of his role as Israel's divinely chosen king and because of the promises that God gave him in the Davidic Covenant.

Verses 6 through 8 trace Zerah's descendants. Zerah was the ancestor of several men who became prominent in the leadership of temple music under David (cf. 15:16-19; 1 Kings 4:29-31). The mention of Zerah is also probably due to the fact that notorious Achan (cf. Josh. 7:10-26; here called Achar, v. 7) descended from him.

The descendants of Hezron 2:9-41

2:9-17        There were three branches of the family of Hezron. The first of these came through Ram, from whom King David (v. 15) descended.

One of the major themes of Chronicles is that the Davidic dynasty would be the instrument through which God promised that salvation and blessing would come to Israel, and through Israel to the whole world. The final Davidic king, Jesus Christ, was the "last Adam" (1 Cor. 15:45), as well as the Person who would fulfill the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants completely.

"The genealogy of David in the Book of Ruth and in 1 Chronicles 2:3-17 unambiguously establishes the connection between patriarchal promise and historical fulfillment and demonstrates once and for all Judah's theological primacy amongst the tribes despite its geographical handicap."[50]

"According to 1 Sam. xvii. 12, Jesse had eight sons. This account, which agrees with that in 1 Sam. xvi. 8-12, may be reconciled with the enumeration in our verse [v. 15, which says that David was Jesse's seventh son], on the supposition that one of the sons died without posterity."[51]

"Sisters are rarely mentioned in ancient genealogies [v. 16]. However, this genealogy pays particular attention to the family of David and thus to David's sisters."[52]

"Women occur in the genealogies only when they have played an important part in history."[53]

Zeruiah (v. 16) was important because she was the mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, all of whom served in significant positions under David. Abigail (vv. 16-17) was undoubtedly included because her son, Amasa, was also important in the history of David.

2:18-24      The second branch of Hezron's family came through Caleb, who is also called Chelubai in verse 9. The Caleb in this chapter is not the same person as the Caleb of Numbers and Joshua. The inclusion of descendants of Hezron by the daughter of Machir (vv. 21-23), and by his wife Abijah after his death (v. 24), which follows the list of Caleb's descendants in verses 18 through 20, presumes some more intimate connection of this branch of Hezron's family with Caleb than with Hezron's other sons.[54] Bezalel (v. 20), one of Caleb's descendants, was apparently the craftsman who headed the construction of the wilderness tabernacle (cf. Exod. 31:2).

2:25-41      The third branch of Hezron's family came through Jerahmeel, who was Hezron's firstborn.

Other descendants of Caleb 2:42-55

These verses contain four other lists of Caleb's descendants. Caleb was the son of Hezron and the brother of Jerahmeel (v. 9). One of Caleb's descendants, Salma (v. 51), became the founder ("father") of the town of Bethlehem in Judah, David's hometown. The Kenites (v. 55) were ancestors of pious Rechab (cf. Jer. 35:1-19).

David's descendants ch. 3

The Chronicler now returned to David (2:15) and listed his sons (3:1-9; cf. 2 Sam. 3:2-5; 5:14-16) and royal descendants (vv. 10-16). In the last part of this chapter he listed the descendants of King Jeconiah (Jehoiachin, vv. 17-24) through the period of the Babylonian Exile.

3:1-9          Verses 1 through 4 give the names of David's sons that were born to him when he reigned over Judah for seven and a half years in Hebron: Amnon by Ahinoam, Daniel by Abigail, Absalom by Maacah, Adonijah by Haggith, Shephatiah by Abital, and Ithraim by Eglah. Verses 5 through 8 give the names of David's sons that were born to him when he reigned over all Israel for 33 years in Jerusalem: four by Bathsheba, including Nathan and Solomon, plus nine others. David also had other sons by concubines (v. 9). Tamar (v. 9), one of David's daughters, also became a significant figure in the story of David's family history (cf. 2 Sam. 13:1-39).

3:10-16      These verses contain a list of King Solomon's descendants. They were all the kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah listed in the order in which they reigned.

3:17-24      The Chronicler next traced the descendants of King Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) who was the last Davidic king that the people recognized as legitimate. Though Zedekiah was the last of the Davidic kings to reign in Jerusalem, before the fall of that city, he had been appointed to his office by Nebuchadnezzar and was not the king through whom the line of David was to continue.

"Jeconiah was written 'childless,' which does not mean that he was to have no sons, but that no son of his should sit upon the throne of David (Jer. xxii:30)."[55]

This is a list of David's descendants from Jeconiah into the Restoration Period. David's kingdom ended temporarily with the Babylonian exile (cf. Amos 9:11), but by tracing David's line the writer was giving his original readers hope that God would fulfill His promises that He would one day return them to the Promised Land. The future did not depend ultimately on the decisions of any human king, but on the faithfulness of Yahweh (cf. Hag. 2:21-22).

Shenazzar (v. 18) is probably the same man as Sheshbazzar, who led the first group of Jews that returned from Babylonian captivity and laid the foundation for the second temple (cf. Ezra 1:8, 11; 5:15-17).

In verse 19 the writer said that Zerubbabel was the son of Pedaiah. Other references to Zerubbabel call him the son of Shealtiel (cf. Ezra 3:2; Neh. 12:1; Hag. 1:12; Matt. 1:12; Luke 3:27; et al.). This may be a scribal error, or perhaps Shealtiel died early and his brother, or some other close relative, named Pedaiah, reared Zerubbabel.[56] Gleason Archer believed that Sheshbazzar was the court name of Shealtiel, who was the adoptive father of Zerubbabel.[57]

The last generation recorded in Chronicles is that of Anani (v. 24).

The original readers of Chronicles, freshly transplanted into the Promised Land from Babylonian captivity, were having an identity crisis. They needed to remember who they were and what God intended for them to be. They lived in a culture that wanted to use them for its own ends. By piecing together name lists from the previous historical books of the Old Testament, and other sources, the writer was able to preach the meaning of his people's history: They had a future. This he continued to do throughout Chronicles.

"The framework of history is … seen to comprise three pairs of events. God creates all things; in due course Adam procreates the rest of mankind. God calls Abraham; in due course Israel sires the twelve patriarchs. God calls Moses; in due course David sets up the kingdom. In each of these three pairs, it is with the second member that the Chronicler is concerned."[58]

The family of Judah 4:1-23

The writer now returned from giving a history of David's descendants to give more information about the posterity of Perez (vv. 1-20; cf. 2:4-5) and Shelah (vv. 21-23; cf. 2:3), two of Judah's sons.

4:1-20        Of the five men mentioned as the sons of Judah in verse 1 only one (Perez) was his son. The others were grandchildren or still more distant descendants.

"The Hebrew noun ben [here translated as a plural: "sons"] is probably related to banah which means 'to build,' as in 'to build' a family (Ruth 4:11). The ancient Hebrews considered sons the 'builders' of the next generation. Ben can either refer to a literal son as in 1 Kin. 2:1, or to one's descendants as in 7:14. The word may also pertain to an attribute of an individual, as in Ben-Oni, meaning 'Son of My Sorrow," and Benjamin, meaning 'Son of the Right Hand' (Gen. 35:18). In the plural, the Hebrew word for sons can be translated children regardless of gender, as in the phrase 'children of Israel' (see Ex. 12:37). Perhaps the most significant use of the Hebrew word is for Israel's relationship to the Lord. God Himself declared: 'Israel is My son, My firstborn' (Ex. 4:22)."[59]

Jacob prophesied that his fourth son, Judah, would become the leader of the Israelites (Gen. 49:8-12). Through him God would provide the greatest promised blessing to come. The Davidic dynasty came from one branch of Jacob's descendants, so the writer had special interest in Judah through whom that dynasty would come.

"Many unrelated fragments have been brought together here in the interests of completeness."[60]

Jabez's prayer (v. 10) shows that prayer and a prayer-answering God can overcome the threat of evil.[61] Jabez's name means "Grief," and his prayer may have been that God would not allow him to experience the grief that his name implied.[62] The Chronicler believed in the efficacy of prayer, and he emphasized prayer much in his narrative.

"The noun 'prayer' occurs 12 times and the verb 'to pray' occurs 15 times [in 1 and 2 Chronicles]."[63]

"The life and prayer of Jabez teach us that we should never count ourselves out or sell ourselves short. Our origins don't determine our destinies, and our requests should reflect the greatness of our God, not the smallness of our own expectations."[64]

"… his [Jabez's] life became a contradiction of his name; the son of sorrow having been free from pain in life, and having attained to greater happiness and reputation than his brothers."[65]

"As a Judahite and ancestor of David, it seems quite likely that Jabez was a type of David and that his fervent appeal was made in anticipation of God's selection and blessing of the yet unborn house of David."[66]

4:21-23      These are the generations of Shelah, another son of Judah.

The tribe of Simeon 4:24-43

The writer probably listed Simeon's descendants next because the Simeonites shared the tribal territory that God gave to Judah. The Judahites absorbed many of them through intermarriage shortly after settlement in the land.

This section can be subdivided as follows: (1) the five founding families of Simeon (vv. 24-27; cf. Gen. 49:10; Exod. 6:15; Num. 26:12-14), (2) the 18 towns of Simeon (vv. 28-33; cf. Josh. 19:2-6), and (3) the emigrations of Simeonite families into other districts (vv. 34-43).

3.     The Transjordian tribes ch. 5

Reuben (vv. 1-10), Gad (vv. 11-17) and half of the tribe of Manasseh (vv. 23-24) settled east of the Jordan River. Between the genealogies of the Gadites and the Manassites, the writer recorded the war between the Transjordanian tribes of Israel and certain Arabian tribes (vv. 18-22). He concluded with an account of the Assyrian captivity of all three Transjordanian tribes (vv. 25-26).

The tribe of Reuben 5:1-10

Reuben would have normally been the son of Jacob through whom Jacob's greatest blessing would come, since he was the first-born. However, because of his sin (v. 1), God passed him over. God blessed Joseph with the double portion of the birthright. He did this by elevating Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to equality among Jacob's other sons: Joseph's brothers. God's blessing of Judah with leadership over the Israelites was contrary to natural order. It was pure grace for that tribe.

The tribe of Gad 5:11-17

"The term Sharon [v. 16] was applied as descriptive of any place of extraordinary beauty and productiveness. There were three places in Palestine so called. This Sharon lay east of the Jordan."[67]

The Transjordanian tribes' victory over the Hagrites 5:18-22

The writer paid tribute to these tribes for their faith in Yahweh in their battle with the Hagrites in Saul's day (cf. v. 10).

"The Hagrites have been considered as descendants of Hagar by many Jewish writers; they are mentioned as an Aramaean confederation in Assyrian records (Tiglath-pileser III), and reference is also made to them in Gk. Literature (Strabo, xvi.4.2)."[68]

The eastern half-tribe of Manasseh 5:23-24

Although brief, this tribute to the eastern Manassehites credits them with being numerous, valiant, and famous.

The Assyrian captivity of these tribes 5:25-26

God was not only faithful to bless as He had promised, but He also judged sin as He had said He would. This is the reason the Transjordanian tribes went into captivity.

4.     The tribe of Levi ch. 6

This long list of names clearly defines the priests' and the Levites' lines of descent. Its purpose seems to be to legitimate and clarify their role and service in the second temple.[69] Only the descendants of Aaron, namely, the priests, could serve in the temple by offering sacrifices on the incense altar (v. 49; cf. Num. 3:5-38). Nehemiah correctly barred priests who could not demonstrate that they were descendants of Aaron from serving in the rebuilt (second) temple (Neh. 7:63-65).

The priests could only function when Israel resided in the Promised Land and as long as the tabernacle or temple that God had blessed with His presence stood. With the return from exile, the ritual of covenant worship was again possible. Consequently, the priesthood was very important to the restoration community. This was especially important since King Jeroboam I of Israel had allowed anyone to serve as a priest (1 Kings 13:33).

God had given the special privilege of being priests to Aaron and his sons as a gracious blessing. Normally the first-born son acted as priest of the family in the ancient Near East. This was one of the privileges of having the family birthright. Reuben had forfeited this, too, by his sin.

The high priests descended from Aaron 6:1-15

These verses trace Aaron's descendants, the high priests, to the Babylonian exile beginning with Levi.

"Some writers have wanted to portray the high priest in postexilic times in an exalted position. But it is striking how little attention the Chronicler gives to the role of high priest. … Further, in a number of passages he put considerable emphasis on faith in God as the way to blessing but rarely on ritual perfection."[70]

Beginning with Aaron (v. 3), the writer listed 23 successive high priests in Israel's history, the last being Jehozadak (vv. 15-16), who went into Babylonian captivity.[71] There may have been others who are not named.[72]

Levi's sons' descendants 6:16-30

These verses give a short list of the descendants of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The Levites (Levi's descendants other than Aaron's) received the privilege of assisting the priests (Aaron's descendants) as a result of God's grace (Num. 3:12-13, 45; 8:14).

Samuel (v. 28) was an Ephraimite by residence (cf. 1 Sam. 1:1) but a Levite by tribe (vv. 33-38). Being a Levite, he could receive training from Eli in the tabernacle (1 Sam. 2:11), and he could officiate at services that included sacrifices (1 Sam. 9:13; 10:8).

David's appointed Levitical musicians 6:31-48

These verses contain the genealogies of the Davidic musicians: Heman, Asaph, and Ethan. One of Samuel's descendants (his grandson?) was Heman (v. 33), who was a prominent musician under David (cf. 15:17, 19; 16:41-42; 25:1, 4-6; 2 Chron. 29:14; 35:15; Ps. 88:title).

The high priests from Aaron to Ahimaaz 6:49-53

This list repeats the first part of an earlier list of the high priests (vv. 3-8) with emphasis on the work of the high priests in making atonement for Israel. Ahimaaz was active during David's reign (cf. 2 Sam. 15:27, 36; et al.).

Towns given to the Levites 6:54-81

God's provision of towns for the Levites concludes this chapter. Verses 54 through 65 list the regular towns that were given to the Levites, and the rest of the chapter contains a list of the cities of refuge that were given to the Kohathites (vv. 66-70), the Gershonites (vv. 71-76), and the Merarites (vv. 77-81).

"The priests and Levites occupied not only houses within the city walls, but they owned and worked fields immediately adjacent to the cities as well [cf. v. 55]. These common-lands extended out from the perimeters of the city walls for a thousand cubits (about 1,500 ft.) in every direction (Num. 35:4, 5) and could be used for farming and grazing (Num. 35:3). This does not mean that the priests and Levites supported themselves by farming, for the Law is clear that they were to live on the tithes and offerings of the other tribes (Num. 18:21-32). The produce they received from the common-lands was a bonus."[73]

The writer placed Levi's genealogy at the heart of the chiastic (crossing) structure that he used to set forth Israel's descendants. In this way he drew attention to Levi's central importance in Israel.[74]

A       Israel's 12 sons (2:1-2)

B       The southern tribes (2:3—4:23)

C       The Transjordanian tribes (ch. 5)

D       the tribe of Levi (ch. 6)

C'      The northern tribes (7:1-13)

B'      The central tribes (7:14—8:40)

A'      A concluding summary (9:1)

"The emphasis on Judah and Levi in the genealogies marks the center of the Chronicler's hope and faith. Two things marked the true Israel: the king and the priest."[75]

As we compare parallel genealogies in various parts of Scripture, we observe that some lists contain omissions and additions. This shows that genealogical lists are not always complete.

5.     The northern tribes 7:1-13

The tribes that the writer discussed in this section of verses were Issachar (vv. 1-5), Benjamin (which is out of place geographically, vv. 6-12), and Naphtali (v. 13).

The descendants of Issachar 7:1-5

Issachar had four sons, but only the descendants of one of them, Tola, are traced here.

The descendants of Benjamin 7:6-12

The genealogy of Benjamin in this chapter features the valiant warriors that God raised up from this tribe. The longer list of Benjamites follows in chapter 8.

The descendants of Naphtali 7:13

These are not complete lists of the descendants in each tribe. The unusually brief genealogy of the tribe of Naphtali may reflect its greatly reduced size and influence following the Assyrians' invasion of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by Tiglath-pilesar III (cf. 2 Kings 15:29).[76]

Why did the Chronicler omit Dan and Zebulun? The inclusion of these tribes would have resulted in a total of 14 tribes, since he had counted Levi and had dealt with both halves of Manasseh separately. Evidently in order to keep the whole number of tribes at 12 he omitted these.[77] Another possibility is that perhaps the tribes of Dan and Zebulun had little influence or relevance among the Jews who made up the returned exiles.[78] That there were 12 tribes seems to have been more important to the writer than how he counted them as 12.

The writers of both the Old and New Testaments used many different combinations of tribes, each totaling 12, in the many lists of the 12 tribes that appear in Scripture. By listing 12 tribes, the Chronicler emphasized that the whole nation was intact. The term "all Israel" occurs over 40 times in Chronicles, and there are also many occurrences of the phrases "all the house of Israel" and "all the tribes of Israel."

"At a time when the northern tribes had long been in exile, the Chronicler provides a genealogical listing for all the tribes (except Zebulun and Dan); in giving such a list, the Chronicler is (1) expressing his awareness of continuity with the larger number, (2) showing his concern to include the northern tribes rather than to exclude them, (3) suggesting that he regarded the schism as neither permanent nor desirable, and (4) possibly giving some expression to an eschatological hope for a revival of the nation in its largest extent."[79]

"Individuals without lineage in the course of time took their names from the cities in which they were located, and their names were enrolled genealogically among the ancestors of Israel."[80]

6.     The central tribes 7:14—8:40

7:14-40      This genealogy covers the Israelites who settled in the western half-tribe of Manasseh (vv. 14-19), Ephraim (vv. 20-29), and Asher (vv. 30-40).

8:1-40        Chapter 8 can be divided as follows: the sons of Benjamin (vv. 1-2), the sons of Bela, Benjamin's firstborn (vv. 3-5), the sons of Ehud, who was apparently a descendant of Benjamin (vv. 6-7), the sons of Shaharaim, another apparent descendant of Benjamin (vv. 8-12), the heads of fathers' houses in the tribe of Benjamin (vv. 13-28), and the genealogy of King Saul, who was a Benjamite (vv. 29-40).

The list of Benjamin's descendants in 8:1 through 32 is much more complete than the one in 7:6 through 11, the reason being that this was the tribe from which Israel's first king, Saul, descended. Verses 33 through 40 give Saul's descendants (cf. 9:35-44).

This list obviously parallels to some extent David's genealogy (ch. 3). Saul came from the tribe of Benjamin, not from the tribe of Judah that God had promised leadership of the nation. One reason that the writer had an interest in the tribe of Benjamin was that it was the only tribe other than Judah to remain loyal to the Davidic line. The tribe of Benjamin "ranked second only to Judah in postexilic society."[81] Furthermore, Jerusalem stood in Benjamin's tribal territory.

"From the lengthy genealogy provided, we may see that centuries later there remained families of Israelites who pointed with pride to their descendancy from Israel's first kings."[82]

There were Benjamites who lived in Jerusalem (8:28; 9:34) and others who lived in Gibeon (8:29; 9:35). Both of these towns were important religious centers. Gibeon was where the central sanctuary stood during most of Saul's reign and from then on until Solomon built the temple. Nonetheless it was not God's chosen place of worship. The ark was never in the sanctuary at Gibeon. Rather, the Gibeon site was the people's choice, even as Saul was. God's choice was Jerusalem (2 Chron. 6:6). God did not choose Saul or Gibeon, but He had chosen David and Jerusalem. David and Jerusalem are the two major pieces in God's plan of salvation and blessing in Chronicles.

In chapters 4 through 8, the writer stressed the following central features of God's covenant relationship with Israel: The leadership of Judah, that even swallowed up another tribe (Simeon), came to a head in David and his descendants. The Transjordanian tribes experienced the results of unfaithfulness to God. The tribe of Levi enjoyed the privilege of priesthood in Israel. The writer also drew attention to the 12-tribe structure of the one Israelite nation.

7.     A concluding summary 9:1

This verse marks the end of the main genealogies, which were also recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel. "The Book of the Kings of Israel" was probably not the canonical Book of Kings but another book that contained official genealogical records.[83] This verse also enables us to date the writing of these genealogies after the Southern Kingdom of Judah was captured by the Babylonians and after the people of Judah went into exile (in 586 B.C.).

C.     The inhabitants of Jerusalem 9:2-34

This section of verses records names of the former inhabitants of Jerusalem. It is organized as follows: heads of important families from the tribe of Judah that formerly lived in Jerusalem (9:4-6), similar heads of leading families of Benjamin (9:7-9), priestly family heads (9:10-13), Levitical family heads (9:14-16), the family heads of the city gatekeepers (9:17-27), and the family heads that were responsible for other temple service (9:28-34). Knowledge of these families was important when the Jews returned to the Promised Land and sought to reestablish themselves there.

The "temple servants" (Heb. nethinim, lit. "given ones," v. 2) were probably originally non-Israelites and captives, including the Gibeonites of Joshua's day (cf. Josh. 9:21, 23, 27).

"Though the Nethinim, like the Levites and priests, were freed from all taxation (Ezra 7:24), and perhaps also from military service,[84] the Rabbinists [later Jewish scholars] held them in the lowest repute—beneath a bastard, though above a proselyte—forbade their intermarrying with Israelites, and declared them incapable of proper membership in the congregation."[85]

"It should seem, some companies [of singers, v. 33] were continually singing, at least at stated hours, both day and night. Thus was God continually praised."[86]

The emphasis in this section is, again, mainly on the temple: the priests (vv. 10-13), the Levites (vv. 14-16), and the temple servants (vv. 17-34).

D.     The ancestry and descendants of King Saul 9:35-44

This section on Saul's family forms a transition to the account of Saul's death that follows (ch. 10), and to the reign of David (chs. 11—29). God permitted leadership by Saul and worship at Gibeon, but His plan called for leadership by David and worship at Jerusalem. Thus the Chronicler reminded his readers that their forefathers' premature insistence that God give them a king like all the other nations was a serious mistake. They should learn from their history and not seize the initiative from God again, but simply follow Him faithfully.

"With his first nine chapters the Chronicler has introduced his ambitious re-presentation of Israel's history as a sermon. Drawing on ancient material, much of which is familiar to us from the earlier books of the Bible, he has already indicated his major concerns. He will be focusing on the kingship and the priesthood—that is, as it will turn out, on the throne of David and the temple of Solomon—and he will be selecting and simplifying, as he preaches on the story of these things, so as to bring out unchanging principles and ultimate truths."[87]

"The Chronicler established Israel's place in the world through the lengthy genealogies of chaps. 1—9 so that his audience might understand anew their role among the nations."[88]

The whole nine chapters of genealogy prepare for the narrative section of the book that follows.

II.     THE REIGN OF DAVID chs. 10—29

In all of Chronicles the writer assumed his readers' acquaintance with the other Old Testament historical books. This is especially true regarding what Samuel and Kings contain. These books, or at least the information in them, appears to have been well known by the Jews who returned to Canaan after the Babylonian Captivity: the restoration community.

"The reigns of Saul, David and Solomon over a united Israel are central to the concerns of the Chronicler, about half his narrative material being devoted to these three kings alone. Nearly all the many themes of his work are developed here, and it is in their light that the subsequent history of the people is assessed."[89]

"While it is customary to relate 1 Chr 10—29 exclusively to David, and to define the writer's intentions almost exclusively with respect to him, our study indicates that the work of David and Solomon is to be considered a unity reaching its goal in the dedication of the temple."[90]

A.     The death of Saul ch. 10 (cf. 1 Sam. 31)

"Having established the remnant's genealogical link with the Davidic and priestly lines, he [the writer] focused on the groundwork of the Davidic promises. His design was to show how the kingly and priestly concerns came together in David. David is then seen as a model for the postexilic community as they look forward to One like David."[91]

Chapter 10 is an almost verbatim repetition of Saul's defeat by the Philistines as the writer of the Book of Samuel recorded it in 1 Samuel 31. Its purpose here is to introduce David and to show how David became king.

The Chronicler wrote that "Saul died … and all those of his house died together" (v. 6). That is, his dynasty ended with his death.

"… the house of Saul as good as perished at Gilboa: Ishbosheth and his remnant Saulide kingdom counted for nothing from the perspective of later history."[92]

Verse 10 adds that the Philistines impaled Saul's head in the temple of Dagon, their god. 1 Samuel 31:9 says only that they cut off his head.

"From the triumph of the men of Jabesh-Gilead in the rescue of the bodies of Saul and his sons [v. 12] we learn that there is a respect due to the remains of the deceased."[93]

The Chronicler's presentation of Saul supplied a backdrop and a contrast for his portrayal of David. Saul was the king that the people had demanded prematurely. He was the king after the people's heart. His name means "He Who Was Requested." Saul failed to submit to Yahweh's authority and to obey His Word as God had revealed it in the Mosaic Law—and through the prophet Samuel (vv. 13-14).

"For the Chronicler, the disobedient Saul (v. 13) was if anything a foil meant to show the faithfulness of David."[94]

First Samuel 28:6 says that "Saul inquired of the LORD," but 1 Chronicles 10:14 says that he "did not inquire of the LORD." I think Saul inquired of the LORD before he visited the witch of Endor, but he did not inquire of the LORD typically.

Saul had failed to respond appropriately to God's elective grace in placing him on the throne. He had no heart for God. Consequently, God brought discipline on Saul and on Israel under him. Because Saul failed to listen to God, God eventually stopped listening to him (cf. Jer. 7:13-16). Finally God "killed him" (v. 14). This is the only place in Chronicles where we read that the LORD directly intervened to substitute one king for another.

The reason that the writer recorded the death of Saul at such length seems to have been to show that David had no hand in it.[95] Disloyalty to God always results in catastrophe, especially for His servants (cf. Luke 12:48). Another reason may have been to present Saul as a prototype of all the evil kings that follow, and to present David as a prototype of all the good kings that follow.[96]

By recounting Saul's death, the writer intended to bring many of the lessons connected with the people's demand for a king, and Saul's history, back to the minds of his restoration readers. Hopefully it will do the same for us. A comparison of this chapter with 1 Samuel 31:6-10 shows how the Chronicler heightened the disastrous nature of Saul's death in subtle ways.[97]

In contrast to Saul, David was God's choice for Israel. His reign resulted in blessing, not blasting.

"One of the striking features of the Chronicler's theology is his attempt to correlate blessing with faithfulness and judgment with disobedience. He returned to the theme again and again …"[98]

In this, and the following chapters, four themes interweave. These themes are: the nation, the ark, the testimony, and the temple, as the following chart illustrates:[99]

B.     David's coronation and capital 11:1-9

David is really the hero of both 1 and 2 Chronicles. The heart of Chronicles is the rise of David and the establishment of the Davidic kingdom, which begins with chapter 11.

"They [1 and 2 Chronicles] look forward with anticipation to the coming King who will bring in God's final salvation and blessing."[100]

"The … Chronicler, the composer of the original work, structured his history around the figure of David and his dynasty, focusing attention on the religious activity of the monarch and his successors."[101]

"David's heroic personality exemplifies the success that God bestows on those who trust in him, whether in the Chronicler's time or any other."[102]

In 1 Chronicles the writer documented David's greatness as God's faithful vice-regent. In 2 Chronicles he evaluated all of David's successors in terms of David's successes. In the chapters that unfold from this point forward, the writer wove his hope for Israel's future together with God's love, as demonstrated in His past faithfulness, in order to encourage faith and obedience in his readers.

1.     David's coronation over all Israel 11:1-3

David's eventual coronation was inevitable because God had chosen him as king long before Saul died (cf. 1 Sam. 16:13). The Chronicler began his history of David with his coronation over all 12 tribes (cf. 2 Sam. 5:1-5). This fact probably reflects the writer's concern for the unity of God's chosen people. The people recognized David as the appropriate king because he had led Israel (2 Sam. 5:1-2). Furthermore, God had anointed him to shepherd the people (his function) and to be prince over them (his office under Yahweh, vv. 1-2). David's elevation happened as God had announced through Samuel (1 Sam. 16:13). God was leading the nation. These verses provide solid evidence that David, not Saul, was God's preference as king of Israel.

2.     David's capture of Jerusalem 11:4-9

David's capture of Jerusalem was foundational to all the political and religious events that followed (cf. 2 Sam. 5:6-10). The earliest reference to Jerusalem (also called Salem, Jebus, Zion, and the city of David) that archaeologists have found so far occurs in the Ebla tablets that date from about 2400 B.C.[103] Joab's deed shows that he was a mighty warrior (v. 6).

By fortifying Jerusalem, David established a secure base of operations at a politically neutral site between Israel and Judah. This led to his succeeding, though the real reason for his greatness was that the LORD of armies was with him (v. 9). God was with David because David was with God, as well as because God had chosen David as His vice-regent. Payne believed that David established a "constitutional" monarchy, which was unique in the ancient Near East.[104]

C.     David's supporters 11:10—12:40

This list of great warriors reflects the greatness of David (cf. 2 Sam. 23:8-39). People know something about a man or a woman by the company that he or she keeps. The writer identified three groups of David's warriors: the chiefs among David's mighty men (11:10-25), the mighty men in David's army (11:26-47), and other warriors who supported David (ch. 12).

1.     The chiefs among David's mighty men 11:10-25

There are several differences between the numbers in Chronicles and those in parallel passages in Samuel, Kings, and elsewhere. A case in point is 11:11, where we read that Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, killed 300 at one time. But 2 Samuel 23:8 says that Joshebbassebeth, a Tahchemonite, killed 800 at one time. The number in Samuel is apparently the correct one in this case, and the difference was evidently due to a scribal error in copying. Other explanations are that Jashobeam slew 800 on one occasion and 300 on another, or that he attacked 800 and killed 300, and the rest fled.[105]

David was a leader who had won the confidence and support of the strongest men in Israel as well as Judah. The episode in 11:15-19 shows why men such as these pledged their loyalty to David: He showed unusual sensitivity to the dangers that his men faced.

2.     The mighty men in David's army 11:26-47

There are 18 additional men mentioned in this list compared with the list in 2 Samuel 23:24-39. Three names appear in the 2 Samuel list that do not appear in this list. The spelling of the names of the same individuals, their fathers, and their tribes are not always the same in both lists.

3.     Other warriors who supported David ch. 12

Chapter 12 has no parallel in Samuel. Its unique emphases are these: Men from Israel as well as Judah followed David, and there was a very large number of them (v. 22). David also had many other supporters (vv. 39-40). Even Saul's tribal kinsmen from Benjamin followed him (vv. 2, 16, 29).[106] God sanctioned the plan of these men to turn the kingdom of Saul over to David (v. 23).

Volunteers who joined David before Saul's death 12:1-22

Of this group, some were Benjamites (Saul's tribe) who joined David in Ziklag (vv. 1-7), others were Gadites (vv. 8-15), Judahites and other Benjamites (vv. 16-18) who joined David while he was in the wilderness of Judah, and Manassites who joined David in Ziklag after his return from fighting the Amalekites (vv. 19-22).

Men who supported David's anointing as king in Hebron 12:23-40

The rest of this chapter lists the fighting men who participated in David's anointing as king in Hebron, and it records the nation's joy on that occasion (v. 40).

 

The number of tribes represented in this list is 14, rather than the usual 12. The writer's purpose seems to have been to show that all the Israelites, in the fullest and widest sense, supported David.[107]

Verse 18 is poetry (cf. 16:8-36 for the only other poetry in 1 Chronicles).[108]

With regard to the men of Issachar "who understood the times" (v. 32), Keil wrote:

"The statement in question … affirms nothing more than that the tribe of Issachar (in deciding to raise David to the throne) followed the judgment of its princes, who rightly estimated the circumstances of the time."[109]

Popular enthusiasm for David was overwhelming (v. 38; cf. v. 18). The writer named all the tribes, proving broad-based support. This emphasis is much stronger in Chronicles than it is in Samuel.

Chapters 11 and 12 give evidence of what God told David later in 17:8, namely, "I have been with you wherever you have gone." They also provide hope that God would do for David what He promised in 17:10, namely, "I will subdue all your enemies."

D.     David's relocation of the ark to Jerusalem chs. 13—16

"In the Chronicler's eyes David's reign consisted of two great religious phases, his movement of the ark to Jerusalem (chs. 13—16) and his preparations for the building of the temple (chs. 17—19 or at least 17—22, 28, 29). The intent of the parallelism seems to be to mark the ends of these two phases with praise and prayer that both glorified Yahweh and spelled out his relationship to his people in theological terms appropriate to the Chronicler and his constituency."[110]

The ark of the covenant plays a central role in chapters 13 through 16 (cf. 2 Sam. 6). It was not only a symbol of God's grace and presence, but it was the actual place where God had chosen to reside among His people (Exod. 25:22) and where the Israelites obtained forgiveness annually for sins that had not been forgiven previously (Lev. 16:29-34). The Chronicler showed great interest in the location of the ark, because that was where God was and where He manifested His grace especially.

David's desire to bring the ark into Jerusalem shows his concern that God would dwell among His people (cf. Exod. 19:3-6; 25:8). It also reveals his desire that the people would again have ritual access to God and maintain their fellowship with God. They had not had this during Saul's reign, when the Philistines held the ark captive, or when the Israelites kept it in a private residence (13:3).

God blessed David and his kingdom in many ways for bringing the ark into Jerusalem. David's desire to honor Yahweh as Israel's Head served as a model for the postexilic community. The Chronicler probably related the ark's movement to Jerusalem in stages in order to heighten anticipation in the reader. I counted 48 references to the ark in 1 and 2 Chronicles, which indicates its importance to the Chronicler.

1.     David's plan and unwise procedure ch. 13 (cf. 2 Sam. 6:1-11)

A lesson that the writer intended this incident to teach the readers is that Yahweh is holy, so His people should not take His presence among them lightly (cf. Lev. 10:1-11; Num. 16). God's presence is real, and His people must deal with Him in harmony with His character (cf. Exod. 25—31). It would have been tempting to regard the rituals and physical objects used in worship as common. The writer warned his readers not to make this mistake.

"In a real sense Yahweh was wherever His Ark was. It crystallized His immanence, bearing witness to both His nearness and His sovereignty."[111]

David's proposal to bring the ark into Jerusalem 13:1-4

In contrast to this account in 2 Samuel 6:1 through 11, the Chronicler related that the people played an important part in moving the ark (v. 4). This is understandable since his purpose was to encourage the Israelites of his day to do what was right, since there was no king on Israel's throne. This democratization characteristic appears several times elsewhere in Chronicles.

The removal of the ark from the house of Abinadab in Kiriath-jearim 13:5-8

Even though there was much joy and worship as the people transported the ark, they did not obey God's orders for its proper treatment (cf. Num. 4:15). They put it on a cart rather than having priests carry it (v. 7).

The relocation of the ark to the house of Obed-edom 13:9-14

Worship can never replace obedience to God's revealed will (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22-23).

"Today there are many folk who are putting their hands in the Lord's work where they should not be putting them. They are interfering with the Lord's work. I could tell you of many instances of men, probably meaning well, but not doing it God's way. As a result, blessing does not come. Just so in the case of the ark—the man who interfered was put out of the way."[112]

"If God's order is to be restored, it must be done in His way."[113]

Where God's presence resided there was blessing, as is always the case (v. 14).

2.     God's blessings on David's intent ch. 14 (cf. 2 Sam. 5:11-25)

God blessed David and his kingdom because David had honored God by seeking to bring the ark into Jerusalem, in spite of the fact that he erred in the way he want about executing his plan. This shows God's great grace to David. The Chronicler recorded three instances of divine blessing in this chapter.

The friendship of Hiram king of Tyre 14:1-2

First, God gave David favor in the eyes of his neighbor: Hiram king of Tyre. This resulted in the building of a palace for David and in David's experiencing great honor in the ancient Near East. Hiram's friendship continued during Solomon's reign and enabled Solomon to secure excellent building materials for the temple.

The increase of David's personal fertility 14:3-7

Second, God increased David's personal fertility by giving him many children (vv. 3-7).

"The blessing of offspring is one of the most generally recognized signs of blessing in the OT, and Chronicles is no exception."[114]

A problem that bothers some students of David's life is this: In view of the high moral standards that God requires for qualification as an elder in the church, specifically that elders are to be the husbands of one wife, why did God bless David as He did since he had many wives?

First, an appreciation of the Holy Spirit's ministry in the Old Testament is crucial to understanding this apparent inconsistency. References to the Holy Spirit's ministry to select Old Testament saints connect with His enabling them to gain military victories in order to deliver His people from their enemies (e.g., Judg. 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 14:6, 19; 1 Sam. 11:6; et al.). The Spirit's indwelling ministry to every Christian after the day of Pentecost focuses on the transformation of the believer's character into Christ's image (e.g., Gal. 5:16-24; et al.). Jesus' statement to His disciples, "He remains with you and will be in you" (John 14:17) indicates the difference in the Holy Spirit's ministry to believers before and after Pentecost. The Holy Spirit's enabling ministry in David's life was for empowerment more than for the sanctification of his character.

Second, an appreciation of God's different purposes in Israel and the church is helpful. In Old Testament Israel, God was manifesting His glory primarily through the uniqueness of Israel and through its national institutions. In the New Testament church, God is glorifying Himself primarily through the lives of the individual and corporate temples that He indwells. These are Spirit-controlled people and churches. God was more merciful with David's polygamy in view of His purposes then. In view of His purposes now, He requires a higher degree of personal holiness.

Third, the progress of revelation helps us understand this issue. Old Testament saints had revelation concerning the sin of polygamy (Gen. 2:24; Deut. 17:16-17). However, they did not have the added privilege and responsibility of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles on this subject (Matt 5; 19; 1 Cor. 7; Eph. 5; Col. 3; 1 Tim. 3; Titus 1; Heb. 13; 1 Pet. 3).

Greater privilege always results in greater responsibility. David's understanding of God's revelation of Himself and His will was not as comprehensive as ours is, and consequently God did not hold him as blameworthy as He holds us in this particular matter. Nevertheless, David undoubtedly knew that Israel's kings were not to multiply wives (Deut. 17:17), but he did so anyway, probably because of the cultural pressure in his day that great kings were expected to have many wives. God, in His grace, blessed David with many children even though he disobeyed Him by marrying many wives.

Victories over the Philistines 14:8-17

The third instance of God's blessing in this chapter is that God gave David victory over his enemies, specifically the Philistines.

The first victory 14:8-12

This record of David's victory over the Philistines that the Chronicler recorded stresses that David inquired of God as to how he should respond to the Philistines' attack. God gave him a strategy that proved successful, and David honored God by burning the Philistines' captured idols.

In the renaming of Baal-perazim (v. 11), as well as Perez-uzza (13:11), David emphasized the fact that God breaks into the life of His people. In the first instance it was for judgment, but in the second it was for blessing. This record would have encouraged the restoration community to remember that God could do the same for them.

"Let David's thankful acknowledgment of the hand of God in his successes direct us to bring all our sacrifices of praise to God's altar."[115]

The second victory 14:13-17

This victory took place in the same area as the former one: the Valley of Rephidim (2 Sam. 5:22). Again David asked the LORD for His strategy, and the LORD responded. This victory resulted in David's fame spreading among the other nations and their fearing him.

"This talk of stepping out on faith may not be faith at all. It may be presumption. Instead of trusting God, we may be tempting God. We need to wait for the Lord to give the signal, for that sound in the tops of the mulberry trees [v. 15]. We need to be careful that what we call stepping out on faith isn't simply a foolish move. Sometimes we are tempting God instead of trusting Him."[116]

Since Saul's death, the Philistines had dominated Canaan. But David brought them under his control. These victories would have encouraged the restoration community to remember that God could defeat their enemies too.

"The Davidic victories determined unequivocally his position as an independent king, completely free of any subordination to Philistine patronage. However, these victories were not final, and military encounters with the Philistines were to continue for some time (II Sam. 8.1//I Chron. 18.1, etc.)."[117]

These victories also made it safe for David to bring the ark into Jerusalem.

3.     David's preparations for bringing the ark into Jerusalem 15:1-24

David's instructions for transporting the ark 15:1-10

Since his initial attempt to move the ark (ch. 13), David had learned that he had to handle it as God had prescribed (cf. 2 Sam. 6:12-23). He had to relate to God on His terms, not as it seemed best to him. His preparation of a tent for the ark in Jerusalem was in harmony with God's instructions (Exod. 26).

David's instructions to the priests and Levites 15:11-15

David directed the priests and Levites to consecrate themselves (cf. Exod. 19:14-15) and to observe the Mosaic Law scrupulously as they brought the ark into Jerusalem. They were to carry it with its poles rather than placing in on a cart (Exod. 25:14). And this they did.

"The Levites are referred to 98 times and the priest(s) 111 times [in 1 and 2 Chronicles]."[118]

The Levitical singers' and gatekeepers' duties 15:16-24

David's obedience was worship, but David also provided for other expressions of worship to accompany the transportation of the ark into Jerusalem, namely, music and praise led by the Levites. David provided for a full orchestra and choir to sing God's praises in Jerusalem. He originated musical guilds and services.[119] The "gatekeepers" of the ark were its guards (vv. 18, 23-24).

"One cannot … understand the theology of Chronicles without understanding the centrality of worship and its formal apparatus to the life of the theocratic people."[120]

4.     The entrance of the ark into Jerusalem 15:25—16:7

These verses describe the actual installation of the ark in Jerusalem. They are the centerpiece and climax of this section of 1 Chronicles on David's relocation of the ark to Jerusalem (chs. 13—16).

The procession of the ark from Obed-edom's house to Jerusalem 15:25-29

A great company of Israelites accompanied the ark on its journey to Jerusalem. Because the Levites carried the ark as Yahweh had specified, He helped them (v. 26), and they sacrificed bulls and rams along the way. David had dressed himself in fine linen in order to honor Yahweh, as did the Levites who carried the ark and the singers who accompanied it (cf. Gen. 41:42). Singing, shouting, and musical instruments accompanied the ark.

"Anyone who is enthusiastic and excited about a football game is called a fan, but a person who feels that way about religion is called a fanatic!"[121]

According to the Mosaic Law, individual Israelites were to bring their sacrificial animals to the sanctuary and sacrifice them themselves (Lev. 1:3-5; 3:2). Only the priests were to place the blood and other parts of the animals on the altar (Lev. 1:5; 3:2, 5). Evidently God accepted the sacrifices that were made on this occasion because they sprang from hearts that were in submission to His Word and were full of gratitude to Him for His goodness.

Fine linen was what the priests wore (Exod. 39:27-28). This has led some interpreters to conclude that David was consciously functioning as a priest. How could David, who was of the tribe of Judah, and not of Levi, offer sacrifices to God since he was not an Aaronic priest? He may have done so as a priest after the order of Melchizedek, fulfilling the provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant, rather than as an Aaronic priest serving under the Mosaic Covenant.[122] David may have realized that he was the king promised to the patriarchs (Gen. 17:6; 49:10; et al.) for whom Israel had been looking.[123]

"David functioned as the type for the Messiah as a king who is also a priest."[124]

When David's wife Michal observed the festivities, and David himself dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart (v. 29). Michal possessed a different spirit from David. Her concept of kingship in Israel was like her father Saul's, namely, that the human king was the ultimate authority in Israel as in other ancient Near Eastern countries. It was her attitude, rather than David's actions, that was despicable. She did not appreciate the ark as she should have done. Her attitude resulted in her being childless as a punishment from Yahweh (2 Sam. 6:23).

The placement of the ark in its tent 16:1-3

The priests brought the ark into Jerusalem and placed it inside the tent that David had prepared for it. Then they offered sacrifices of worship. Burnt offerings represented the atonement and consecration of the people to God (Lev. 1), and the peace offerings represented the joy of fellowship with Yahweh that resulted from these blessings (Lev. 3). David then blessed the people, that is, he called down God's blessing of them. He also gave everyone some bread, meat, and fruit, which was a concrete demonstration of God's blessing of them. God's presence in Israel's capital symbolized His leadership over the nation, and it brought great joy to all the godly in Israel.

David's establishment of ongoing worship before the ark 16:4-7

The placement of the ark in Jerusalem marked the beginning of the Levitical singers' ministry in Israel under David's organization. From this time onward there was to be continual vocal and instrumental praise of Yahweh going on in Jerusalem during David's reign.

5.     David's psalm of thanksgiving 16:8-36

This hymn may have been one of many that the people sang on this occasion, but it is the only one that the Chronicler recorded. It expressed the hopes and thoughts of the Israelites who were assembled that the returned exiles needed to imitate. This thanksgiving song appears to be a medley of several psalms that appear in the Book of Psalms (Ps. 96:1-13; 105:1-15; 106:1, 47-48). It stresses that the intended result of Israel's worship was the salvation of the nations, so that they too might worship Yahweh (cf. Exod. 19:5-6; Isa. 42:6; Zech. 2:10-11).

The first call to worship 16:8-22 (cf. Ps. 105:1-15)

16:8-11      The hymn begins with a call to worship that urged the Israelites to make the LORD's deeds known among the nations ("the peoples," v. 1) and to speak of all His wonders (cf. Isa. 12:4). Boasting in His holy name means proudly glorifying Him publicly for His excellence. Those who seek the LORD should be joyful and should seek His "face" (v. 11, His presence) continually.

"Do you seek His face continually? What is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning? When you go to bed at night, what is the last thing you think about? Do you think about God all during the day? Or do you just leave God behind when you go to work or go to school or go to a social gathering?"[125]

16:12-14    God's people should remember the amazing things that He has done and His spoken judgments. This is perhaps a reference to the commandments that He gave on Mount Sinai. The psalmist reminded the people that they were the descendants of Israel (Jacob), Yahweh's specially chosen servant. They had been uniquely blessed. Such a God was Israel's God, and His judgments were for all people ("in all the earth").

16:15-22    The psalmist next stressed God's unmerited favor toward them. The people were to remember especially the everlasting covenant that God had made with Abraham and confirmed with Isaac and Jacob when they were only a few in number. He had promised them the land of Canaan as their inheritance. Even though they had been scattered from the Promised Land and had wandered from nation to nation, He had protected them and had restrained kings from destroying them and the prophets whom He had raised up to encourage them.

The second call to worship 16:23-33       (Ps. 96:1-13)

16:23-24    Another call to worship led to another section of praise. The psalmist called on the whole earth (all humankind) to sing praises to Yahweh and to constantly proclaim the good news of His salvation (i.e., the gospel, namely, how He had rescued and preserved His people). They were to be a missionary nation, telling this good news to all people.

16:25-33    Because the LORD is great He should be greatly praised and feared (trusted, obeyed, and held in reverence) as superior to all other so-called gods, which are mere idols. Yahweh, however, made the heavens. Splendor, majesty, strength, and joy characterize Him. Therefore all people should attribute to Him glory and strength, bring offerings to Him, and worship Him in the splendor of His holiness. All the earth should tremble before Him in view of who He is and what He has done. The whole creation (personified) should rejoice because the LORD reigns over all and is coming to judge the earth. (This statement reflects the Israelites' belief that Yahweh will one day punish all the wicked and reward all the righteous.)

The third call to worship 16:34-36 (cf. Ps. 106:1, 47-48)

16:34-36a  The psalmist next called on the Israelites to praise the LORD for His goodness, specifically for His everlasting faithfulness that had brought them to the present day. He also urged the people to pray that God would save them from their present enemies so that they could thank Him and continue to boast in His name (cf. v. 10). The psalm closes with a final call to bless (praise) Yahweh, the God of Israel, forever.

16:36b       The people then voiced their "Amen" (So be it!) to what this psalm said, and they praised the LORD. Throughout this hymn the emphasis rests on God's deeds, God's words, God's greatness, and God's worth.[126]

6.     Worship after the installation of the ark in Jerusalem 16:37-43

16:37-38    After the initial celebration of the installation of the ark in the tent that David had made for it in Jerusalem, David left Asaph and his relatives there to minister before it, and he assigned Obed-edom and his relatives to guard it.

16:38-42    David let the sanctuary (the Mosaic tabernacle) remain at Gibeon and provided for worship and sacrifice to continue there. He appointed Zadok as the priest in charge of that tabernacle. He and his relatives, Heman, and Jeduthun and others continued to offer sacrifices there and to offer praise to Yahweh there (vv. 39-42).

16:43         Thus ended David's project of bringing the ark into Jerusalem. The people departed, and David went home to be a blessing to his household.

Throughout Israel's history, the ark was a symbol of God's grace and the altar was a symbol of human response to that grace. Normally they were together, but in Saul's day they were separate.[127] The ark was in Philistia, Bethshemesh, or Kiriath-jearim, and the tabernacle was at Shiloh or Gibeon. They continued to be separate until Solomon built the temple and brought them together in one place.

Chapters 13 through 16 help the reader focus on the presence of God as what is essential, rather than on ritual that, though important, is only a means to an end. Worship is appropriate in view of who God is, but for worship to be acceptable, God's people must worship Him as He has prescribed. Furthermore, worship must be God-centered rather than man-centered.

E.     David and the Davidic Covenant chs. 17:1—22:19

The dominating theme in 1 Chronicles is the Davidic Covenant, the receiving of which was the most important event in David's life. God promised to give David an everlasting dynasty of rulers, and He formalized that promise by making a covenant with him emphasizing the certainty of its fulfillment.

The Chronicler referred to God's promises to David and Solomon several times in his book (1 Chron. 17:11-14; 22:9-10; 28:6-7; 2 Chron. 6:9, 16; 7:13-18). Many students of Chronicles have regarded the Davidic Covenant as the heart of these books because it established David's kingly line with promises that relate to the temple. The temple and the priesthood, which serviced the temple, are two major themes of these books. Another unifying theme is the steps that were taken toward the building of the temple by both David and Solomon.

"These [steps] include identification of the builder (ch. 17), the necessary political conditions (18—20), site (21), materials and plans (22, 28—29), and the personnel (the primary layer in 23—27)."[128]

1.     God's promises to David and His provisions for their fulfillment chs. 17—21

In some particulars the promises that God gave David related to him personally. But other promises pertained to his descendants and, in particular, to one descendant who would do for Israel much more than David could do. In chapters 17 through 21 the emphasis is on the promises that related to David immediately. The writer evidently wanted to establish God's faithfulness in fulfilling these promises in order to encourage his readers to trust God to fulfill the yet unfulfilled promises.

In 17:8 God promised David victory over his enemies. The writer recorded those victories in chapters 18 through 20. Those victories were essential so that Israel would be at peace and Solomon could build the temple. In 17:9 through 12, God promised David that He would establish a place for Israel and a place for Himself within Israel (cf. Deut. 12:1-11). The Chronicler documented the selection of that place in chapter 21. These chapters also contain promises central to the Chronicler's emphasis and purpose.

God's promises to David and David's response ch. 17

The Davidic Covenant promises 17:1-15 (cf. 2 Sam. 7:8-17)

17:1-2        In addition to wanting to bring the ark into Jerusalem, David also desired to build a building to house the ark that would be suitable in view of the holiness of Yahweh. At this time David lived in a palace (14:1-2), but the ark rested in a tent in Jerusalem. This desire to glorify God drew a positive response from Nathan the prophet, so he encouraged David to proceed with his plan. He was assuming that this was God's will. However David's plans were premature and presumptuous (cf. Israel's desire to have a king like all the other nations), though they were pardonable because he sought to glorify Yahweh.

"In Near Eastern thought there was a widely recognized relationship between the earthly kingship and the temple of the protecting deity of the city-state. The state was seen as a reflection of the cosmic reality of the divine government, which stood behind the state. The state, with its various hierarchies, culminated in the earthly kingship at its apex. This was thought to be parallel to a cosmic state of affairs with its own gradations in which the major deity headed a pantheon of lesser deities. The ultimate kingship of the protecting deity was thought to be expressed through, and paralleled by, the empirical kingship exercised by the ruler of the city-state on earth. This concept was given concrete expression in the relationship that existed between the temple of the city-state and the palace of the king of the city-state. The temple was the earthly residence of the deity, and the palace was the residence of the earthly representative of the deity, that is, the king."[129]

"The erection of the temple was an assertion of the divine control over the political and religious life of the state (v. 22)."[130]

17:3-6        But it was not God's will for David to build a temple, and God made that clear to Nathan that very night The main reason that God did not allow David to proceed with his plan to build Him a house (temple) was that God, not David, was sovereign. He, not David, would control if and when someone would build Him a temple. A secondary reason was that God did not need a temple to dwell in. A third reason, not mentioned here, was that David was a man of war and had shed much blood (cf. 22:8; 28:3).

"Often we may have to accept that the work which we would dearly like to perform in terms of Christian service is not that for which we are best equipped, and not that to which God has in fact called us. It may be, like David's, a preparatory work, leading to something more obviously grand. Recognition and acceptance of our true measure is the first and necessary step towards seeing the significance of what, in God's purposes, we really can achieve and have achieved."[131]

17:7-8a      God proceeded to explain that, even though He rejected David's plan to honor Him, He had a plan to honor David. He began by reviewing what He had done for David so far: He had raised him up from being a shepherd boy to being the king of Israel, He had been with him always, and He had eliminated all of his enemies (cf. 2 Sam. 7:9). This reference, by the way, signals that God gave David this covenant toward the end of his reign. Remembering these things would have encouraged David to believe the promises of what God intended to do for him in the future.

God's blessing of Israel paralleled His blessing of David. Both nation and king had begun in humble, lowly origins but had expanded because of God's grace and David's appropriate trust and obedience in view of that grace (cf. v. 7).

17:8b-15    God then promised David several things: (1) He would make him famous (v. 8b). (2) He would make David's people (the Israelites) permanently secure in the Promised Land (vv. 9-10a). And (3) He would build a house (dynasty, a line of continuing kings) for David (vv. 10b-14). The LORD also explained that David's son and successor would build a house (temple) for Him (v. 12), that He would be a father to this son (v. 13a), and that He would not withdraw His favor from this son as He had withdrawn His favor from Saul (v. 13b).

These promises look beyond Solomon to One who would not fail to fulfill all God's purposes as David's descendant. The most obviously unfulfilled promise is that God would make the Israelites permanently secure in the Promised Land. The promises concerning David's descendant were only partially fulfilled by Solomon.

"This verse [13] along with Psalms 2:7, 12, is one of the major OT revelations on the deity of the Messiah. It foretells Jesus' being uniquely God's son (Heb. 1:5; cf. Acts 13:33; Heb. 5:5), for it is not really applicable to Solomon (cf. comment on 22:10) or to any other of David's more immediate successors …"[132]

Verse 14 likewise points to a more than merely human successor. It also clarifies that Yahweh was the real King of Israel, even though He exercised His rule on earth through human mediators.

In 2 Samuel 7 the warnings of discipline if David's descendants failed God focused attention on Solomon and the kings that followed him ending with Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. In 1 Chronicles 17 those warnings are absent. This fact probably indicates that the Chronicler was looking beyond the kings of Judah who had failed and died to the King who was yet to come. This King would carry out God's will perfectly (cf. Isa. 9:6; John 4:34). This would have given the restoration community renewed hope.[133]

"Though there can be little argument that the covenant with David was unconditional both in its granting and in its perpetuity, the benefits of that covenant to David and to the nation depended on their obedience to the terms of the Mosaic Covenant within which the monarchy functioned. In this respect and only in this respect was the Davidic Covenant conditional."[134]

David's response to God's promises 17:16-27 (cf. 2 Sam. 7:18-29)

David demonstrated an attitude of humility (v. 16) and trust (v. 27) in his prayer.[135] Most of what he prayed was thanksgiving for what God had promised (vv. 20-27). David's idea that the Israelites were Yahweh's "own people" (v. 22) reflects Exodus 19:5 and Deuteronomy 7:6 and 14:2. David's response was a model for the returned exiles, as it is for us.

"Prayer plays an important role in 1 & 2 Chronicles. We find five major prayers (whose contents are given) included in the books. These prayers are all by good kings—David (2), Solomon, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah—and their inclusion performs at least two functions: first, they reinforce the positive picture that the Chronicler wants to paint of these kings; second, their contents provide us with rich insights into God Himself, His desires for His people, and ways of properly relating to God."[136]

God's provision of peace chs. 18—20

These chapters record victories that God gave David during the course of his reign. These victories paved the way for the fulfillment of some of the Davidic Covenant promises (i.e., that David would be great, and that Israel would dwell safely in the land—at least temporarily), and that David's descendant would build God a temple. The evidence that God gave David victory over his enemies bolsters confidence that He will do the same to David's great Son, Messiah, eventually (cf. Ps. 2).

The Chronicler and the writer of 2 Samuel wrote that God gave the Davidic Covenant after David had eliminated all of his enemies (17:8; 2 Sam. 7:9). But most English translations have in 18:1: "Now after this [the giving of the covenant] it came about that David defeated [his enemies]" or the equivalent. A few translations have: "In the course of time, David defeated" (NIV, TNIV), or "David finally subdued" (LB).[137] These translations are preferable in view of the previous statements in the text (17:8; 2 Sam. 7:9). Thus what we have in chapters 18 through 20 occurred before what we have in chapter 17.

"While in the book of Samuel David's wars are scattered throughout the narrative, in Chronicles they are all gathered into this one pericope [section of text]. This immediately presents David as 'the great warrior' of Israel's history. It should be emphasized, however, that in Chronicles, and for that matter also in Samuel, this is but one aspect of David's multi-faceted character, and does not diminish his role as the king who prepared for the building of the Temple and ruled over all Israel in justice."[138]

"God gives men power, not that they may look great with it, but that they may do good with it."[139]

Victories over the Philistines, Moabites, Arameans, and Edomites ch. 18

The Chronicler recorded David's victories over the Philistines (v. 1; cf. 2 Sam. 8:1), the Moabites (v. 2; cf. 2 Sam. 8:2), the Arameans (vv. 3-11; cf. 2 Sam. 8:3-11), and the Edomites (vv. 12-13; 2 Sam. 8:13-14). This chapter closes with a statement of David's just and righteous reign (v. 14; cf. 2 Sam. 8:15) and a list of his chief officials (vv. 15-17; cf. 2 Sam. 8:16-18).[140]

The writer portrayed David as having acted decisively to rid his kingdom of internal and external threats. He set up garrisons in Israel's neighbor states by which he extended his influence beyond his own borders (18:6, 13). The writer was careful to point out that David was successful because God was with him and helped him (18:6, 13).

"The story [of David setting aside treasure for the building of the temple, in 18:9-11] suggests to us the possibility of our helping very really the work of God to which, in some respects, we may not be permitted to put our hands. The passion of the heart may have been to go into the foreign field of service, and for some reason the way is blocked, evidently by God. The temptation is to think that therefore we are excluded from that work. Let us rather set ourselves to gather treasure for the work, and so keep the passion burning."[141]

Victories over the Ammonites 19:1—20:3

This section of verses begins with a retelling of the humiliation of David's messengers who went to pay their respects to Hanun when his father Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, died (vv. 1-9; cf. 2 Sam. 10:1-8). This is the incident that provoked Israel's wars with the Ammonites. The rest of chapter 19 retells the story of Israel's defeat of the Ammonite/Aramean coalition of armies (vv. 10-19; cf. 2 Sam. 10:9-19).[142] The final segment of the history of Israel's wars with the Ammonites summarizes Joab's defeat of Rabbah and Ammon's subjugation to David (20:1-3; cf. 2 Sam. 11:1; 12:26-31). The Chronicler omitted the account of David's adultery and murder (2 Sam. 11:2-27), his repentance (2 Sam. 12:1-23), and Solomon's birth (2 Sam. 12:24-25). Perhaps he did so because, by reminding the restoration community of David's failures, he would have discouraged these Israelites.

The "Mesopotamia" in 19:6 was probably not the large land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which was inhabited by the Assyrians and Babylonians, but the district on the upper western Euphrates known as Aram Naharaim (or Aram-maacah), where the Arameans, or ancient Syrians, lived. Maacah (19:7) was a small kingdom located between Damascus and the Sea of Galilee.[143]

Kings normally waged war at the end of the spring of the year (20:1; cf. 2 Sam. 11:1, 26-31) for two reasons: the spring rains had ended and drier weather had begun, and the spring barley harvest was over, so the farmers could get away from their lands and go to war.[144]

The crown of the Ammonite king weighed a talent of gold (over 66 pounds) and it was placed on David's head (20:2). He must have worn it for only a short time, since it was so heavy. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown wrote that such crowns were normally suspended by gold chains over a king's throne.[145]

More victories over the Philistines 20:4-8

This pericope summarizes three more military campaigns that David conducted against the Philistines (cf. 2 Sam. 21:18-22). For an account of a fourth, former one, see 2 Samuel. 21:15 through 17. The Chronicler drew attention to David's defeat of the giants who came from the people of his first great adversary: Goliath.

These chapters also help to clarify why David did not build the temple himself: He was a man of war who had shed much blood, and most of his reign was not characterized by rest, which was necessary for the establishment of a central sanctuary. David's wars were both aggressive and defensive. Also these chapters show the economic prosperity that would have been needed for temple building, which characterized Solomon's reign more than David's.[146] Human kings only defeat themselves when they oppose the LORD and His anointed (cf. Ps. 2:1-2).

God's provision of a place for the temple ch. 21

Chapter 21 records the fulfillment of God's second personal promise to David, namely, that He would appoint a place where Israel could dwell securely (17:9). This was a promise of peace for Israel, but as the verses following 17:9 make clear, God had more than this in mind. He intended to dwell among His people in the house that Solomon would build (17:11-12). God's presence and protection were the real source of Israel's security. By giving Israel an appropriate place, God would provide for Himself a place where He would dwell, specifically the temple. Chapter 21 records God's choice of the place where He would dwell: the site of the temple. There David's successor would build a house for Him (17:12).

"It may also be said that having empowered Israel to defeat their human foes, God provided a place of atonement and divine manifestation whereby they could defeat (or hold at bay) their nonhuman enemy, Satan."[147]

The writer gave much attention to detail and background events because of the importance of the temple site.[148] All these events point to God's ultimate purpose for the temple: that it would draw the Israelites and the Gentiles to Himself.

David's decision to count the Israelites 21:1-6 (cf. 2 Sam. 24:1-9)

Evidently Satan stood up before God and received the LORD's permission to test David (cf. Job. 1—2). The writer of 2 Samuel wrote that "the LORD … incited David" against the Israelites (2 Sam. 24:1). I take it that the LORD (the ultimate cause) gave permission to Satan (the secondary cause) to test David. Since the Hebrew word satan means "adversary," Satan may have used a human adversary (the instrumental cause) to provoke David to count the people. This is the first time in Scripture that the word satan appears without the definite article as a proper noun. It may have been that the adversary whom God permitted to worry David into numbering the people was a foreign enemy (v. 12; cf. 1 Sam. 29:4; 2 Sam. 19:23; 24:1-25; 1 Kings 5:4; 11:14, 23, 25).[149] Satan played a role in this temptation, but it may have been fear of one of his neighbors that disturbed David's mind. But notice that God did not force David to do this. David had to decide if he would number the people and so was responsible for his decision.

"The version of the incident in the Book of 2 Samuel [24:1] gives an underlying theological perspective, while the Chronicler simply describes what happened from a human perspective."[150]

One explanation of why David decided to count the Israelites, which the Bible does not clarify, is that he wanted to institute a regular and permanent system of taxation.[151]

"The major reason for taking a census in Israel was to lay the basis for levying taxes (Exod 30:12; Num 3:40-51) or registering men for military service (Num 26:1-4)."[152]

Another explanation is that David wanted to take pride in the large number of his people. Apparently David's lack of faith in God's ability to save and/or provide for His people, for whatever reason, led him to number the people.

"My friend, you don't feel the need of God when you have one million men [cf. v. 5]. When you have only a slingshot and five stones, you know you need Him."[153]

God's three options of punishment 21:7-13 (cf. 2 Sam. 24:10-14)

God did not approve of David's decision, and even though David confessed his sin and God forgave him, the consequences of his sinful act followed. Notice that David did not try to cover up his sin, as he tried to do when he sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah. Instead, he readily confessed it (v. 8). He had evidently learned the importance of quick confession. David's response to Gad's instructions indicated his true repentance. He left the decision about punishment entirely in God's hands and did not try to control it.

"Perhaps the one thing that impresses more than David's sins in his life are his repentances (cf. 2 Sam. 12:13ff., and, associated in its heading with the same incident, Ps. 51). We do well to let his willingness to come fully to terms with his deficiencies inform our own responses to our moral failures before God."[154]

By referring to Gad as a "seer" (v. 9), the writer implied that Gad served David primarily by seeking and inquiring of God, and getting divine revelation back to David (cf. 1 Sam. 22:5; 2 Sam. 24:11-19). In contrast, the "prophet" Nathan's primary role appears to have been to announce messages from the LORD to the king (cf. 2 Sam. 7:2-17; 1 Chron. 17:1-15).[155]

This is the only place in the Bible where God offered someone a choice of punishment. David's words to Gad again model a proper response to God (v. 13). It is always best to leave the choice of outcomes in His hands (cf. Matt. 6:10; 26:42).

"Experience had taught him that human passion and vengeance had no bounds, whereas our wise and gracious Father in heaven knows the kind, and regulates the extent, of chastisement which every one needs."[156]

The plague on Israel 21:14-17 (cf. 2 Sam. 24:15-17)

The consequence of David's sin was that 70,000 Israelites died of a plague. God's compassion is also evident in His relenting and reducing the severity of His judgment (v. 15; cf. Exod. 32:14; Mark 13:20; et al.). David volunteered to bear God's judgment in place of the innocent Israelites. His selfless prayer for the welfare of his people is another model prayer in Chronicles.

The identity of "the angel of the LORD" in this passage is unclear. He was the LORD's agent in destroying 70,000 Israelites (v. 12), He could have destroyed Jerusalem (v. 15), He received instructions from the LORD (v. 15), He was visible to David (v. 16) and Ornan (v. 20), he stood by Ornan's threshing floor between earth and heaven with his sword drawn in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem (v. 16), he spoke to Gad (v. 18), he received instruction from the LORD to sheath his sword (v 27), and he terrified David (v. 30). He may have been the pre-incarnate Christ or a good angel. He could hardly have been a human messenger from God in view of what is said of him.

David's altar and his sacrifice 21:18-30 (cf. 2 Sam. 24:18-25)

The angel instructed David through Gad to build an altar at the place where God had been merciful to His people and had satisfied His judgment (v. 15) and to offer the sacrifice that the Mosaic Law required. This was very close to the place that, years later, God had mercy on His people and satisfied His judgment against them through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This was the site that God chose for His house. It was owned by Ornan, a Jebusite, and was located just north of, and a little higher than, the city of David (Jerusalem). Ornan offered to give King David the site and everything on it, but David insisted on paying for it. His reason for this was that he did not want to offer to God what cost him nothing. A sacrifice that we offer to God that costs us nothing is no sacrifice at all.

David paid "600 shekels of gold by weight for the site [lit. place]"—probably all of Mt Moriah (v. 25).[157] But the price that he paid for Ornan's threshing floor and his oxen, perhaps previously, was only "50 shekels of silver" (2 Sam. 24:24).

That place forever after, as long as Israel occupied the land, would be where the priests would atone for the Israelites' sins by sacrifice. God demonstrated His approval of David's offerings by sending fire from heaven (v. 26; cf. Lev. 9:24; 1 Kings 18:38).

"Here, by divine command, is to be the site of the temple. It is a gift not from Ornan but from God. The grace of God, in giving this to His people as the place where ark and altar are to be brought together, is a thing to be wondered at."[158]

The primary reason for including this incident, involving David's sin in numbering the people, in Chronicles was that it explains the site chosen for the temple.[159]

Chapters 17 through 21 give the writer's account of what God promised David in the Davidic Covenant and how He prepared for its fulfillment, namely, by providing peaceful conditions for Israel and a place for the temple in David's lifetime.

These promises and provisions would have given the original readers of Chronicles great confidence. They would have encouraged them that Yahweh would yet fulfill what He had promised in the Davidic Covenant that had not yet materialized but were still future for them. These chapters should have the same effect on us today.

"Up to this point the narrative has been about 'David consolidating his rule,' leading to his supreme and final act, in his regal capacity, of acquiring a site where the temple might be built. Chr[onicler]H[istorian] is prepared now to tell how the resources of David's kingdom, sacred and profane, would be mobilized for the actual occurrence of this supreme event."[160]

2.     David's preparations for the temple ch. 22

In this chapter we have David's preparations for the fulfillment of those promises in the Davidic Covenant that extended beyond his reign, specifically, his preparations for the temple. We can see David's belief that God would fulfill the rest of His promises in the ways that he prepared for their fulfillment. Chapters 23 through 29 continue this theme of David preparing for what God had promised. Chapters 22 through 29 are almost entirely unique to 1 Chronicles.

David concerned himself with what God had promised. In this he was a godly example to the restoration Jews, and he is to us. He wanted to see God's kingdom come, namely, the kingdom that God had promised (17:11-14; cf. Matt. 6:10). One aspect of this kingdom was that it would have a temple: a house for God (17:12). David focused his attention on this house for God that Solomon would build. He did all that he could to pave the way for its coming into reality (cf. Ps. 69:9; John 2:17). The postexilic remnant demonstrated little zeal to rebuild the temple or to reestablish God's kingdom on earth (Hag. 1:2). The Book of Chronicles was one instrument that God used to stir them up to action (cf. Hag. 2:20-23; and Zech.).

This chapter records David's plans to assemble building materials and workers for the construction of the temple. It has no parallel in 2 Samuel.

David's plans and foresight 22:1-5

Verse 1 introduces David's intent to prepare for the building of the temple. Strangers in Israel were to be the laborers who did the actual construction work (v. 2). David prepared much stone, iron, bronze, and cedar wood for the construction.

"Most striking in these verses [vv. 3-4] are the enormous quantities of the materials."[161]

David made these preparations because he wanted the temple to be "exceedingly magnificent, famous, and glorious" (v. 5) and because Solomon was still young and inexperienced in such matters.

David's instructions to Solomon 22:6-16

22:6-8        David instructed Solomon carefully in what he wanted him to do. He explained why he was not able to build the temple himself: God had forbidden him to do so because David had shed much blood (v. 8). David not only shed much blood in obedience to God, by subduing Israel's enemies, but he had also been guilty of murder (cf. 2 Sam. 11:14-21). Solomon, on the other hand, would have a peaceful reign and so could concentrate of building the temple.

Solomon not only ruled in peaceful times, after David had subdued Israel's enemies, but his name even relates to the Hebrew word for peace (shalom). Shalom does not just mean the absence of war, however. It includes the fullness of Yahweh's blessing that Israel enjoyed because of David's reign.

22:9           The reference to the son who would be born to David (i.e., Solomon, cf. 17:11) seems to indicate that Solomon had not yet been born when God gave David the Davidic Covenant. The date of the beginning of Solomon's reign, in 971 B.C., has been substantiated by references in other ancient Near Eastern king lists.[162] Solomon's age when he began to reign is not given in Scripture, but various authorities have placed it between 14 and 20 years old (cf. v. 5; 29:1; 1 Kings 3:7). This means that God gave the Davidic Covenant to David 14 or 20 years before 971 B.C., probably sometime between 951 and 985 B.C.

22:10         David also reminded Solomon of God's promises that He would have a special relationship with Solomon ("he shall be My son and I will be his father") and that He would establish Solomon's rule over Israel forever (cf. 17:12-13; 2 Sam. 7:13-14). God had promised these things, so his son (Solomon) should carry out the work as God wanted it done.

22:11-12    David then blessed Solomon and prayed that he would be successful and build the temple as the LORD had commanded. He prayed that God would give Solomon discretion and understanding in ruling over Israel and in keeping the Mosaic Law. This would be the key to Solomon's success.

22:13         David also mentioned a qualification on God's promise to make him prosperous: obedience to God's will. Solomon would only prosper as he submitted obediently to God's authority. Solomon and all who followed him failed to do this to some extent. Consequently, the original readers of Chronicles would have anticipated a Son of David who would yet come and do what Solomon and the other kings of Judah had not done, namely, keep God's law perfectly.

David further urged Solomon to be strong and courageous and to not fear or be dismayed (cf. 19:13; Deut. 31:6-7, 23; Josh. 1:6-9, 18; 10:25; 2 Sam. 10:12; 13:28).

22:14-16    David then summarized the vast quantities of materials and the workmen that he had prepared to build the temple.

"It seems incredible, but the king said he had amassed 3,750 tons of gold and 37,500 tons of silver, and that there was so much bronze and iron that it couldn't be weighed. At least Solomon wouldn't have to take up any collections!"[163]

"Both in the Masoretic text and in the Septuagint this remarkably large figure of '100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver' [v. 14] is given. Such a sum as this might have been beyond the resources of the Caesars themselves. It would be quite possible to commit an error in textual transmission in the act of copying out large numbers of this sort. … Perhaps the original figure was '10,000 talents of gold'; perhaps the silver total of 1,000,000 was miscopied from an original 100,000. … At the same time it should be observed that the Masoretic text figure cannot be excluded from the realm of possibility."[164]

"In the capitals of the Asiatic kingdoms of antiquity, enormous quantities of the precious metals were accumulated."[165]

Since David did so much to prepare for the temple's construction and its maintenance, some people have referred to it as David's temple, rather than as Solomon's temple.[166]

David closed his instructions to Solomon by urging him to get to work, and he prayed that the LORD would be with as he built the temple.

"David is here to Solomon much like Moses was to Joshua. David could do all the preparations for the temple but could not build it, just as Moses could not lead Israel into Canaan."[167]

David's instructions to Israel's leaders 22:17-19

David then called upon the leaders among the people to give Solomon their support in the work. He remined them that the LORD was with them and had given them peaceful conditions in which to build. He charged them to seek the LORD wholeheartedly and to build His sanctuary so that the ark and the holy vessels could be installed in it.

Verses 6 through 19 contain the first of three speeches that the Chronicler recorded David giving (cf. 28:2-21; and 29:1-8).

F.     David's assembly at Solomon's elevation as coregent chs. 23—27

Chapters 23 through 27 describe what happened at a convocation that David called just after he made Solomon his coregent (cf. 1 Kings 1).

1.     The announcement of the assembly 23:1-2

After David appointed Solomon as his coregent, in 973 B.C., he assembled all the leaders of Israel with the priests and Levites. The priests and Levites were important because they would serve in the temple. These verses provide the background for what follows in chapters 23 through 27.

2.     The Levites' duties chs. 23:3—26:32

Whereas chapter 22 relates the preparations that David made for the construction of the temple, this section of 1 Chronicles describes the duties of the Levites. This included their duties in and around the temple and throughout Israel. The priests were also members of the tribe of Levi, so instructions for them are included in this section of text (ch. 24).

The Levites' organization 23:3-23

23:3-6        These verses give the number of the Levites who were 30 years old and older at this time (i.e., 38,000). David divided them into divisions according to their ancestors: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. There were four primary types of Levitical service having to do with the temple: maintenance (24,000 Levites), officers and judges (6,000), gatekeepers (i.e., guards, 4,000), and musicians (4,000). When the Israelites left Egypt, the Levites who were between the ages of 30 and 50 numbered 8,580 (Num. 4:47-48).

"Archaeological discoveries show … that the critic has no right to say that David could not have developed the temple music [cf. vv. 5-6], for the excavations show a definite development of music and musical instruments not only in David's time (c. 1000 B.C.), but also very much earlier …"[168]

23:7-23      These verses name the ancestors of the Gershonites (vv. 7-11), the ancestors of the Kohathites, including Moses and Aaron (vv. 12-20), and the ancestors of the Merarites (vv. 21-23). This list of ancestors would have been important for the restoration Jews because they needed to identify legitimate Levites for their renewed temple service (cf. Ezra 3:8; 6:18; Neh. 7:1; 12:1).

A general description of the Levites' duties 23:24-32

The duties of the Levites were revised by David in keeping with the new temple. Previously the Levites had served mainly by assisting the priests (Num. 7:5; 8:19), by carrying the tabernacle and its furnishings from place to place (Num. 1:50), and by guarding the tabernacle (Num. 1:53). Now their duty was to maintain the temple and its worship, with the exception of matters reserved for the priests, as well as to worship the LORD (v. 30).

David lowered the age required for Levitical service from 30 to 20 (vv. 24, 27). He may have done this because there was a need for many more Levites under the new system of worship.[169]

The new form of worship was a combination of tabernacle and divinely approved revised worship. In all his planning, David was careful to abide within the guidelines of the Mosaic Law and other instructions that he had received from the LORD (cf. 28:19).

"To entitle this section the 'organization of the Levites' is to make it sound like bureaucratic regimentation. It is rather to be seen as a scaffolding for that house, a structure to enable God's people to function as they ought."[170]

The 24 divisions of the priests ch. 24

Priests were descendants of Aaron, and they constituted one branch of the family of Levi (Num. 18:7).

24:1-6        David divided the descendants of Aaron into 24 groups: 16 divisions of Eleazar's descendants, and eight divisions of Ithamar's descendants. Each of these divisions served for one week at a time (2 Chron. 23:18) evidently on a rotating schedule (cf. Luke 1:5, 8-9). Zadok and Ahimelech both served as high priests at this time (vv. 6, 31; cf. 2 Sam. 8:17; 20:25; 1 Kings 4:4).

24:7-19      The head of each division, which the Chronicler listed here, was determined by the casting of lots.

The divisions of the Levites 24:20-31

Likewise the heads of the Levitical groups were also determined by the casting of lots in David's presence.

The 24 divisions of the musicians ch. 25

25:1-7        David and his army commanders also organized some of the Levites to be temple musicians (cf. 23:5). Asaph was a Gershonite (6:39-43), Heman a Kohathite (6:33), and Jeduthun (Ethan) a Merarite (6:44-47). They and their descendants were responsible for singing praises to God and leading the people in doing the same. This is what "prophesying" included (v. 1; cf. Exod. 15:20-21; 1 Sam. 10:5; 19:20).[171]

"There is no doubt that it ["prophesy"] is used in its broadest sense of forthtelling rather than its more restricted sense of foretelling. Therefore, music is at once the medium of expressing praise to God, and telling forth that praise in the hearing of men for their instruction and blessing."[172]

Miriam, Deborah, and Philip's four daughters are all called prophetesses in the Bible (Exod. 15:20-21; Judg. 4:4; Acts 21:8-9). Miriam and Deborah both composed songs that are recorded in Scripture; they did not just lead the people in singing, though Miriam is said to have done that too. The sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun also composed some of the psalms in the Book of Psalms We do not know if Philip's daughters composed songs, but in view of the other examples that we have of prophets and prophetesses, they may have done so. In any case, the definition of "prophet" should probably be understood to mean "worship leader," not in the restricted sense of a song-leader, but of a person who also passed along messages (songs) that God had inspired.

The organization of singers is surprising (v. 7), since the Chronicler elsewhere presented Israel's worship as done in compliance with the Mosaic Law, which made no provision for a choir. However the prophets Nathan and Gad had authorized this choir (2 Chron. 29:25). Furthermore, this choir was in harmony with other legislation in the Law that directed praise of the LORD (cf. Num. 10:10; Deut. 10:8; 18:5). Also, the frequent scriptural admonition to rejoice in God's presence encouraged creative expressions of worship in harmony with God's Word.[173]

"David was Israel's Mozart, a consummate genius. He provides the libretto of his psalms to accompany the ritual in connection with musical scores; elaborates the liturgy's staging in the magnificent temple that he envisioned and his son built; and gave the liturgy a choreography that includes dances and processions. With David, the Mosaic liturgy comes to life, reaching its aesthetic zenith."[174]

25:8-31      These musicians, like the priests, served in 24 divisions. The casting of lots determined their leaders. The re-establishment of temple worship was important in postexilic Israel, and music played a large part in it. Consequently David's organization would have been of great interest then.

The organization of the gatekeepers 26:1-19

26:1-11      David also organized the officers of the Levites as gatekeepers (cf. 23:5). These were evidently guards who were posted at the temple gates (vv. 13, 16), as the notation that some of them were "valiant men" suggests (vv. 6, 7).[175]

26:12-19    These verses indicate the various gates at which the gatekeepers worked in shifts. Their assignments were also determined by lot. David even specified the number of guards at each temple gate (vv. 17-18). The "annex" (v. 18; "Parbar," AV) was possibly a court or colonnade.[176] Another view is that it refers to a suburb.[177] There were evidently 24 guard stations manned 24 hours a day. In view of the wealth in and on the temple—it was overlaid with gold—security needed to be tight.

The Levites responsible for the temple treasures 26:20-28

26:20-21    A group of Levites was also in charge of the temple treasures (its furnishings and utensils) and the gifts that were deposited in the temple. David took much booty in his wars (e.g., 2 Sam. 8:7, 11; 12:30). David also donated so much silver and gold to the temple that it was probably not all used in its construction but stored in the temple. The people also brought gifts to the temple (1 Kings 10:25). So the temple was the Fort Knox of Israel.

26:22-28    These verses record who the Levites were who were in charge of these treasures. David's commanders also dedicated treasure to the LORD, as did Samuel, Saul, Abner, and Joab. These too were under the care of the Levites who were assigned to protect them.

The Levitical officials and judges outside Jerusalem 26:29-32

Some of the Levites who descended from Izhar and Hebron were assigned duties away from the temple as officials and judges over Israel. The officials were evidently helpers of the judges.[178]

"There were more Levites employed as judges with the two tribes and a half on the other side Jordan than with all the rest of the tribes; there were 2,700; whereas on the west side of Jordan there were 1,700, v. 30, 32. Either those remote tribes were not so well furnished as the rest with judges of their own, or because they, lying furthest from Jerusalem and on the borders of the neighbouring nations, were most in danger of being infected with idolatry, and most needed the help of Levites to prevent it."[179]

Every detail of temple service was important to David. This shows his heart for God and how he lived in the present with the future that God had promised clearly in view.

3.     Preparations for governmental order ch. 27

David also organized his army (vv. 1-15), Israel's tribal leaders (vv. 16-24), his administrators (vv. 25-31), and his counselors and advisers (vv. 32-34).

The commanders of the army 27:1-15

Verse 1 is a general introduction to this chapter. The rest of this section pericope lists the name of each of the 12 army commanders (generals) in David's army, those who were in each one's division, and the number of the month in which each division served.

"Apparently a professional standing army is being described here, one broken up into twelve corps that served a month at a time on a rotating basis."[180]

David did all this to ensure Israel's future stability so what God had promised could happen without unnecessary opposition or confusion.

The leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel 27:16-24

Again the writer mentioned 12 tribes, but in this list he included Levi and the two halves of Manasseh. He omitted Gad and Asher (cf. ch. 7).

"The mention of the tribes and their leaders brought to mind David's ill-fated census (21:1-17; 2 Sam. 24). This extra piece of information helps us understand why the numbers differ in the two accounts (24:9; 21:5), because Joab didn't finish the census and not all the numbers were recorded."[181]

An interesting name in the list of tribal leaders is Jaasiel the son of Abner (v. 21). Abner was, of course, King Saul's commander-in-chief. It is to David's credit that he made Abner's son the head of the tribe of Benjamin. This was a wise decision politically in that it made a potential trouble-maker a high-ranking official, and it kept a potential enemy clearly in the king's view. But it also reflects David's characteristic spirit of forgiveness.

The agricultural officials 27:25-31

David also appointed officials over every aspect of the agricultural life of Israel: the storehouses, workers, vineyards, trees, cattle, camels, donkeys, flocks, and everything connected with them.

The king's advisors 27:32-34

"His [David's] uncle [Jonathan], who was a wise man and a scribe, not only well skilled in politics, but well read in the scriptures, was his counsellor, v. 32."[182]

Included in this list was the tutor of David's sons: Jehiel. Ahithophel and Hushai were prominent figures when David fled from Absalom (cf. 2 Sam. 15). "The king's friend" (v. 33) was his confidant. Joab also was considered one of David's advisors (v. 34: cf. 2 Sam. 24:3).

Chapters 22 through 27 record David's preparation for the fulfillment of those Davidic Covenant promises that would come after he passed off the scene. His preoccupation with God's promises and his preparations for their fulfillment served as a good example for Chronicles' original readers. David's zeal for the house of the LORD reflected his zeal for the reputation of the LORD. He truly put God's glory before his own personal ambitions. These chapters also reveal David's gift of administration.

"Whatever service God calls men to he either finds them fit or makes them so."[183]

G.     David's assembly at the end of his life 28:1—29:21

The earlier Old Testament historical books did not record this convocation. 1 Kings 2:10 noted David's death briefly.

A primary concern of the Chronicler, the evidence of which is his selection of material and emphases, was the promise of a king who would come and rule over God's people. God had fulfilled some of the Davidic Covenant promises in David's lifetime: He had made David's name great (17:8), He had made Israel secure in their land (17:9), He had subdued all of David's enemies (17:10), He had set up one of David's sons to rule after him (17:11a), and he had adopted Solomon as His son (17:13a). Still other promises remained to be fulfilled: Solomon was yet to build a temple for the LORD (17:12a), God would establish Solomon's throne forever (17:11b, 12b, 14), and He would not remove His favor from Solomon (17:12b).

1.     David's address to Israel's leaders 28:1-8

David assembled and addressed all the leaders of Israel. This is clear from the plural imperatives in the Hebrew text in this pericope. He explained to them that he had intended to build a permanent house for the ark of the covenant "the footstool of our God" (v. 2). So he had made preparations to build it (v. 2). But the LORD forbade his building it since he was as warrior and had shed much blood (v. 3; cf. 22:8). Yet the LORD had chosen him to be king over Israel in keeping with his promise to raise up a ruler from the tribe of Judah (v. 4; cf. Gen. 49:10). The LORD had also chosen Solomon to succeed him and to build a temple and its courtyards (vv. 5-6a; 17:11-12a). Yahweh had promised to adopt Solomon as His own son (v. 6b; cf. 17:13). He had also promised to establish Solomon's kingdom forever (cf. 17:12) if Solomon would continue to obey Him as David had done (v. 7). Then David called on the whole gathered assembly to "seek after" (keep) and the LORD's commandments so that they could continue to possess the land and leave it to their descendants (v. 8).

"These verses [4-5], although subordinate in the speech to the theme of the building of the Temple, contain some of the book's most important views on the concepts of the Israelite monarchy in general and the Davidic dynasty in particular."[184]

For a third time the writer recorded the promises that God gave to David. In the first case, God gave them to David (17:8-14). In the second, David repeated them to Solomon (22:9-10). In the third, David repeated them to Israel's leaders (28:6-7).

David undoubtedly hoped that Solomon would fulfill all of the promises in the covenant. But He realized that to do so Solomon would have to obey God faithfully (v. 7). Solomon, however, was not completely obedient; he did not resolutely perform God's commandments and His ordinances as David had done (v. 7). Consequently, if God is faithful to His promises, a faithful Son of David had to arise after Solomon died in order to fulfill these promises. The Chronicler looked forward to this future hope because no Judean king that followed David measured up to the standard of righteousness that he had set.

In describing David's plans for building the temple, the Chronicler seems to have wanted to present David as a second Moses. He also seems to have wanted to present Solomon as a second Joshua to some extent.[185]

2.     David's charges to Solomon 28:9-21

The first charge 28:9-10

David next spoke directly to Solomon. He urged his son to "know" David's God, to serve Him willingly and wholeheartedly, because Yahweh examines every person's heart and thoughts. David stressed obedience from the heart, not just external conformity to the directions that he had given. Like Solomon, the people also failed here (Isa. 29:13). David promised that if Solomon sought the LORD, the LORD would let him find Him, but if he forsook the LORD, the LORD would forsake him (cf. Jer. 29:13).

"In a number of passages unique to Chronicles (i.e., not found in the parallel text of Samuel-Kings) the author specifically articulates the theme of an immediate divine response to precipitating events (1 Chron. 28:8-9; 2 Chron. 12:5; 15:2; 20:20)."[186]

David also remined Solomon that Yahweh had chosen him to build the temple, so he should be courageous and do it (cf. 22:13).

David's counsel to Solomon on this occasion contained excellent advice for the restoration community that first read Chronicles, and it remains good advice for us today as well.

The handing over of the temple plans 28:11-19

These verses constitute another charge that David gave Solomon. By handing over the plans of the temple to Solomon, David was charging him to build it.

"Having informed the assembly why Solomon would be the one to build the temple (vv. 1-8), and having exhorted Solomon to be strong and forthright in accepting his responsibility (vv. 9-10), David makes a move of strategic importance in getting the work started (vv. 11-21). He hands over three plans for the temple's preparation."[187]

The first plan was for the physical structures that would make up the temple complex (vv. 11-12). The second plan was for how the priests and Levities would serve in the temple (v. 13a; cf. 23:3—26:32). The third plan included a description of the temple furnishings and utensils (vv. 13a-18; cf. 26:20-28). David claimed that the LORD had given him the detailed plans for the temple in writing (v. 19). Evidently God had instructed David as He had Moses (Exod. 25—31).

The writer did not include all the details of the plan that David received from the LORD any more than the writer of Kings did. Nevertheless God revealed the instructions for the temple as specifically as He had revealed the instructions for the tabernacle. The postexilic Jews must have had more detailed plans than are available to us today as well.

"… the Temple of Old Testament Israel was not essentially a 'religious' center where religious activities such as sacrifice and worship were carried out; it was the house of Yahweh, the palace of the Great King who could and must be visited there by His devoted subjects. Losing sight of this downplays the centrality of covenant as a fundamental theological principle. When one understands that Yahweh had redeemed and made covenant with His elect people Israel as a great king makes covenant with a vassal, the role of the Temple as the focal point of Israel's faith becomes immediately apparent. It is the palace of the Sovereign, the place to which they make periodic pilgrimage to proffer their allegiance and to offer up their gifts of homage. Seen as such, the care with which even its most minute details are revealed and executed is most intelligible, for as the visible expression of the invisible God, the Temple with all its forms and functions becomes a sublime revelatory vehicle of the character and purposes of the Almighty."[188]

Today it is generally recognized that the design of the temple was not completely unique. Archaeological evidence has been found showing that temples of similar design existed in Phoenicia and Syria at this time.[189] As with Israel's tabernacle, the temple was built in the pattern of some similar worship structures, though, of course, it had unique features.

"A problem in many churches today is the failure to recognize that corporate worship is an experience to be governed to a certain degree by order and propriety. David did not concoct the design of the temple by his own imagination, nor could Solomon build it as he pleased. The very architecture of the place was intended to teach Israel important lessons about the glory, grandeur, and awesomeness of their God. Christian worship that does less should be called into serious question."[190]

The second charge 28:20-21

This chapter concludes with David's last charge to Solomon, which is quite similar to Moses' charges to the Israelites and Joshua just before his death (cf. Deut. 31:6, 8) and the LORD's charge to Joshua at the beginning of his major ministry of leading the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan (cf. Josh. 1:5). David encouraged Solomon by assuring him that, in addition to God being with him, the people of Israel were behind him and would help him.

3.     David's challenge to Israel's leaders and their response 29:1-9

David next challenged Israel's leaders to join him in contributing from their resources toward the construction of the temple.

29:1-5        He reminded them of Solomon's inexperience and publicly made another substantial donation to the cost of building the temple in addition to what he had previously given. He also challenged them to consecrate themselves to the LORD. David sought to instill his own zeal for God's glory in his hearers. David's challenge provided a model for the leaders of the restoration community, and it provides a model for modern fundraisers. Haggai echoed David's words of encouragement to begin building hundreds of years later to Israel's leaders in his day (Hag. 2:4-5).

29:6-9        David's appeal and his example were effective. The people donated a freewill offering of more gold, silver, bronze, and other materials in order to make Yahweh's house reflect the glory of His greatness (cf. Hag. 2:6-9).[191]

"According to 22:14, the spoils of battle devoted to the Lord amounted to 3,750 tons of gold and 37,500 tons of silver. David added from his own wealth 110 tons of gold and 260 tons of silver (v. 4). This means that David was responsible for providing 3,860 tons of gold and 37,760 tons of silver. But the king then urged his leaders to give generously to the 'building fund' (vv. 6-9), and they contributed 190 tons of gold, plus another 185 pounds, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 3,750 tons of iron, as well as precious stones."[192]

The Israelites of Moses' day had been similarly generous in providing building materials for the tabernacle (Exod. 25:1-7; 35:4-9, 20-29).

"Often the extent to which we are prepared to put at risk our material well-being is a measure of the seriousness with which we take our discipleship. … People are closest to God-likeness in self-giving, and the nearer they approach God-likeness the more genuinely and rightly they become capable of rejoicing."[193]

"To have real delight in the work of God one must give to it. The real pleasure of a great work is consecrated co-operation."[194]

4.     David's prayer and the leaders' response 29:10-21

"The climax of David's reign, as portrayed by the Chronicler, has now been reached. All the preparations for building the temple have been completed, and Solomon, chosen by God as the one who shall bring the plans to fruition, is about to be proclaimed as king over all Israel. And at this point the Chronicler reveals his true heart: the proper response to such a situation is a prayer which breathes joyful faith and simple humility."[195]

These were some of David's last official words to his nation and his son Solomon. Ancient Near Easterners regarded such statements as extremely important, as indeed they were. In this address to God David reviewed the major lessons that he had learned in his life. David's prayer had three parts: praise (vv. 10b-13), presentation (vv. 14-17), and petition (vv. 18-19).

29:10-13    First, David acknowledged that everything belonged to Israel's great God.

"The truth that 'everything' we have 'comes from' God is the foundation for the doctrine of stewardship. Its basis is this: since our property is his (Ps. 24:1), and since we hold it only temporarily and in trust (1 Chron. 29:15-16), it should therefore be used for him (Luke 17:10 …)."[196]

29:14-17    Second, David acknowledged his own and Israel's humble origin and condition. God's universal kingdom includes all that exists in space and time. He rules over all of it. He had caused Israel, His kingdom on earth, to grow from a small family of insignificant shepherds to become a mighty nation. The Israelites were merely temporary residents on the earth. All that they had given to build the temple had been given to them by God. Their prosperity was not a result of their own merit. God had graciously and abundantly blessed both David and Israel. He had put it in David's heart to build the temple, and He had put in the hearts of Israel's leaders to support its building.

"Verses 14-17 constitute a confession, not of guilt, but of utter dependence on the Yahweh whose greatness has been extolled in vv. 11-12."[197]

29:18-19    Third, David also spoke of the importance of a heart devoted to God (cf. 1 Sam. 16:7). He asked God to keep his people's hearts ever true to Him, and to give Solomon a heart that would be obedient to His commandments, and that he would complete the building of the temple. The people's lavish donation revealed hearts that God had touched. David prayed that that heart attitude might remain in all of the Israelites forever.

"Three important attitudes were expected in Israel—not merely obedience but obedience with a perfect heart (1 Chr 28:9; 29:9, 17); not merely contributions to the temple for its repair and upkeep and the support of its personnel but willing contributions (1 Chr 29:1-9, 14, 17); and not merely temple rituals but ritual participation with joy (1 Chr 29:9, 17, 22)."[198]

These emphases are even more prominent in 2 Chronicles than they are in 1 Chronicles.[199]

"The phrase 'with a perfect heart' or 'with all the heart' occurs 21 times in Chronicles, whereas it is found only three times in the parallel passages in Kings."[200]

29:20-21    In response to David's prayer and his call to the leaders to praise the LORD, they bowed down, showing their respect for and submission to the LORD and King David. The following day they offered thousands of bulls, rams, lambs, and drink offerings as sacrifices to Yahweh. They celebrated with a feast and great gladness.

5.     Solomon's second anointing 29:22-25

David's assembly at the end of his reign (28:1—29:25) ended and climaxed with the anointing and coronation of Solomon as the sole king of Israel.[201] Solomon had been David's co-regent for the two previous years (cf. 23:1). The events surrounding Adonijah's rebellion and Solomon's previous anointing (1 Kings 1) were of no significance to the Chronicler since they had no bearing on his purpose. His interest lay in Solomon as a recipient of the Davidic Covenant promises and the builder of the temple.

Zadok was also installed as the only high priest. The reign of Solomon was marked by prosperity and peaceful conditions in Israel. Solomon enjoyed the full support of the leaders of Israel as well. The LORD honored him even more than He had honored Saul or David.

H.     David's death 29:26-30 (cf. 1 Kings 2:10-12)

The writer summarized and highlighted David's greatness again and cited documentation for the sources that he had used in researching David's life and reign. Altogether the Chronicler identified 32 sources that he used in writing 1 and 2 Chronicles. Most of these were official annals, genealogical records, or prophetic records.[202] Compare the summary of Moses' life in Deuteronomy 34:7.

"A Russian proverb says, 'Even the greatest king must at last be put to bed with a shovel.' True, but some bring glory to God even from the grave! From that day on, the Jewish kings were all measured against David (1 Kings 3:3; 15:5; 2 Kings 18:3; 22:2; 14:3; 15:3, 34; 16:2; 18:3; 20:3)."[203]

As the reign of David closed, God had already fulfilled many of His promises in the Davidic Covenant. But some remained unfulfilled. On the basis of God's faithfulness thus far the Chronicler had built a solid base of confidence that God would also fulfill those that remained. This fulfillment motif is one that he carried through his history of David and Solomon's successors that follows in 2 Chronicles.

"The Chronicler presents not one but two great kings as the ideal for Israel. The one was David, the warrior-king, who subdued the enemies of the people of God and established a secure domain. He was now passing, and the other, Solomon, was taking his place. Solomon was a man of peace who would build up the prosperity of the nation. These two things together—victory over enemies and a reign of peace—are both essential. For Christian readers these two ideals are fulfilled in the one man, Jesus Christ. He conquers all his foes but at the same time establishes a reign of peace for his own people. In this the tandem of David and Solomon are a type of Christ.[204]

Conclusion

What Deuteronomy is to the Pentateuch, and John is to the Gospels, Chronicles is to the Historical Books of the Old Testament: a selective history designed to teach spiritual lessons.

Here are some contrasts of Samuel and Kings with Chronicles.

• In style, Samuel and Kings are more biographical, while Chronicles is more statistical.
• In approach, Samuel and Kings are more personal, whereas Chronicles is more official.
• In viewpoint, Samuel and Kings are more prophetic, while Chronicles is more priestly.
• In emphasis, Samuel and Kings stress the throne, but Chronicles focuses on the temple and the ark.
• In purpose, Samuel and Kings provide indictment for sin, and Chronicles tries to incite to godliness.
• The history in Samuel and Kings deals mainly with civil and political life, whereas the history in Chronicles emphasizes the sacred and ritual aspects.
• Samuel and Kings give the history of both Israel and Judah, with more space given to Israel, but Chronicles gives only the history of Judah.

Appendix 1

Passages Unique to Chronicles
(in probable chronological order)[205]

 

 

Appendix 2

Numbers in Chronicles that Disagree
with their Old Testament Parallels[206]

 

 

There is a total of 19 disagreements out of 213 paralleled numbers. Note that K repeats I above.

Bibliography

Ackroyd, Peter R. I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah. London: SCM Press, 1973.

Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed., New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.

Albright, William F. Archaeology and the Religion of Israel. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1946.

_____. The Archaeology of Palestine. 1949. Revised ed. Pelican Archaeology series. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, Eng.: Penguin Books, 1956.

Allen, Leslie C. "Kerygmatic Units in 1 & 2 Chronicles." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 41 (June 1988):21-36.

Archer, Gleason L., Jr. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982.

_____. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Revised ed. Chicago: Moody Press, 1974.

Barnes, W. E. The Books of Chronicles. Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1899.

Baxter, J. Sidlow. Explore the Book. 1960. One vol. ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1980.

Bramer, Stephen J. "Suffering in the Historical Books." In Why, O God? Suffering and Disability in the Bible and the Church, pp. 99-109. Edited by Larry J. Waters and Roy B. Zuck. Wheaton: Crossway, 2011.

Braun, Roddy L. 1 Chronicles. Word Biblical Commentary series. Waco: Word Books, 1986.

_____. "The Message of Chronicles: Rally 'Round the Temple." Concordia Theological Monthly 42:8 (September 1971):502-14.

Bright, John A. A History of Israel. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1959.

Bury, J. B.; S. A. Cook; and F. E. Adcock, eds. The Cambridge Ancient History. 12 vols. 2nd ed. reprinted. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1928.

Chisholm, Robert B., Jr. "Does God Deceive?" Bibliotheca Sacra 155:617 (January-March 1998):11-28.

_____. Interpreting the Historical Books: An Exegetical Handbook. Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis series. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2006.

Constable, Thomas L. "A Theology of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth." In A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, pp. 89-113. Edited by Roy B. Zuck. Chicago: Moody Press, 1991.

Cooper, David L. "The Prayer of Jabez." Biblical Research Monthly 9:1 (January 1944):3-4.

Cooper, Kenneth R. "King and Cultus: A Suggested Framework for a Theology of the Chronicles." Journal of Dispensational Theology 12:36 (August 2008):63-83.

Crockett, William Day. A Harmony of the Books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973.

Cross, Frank Moore, Jr. "A Reconstruction of the Judean Restoration." Interpretation 29:2 (1975):187-201.

Curtis, Edward Lewis, and Albert Alonzo Madsen. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Books of Chronicles. International Critical Commentary series. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1910.

Darby, John Nelson. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. Revised ed. 5 vols. New York: Loizeaux Brothers Publishers, 1942.

Davis, John J., and John C. Whitcomb. A History of Israel. Reprint ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980.

de Vaux, Roland. Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions. 2 vols. Translated by John McHugh. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1961.

De Vries, Simon J. 1 and 2 Chronicles. The Forms of the Old Testament Literature series. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1989.

_____. "The Forms of Prophetic Address in Chronicles." Hebrew Annual Review 10 (1986):15-35.

Dillard, Raymond B. "The Chronicler's Solomon." Westminster Theological Journal 43 (1981):289-300.

Dyer, Charles H., and Eugene H. Merrill. The Old Testament Explorer. Nashville: Word Publishing, 2001. Reissued as Nelson's Old Testament Survey. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001.

Edersheim, Alfred. The Temple: Its Ministry and Services As They Were at the Time of Jesus Christ. Reprint ed. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1972.

Eichrodt, Walther. Theology of the Old Testament. 5^th ed. revised. 2 vols. Translated by John A. Baker. The Old Testament Library series. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1961 and 1967.

Elmslie, W. A. L. The Books of Chronicles. Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1916.

Free, Joseph P. Archaeology and Bible History. 6th ed. Wheaton: Scripture Press, 1950, 1959.

Freedman, David Noel. "The Chronicler's Purpose." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 23 (1961):436-42.

Gaebelein, Arno C. The Annotated Bible. 4 vols. Reprint ed. Chicago: Moody Press, and New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1970.

Goldingay, John. "The Chronicler As a Theologian." Biblical Theology Bulletin 5:2 (June 1975):99-126.

Gordon, R. P. "In Search of David: The David in Recent Study." In Faith, Tradition, and History. Edited by A. R. Millard, et al. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1994.

Hanna, Kenneth G. From Moses to Malachi: Exploring the Old Testament. 2nd ed. Edited by Roy B. Zuck. Bloomington, Ind.: CrossBooks, 2014.

Harrison, R. K. Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1969.

Harton, George M. "Fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28—30 in History and in Eschatology." Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1981.

Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible. One volume ed. Edited by Leslie F. Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Co., 1961.

Hiebert, D. Edmond. Working With God: Scriptural Studies in Intercession. New York: Carlton Press, 1987.

Hodges, Zane C. "Conflicts in the Biblical Account of the Ammonite-Syrian War." Bibliotheca Sacra 119:475 (July-September 1962):238-43.

The Holy Bible: Authorized King James Version. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, n.d.

The Holy Bible: New International Version. Colorado Springs, et al.: International Bible Society, 1984.

The Holy Bible: Today's New International Version. Colorado Springs: Zondervan/International Bible Society, 2005.

Howard, David M., Jr. An Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books. Chicago: Moody Press, 1993.

Jacob, Edmond. Theology of the Old Testament. Translated by Arthur W. Heathcote and Philip J. Allcock. New York and Evanston, Ill.: Harper & Row, 1958.

Jamieson, Robert; A. R. Fausset; and David Brown. Commentary Practical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Reprint ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1961.

Japhet, Sara. I & II Chronicles. Old Testament Library series. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993.

_____. "The Historical Reliability of Chronicles." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 33 (October 1985):83-107.

_____. The Ideology of the Book of Chronicles and Its Place in Biblical Thought. New York: Peter Lang, 1989.

_____. "The Supposed Common Authorship of Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah Investigated Anew." Vetus Testamentum 18 (1968):330-71.

Jennings, J. E. "Ancient Near Eastern Religion and Biblical Interpretation." In Interpreting the Word of God, pp. 11-30. Edited by Samuel J. Schultz and Morris A. Inch. Chicago: Moody Press, 1976.

Johnson, Aubrey. Sacral Kingship in Ancient Israel. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1955.

Johnson, M. D. The Purpose of the Biblical Genealogies. Second ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988.

Josephus, Flavius. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston. London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1866; reprint ed. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988.

Kaiser, Walter C., Jr. Toward an Old Testament Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978.

Keil, C. F. The Books of the Chronicles. Translated by Andrew Harper. Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., n.d.

Kidner, Derek. Ezra and Nehemiah. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1979.

Kitchen, K. A. The Bible In Its World. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1977.

Kleinig, J. W. "The Divine Institution of the Lord's Song in Chronicles." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 55 (1992):75-83.

Knights, C. H. "The Text of 1 Chronicles IV 12: A Reappraisal." Vetus Testamentum 37:3 (July 1987):375-77.

Lange, John Peter, ed. Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. 12 vols. Reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1960. Vol. 4: Chronicles—Job, by Otto Zockler, Fr. W. Schultz, and Howard Crosby. Translated, enlarged, and edited by James G. Murphy, Charles A. Briggs, James Strong, and L. J. Evans.

Lemke, Werner E. "The Synoptic Problem in the Chronicler's History." Harvard Theological Review 58 (1965):349-63.

The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, and London, Eng.: Coverdale House Publishers Ltd., 1971, 1973.

Longman, Tremper, III and Raymond B. Dillard. An Introduction to the Old Testament. 2^nd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.

Lorenz, Wolfgang. "'For We are Strangers before Thee and Sojourners'—2 [1] Chron. 29:15." American Baptist Quarterly 9:4 (December 1990):268-80.

Mazar, Benjamin. "The Military Elite of King David." Vetus Testamentum 13 (1963):10-20.

McConville, J. Gordon. I & II Chronicles. Daily Study Bible series. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1984.

McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee. 5 vols. Pasadena, Calif.: Thru The Bible Radio; and Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1983.

Merrill, Eugene H. "1 Chronicles." In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, pp. 589-617. Edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1985.

_____. 1, 2 Chronicles. Bible Study Commentary series. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, Lamplighter Books, 1988.

_____. "The Book of Ruth: Narration and Shared Themes." Bibliotheca Sacra 142:566 (April-June 1985):130-41.

_____. "The Chronicler: What Kind of Historian Was He Anyway?" Bibliotheca Sacra 165:660 (October-December 2008):397-412.

_____. "Ebla and Biblical Historical Inerrancy." Bibliotheca Sacra 140:550 (October-December 1983):302-21.

_____. Kingdom of Priests. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987.

_____. "A Theology of Chronicles." In A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, pp. 157-87. Edited by Roy B. Zuck. Chicago: Moody Press, 1991.

_____. "The Theology of the 'Chronicler': What Difference Does It Make?" Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 59:4 (2016):691-700.

Monson, James M. The Land Between. Jerusalem: By the author, P.O. Box 1276, 1983.

Morgan, G. Campbell. An Exposition of the Whole Bible. Westwood, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1959.

_____. Living Messages of the Books of the Bible. 2 vols. New York: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1912.

_____. The Unfolding Message of the Bible. Westwood, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1961.

Myers, Jacob M. I Chronicles. Anchor Bible series. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Co., 1965.

The Nelson Study Bible. Edited by Earl D. Radmacher. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997.

Newsome, James D., Jr. ed. A Synoptic Harmony of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986.

The NET2 (New English Translation) Bible. N.c.: Biblical Press Foundation, 2019.

The New American Standard Bible. La Habra, Cal.: The Lockman Foundation, 2020.

The New Bible Dictionary. Edited by J. D. Douglas. 1962 ed. S.v. "Hagrites, Hagarites," by R. J. Way, p. 499.

The New Scofield Reference Bible. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, William Culbertson, et al. New York: Oxford University Press, 1967.

Page, Sydney H. T. "Satan: God's Servant." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 50:3 (September 2007):449-65.

Payne, J. Barton. "1, 2 Chronicles." In I Kings-Job. Vol. 4 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary. 12 vols. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein and Richard D. Polcyn. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988.

_____. "First Chronicles." In The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, pp. 367- 90. Edited by Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison. Chicago: Moody Press, 1962.

_____. The Theology of the Older Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962.

_____. "The Validity of the Numbers in Chronicles." Bibliotheca Sacra 136:542 (April-June 1979):109-28; 543 (July-September 1979):206-20.

Pettinato, Giovanni. "The Royal Archives of Tell Mardekh-Ebla." Biblical Archaeologist 39 (May 1976):44-52.

Pfeiffer, Charles F., and Howard F. Vos. The Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible Lands. Chicago: Moody Press, 1967.

Sailhamer, John. "1 Chronicles 21:1—A Study in Inter-biblical Interpretation." Trinity Journal 10NS:1 (Spring 1989):33-48.

_____. First and Second Chronicles. Everyman's Bible Commentary series. Chicago: Moody Press, 1983.

Schwantes, Siegfried J. A Short History of the Ancient Near East. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1965.

Slotki, I.W. Chronicles. London: Soncino Press, 1952.

Steinmann, Andrew E. "What Did David Understand about the Promises in the Davidic Covenant?" Bibliotheca Sacra 171:681 (January-March 2014):19-29.

Student Map Manual. Jerusalem: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est., 1979.

Swindoll, Charles R. The Swindoll Study Bible. Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2017.

Thompson, J. A. 1, 2 Chronicles. New American Commentary series. N.c.: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994.

Townsend, Jeffrey L. "The Purpose of 1 and 2 Chronicles." Bibliotheca Sacra 145:575 (July-September 1987):277-92.

Unger, Merrill F. Demons in the World Today: A Study of Occultism in the Light of God's Word. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1971.

von Rad, Gerhard. Old Testament Theology. 2 vols. Translated by D. M. G. Stalker. New York and Evanston, Ill.: Harper & Row, 1962 and 1965.

Waltke, Bruce K. An Old Testament Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2007.

_____. "The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Text of the Old Testament." In New Perspectives on the Old Testament, pp. 212-39. Edited by J. Barton Payne. Waco: Word Books, 1970.

Wenham, G. J. "Were David's Sons Priests?" Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 87:1 (1975):79-82.

Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary/History. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Cook Communications Ministries, 2003.

Wilcock, Michael. The Message of Chronicles. The Bible Speaks Today series. Leicester, Eng. and Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1987.

Williamson, H. G. M. 1 and 2 Chronicles. New Century Bible Commentary series. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., and London: Marshall, Morgan, and Scott, 1982.

_____. "The Accession of Solomon in the Book of Chronicles." Vetus Testamentum 26 (1976):351-61.

Wilson, R. R. Genealogy and History in the Biblical World. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1977.

Wood, Leon. The Prophets of Israel. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979.

_____. A Survey of Israel's History. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970.

Wright, J. W. "Guarding the Gates: 1 Chronicles 26:1-18 and the Roles of Gatekeepers in Chronicles." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 48 (1990):69-81.

Yoder, Sanford Calvin. Poetry of the Old Testament. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1948

Young, Edward J. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Revised ed. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1960.

Zalewski, Saul. "The Purpose of the Story of the Death of Saul in 1 Chronicles X." Vetus Testamentum 39:4 (October 1989):449-467.