1 Chronicles

What makes 1 Chronicles special?

The long family lists that begin 1 Chronicles make this book special. For the writer of 1 Chronicles and his audience, who had recently returned from exile in Babylon, these long family lists were very good news. The people were worried about their relationship with God, and they wondered if the promises God made to their ancestors still applied to them. The writer uses these lists to connect his own generation to ancestors going all the way back to Adam (1 Chr 1.1). For those who were worried that God had lost interest in them, the lists showed that Israel was still special to, and loved by, God.

Why was 1 Chronicles written?

1 Chronicles retells the story of King David, already familiar from 2 Samuel, from a more uplifting point of view. This is done by linking David to the sacred chest, worship in Jerusalem, and above all, to the careful preparations for the building of the temple. Some stories from 2 Samuel that might present David in an unfavorable light are left out. His adultery with Bathsheba, David's arranging of the death of her husband Uriah, and Nathan's criticism of David (2 Sam 11,12) are all left out.

The purpose of presenting David's story in this way is to show his strengths rather than his human weaknesses, and to present his faith and devotion to God as a model for Israel's leaders. After God chose David and his family to lead Israel and build the temple, David is shown making the land safe, getting the temple site, organizing for worship there, and planning for the temple's construction. Later, David's son, Solomon, continues what his father began by actually building the temple (see 2 Chronicles).

What's the story behind the scene?

For many years there were reasons to think that 1 and 2 Chronicles formed a single work with the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, with Ezra as the possible author. For example, the same decree of Cyrus appears at the ending of 2 Chronicles and at the beginning of Ezra (2 Chr 36.23; Ezra 1.1-4). Also, 1 Esdras, an early Greek language version of the story, quotes from 2 Chronicles 35 and much of Ezra, indicating that these two books were once joined. In addition, 1 and 2 Chronicles are written in a style similar to that of Ezra and Nehemiah, and they share many examples of similar vocabulary. Finally, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah all share a strong interest in worship and lists.

Today, many scholars think that 1 and 2 Chronicles should be separated from Ezra and Nehemiah. While the overlap between the end of 2 Chronicles and the beginning of Ezra may show an original joining of these works, it could also represent an attempt to join two previously separate works. Similarly, it is not clear that 1 Esdras represents an early stage in the relationship between 1 and 2 Chronicles and Ezra. It may instead indicate a stage after these books were connected for other reasons. Also, that these books are written in similar Hebrew is true. But that does not prove that the same person wrote them. Of greater importance, however, is the fact that these books are very different in significant ways. Differences include their handling of the identity of “Israel,” the Sabbath, mixed marriages, God's promise that David's ancestors would always rule, the role of prophecy, the function of the Levites, and the importance of the exodus.

How is 1 Chronicles constructed?

1 Chronicles falls into two major sections. The first section, 1 Chronicles 1–9, makes use of long family lists to trace the history of God's people from Adam to the end of the Babylonian exile. The second section, 1 Chronicles 10–29, is devoted to retelling the story of David in terms of his contributions to the worship life of Israel.