2 Chronicles

What makes 2 Chronicles special?

The book of 2 Chronicles continues the story told in 1 Chronicles, and before that, in the books of Samuel and Kings. But 2 Chronicles introduces a new point of view. The writer of 2 Chronicles is more concerned with the ways of proper worship than with political matters.

In telling the story of Solomon, the writer concentrates on Solomon's building of the temple, leaving out the less appealing details of how Solomon came to the throne (1 Kgs 1,2) and his later fall from faith (1 Kgs 11). In dealing with the kings who came after Solomon, the writer pays particular attention to Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, four kings who were especially faithful and dedicated to bringing the people back to God.

Why was 2 Chronicles written?

Like 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles was written to give encouragement to the people who had returned from exile in Babylon. The writer of 2 Chronicles makes the point that God's plan for them was not affected by the fall of Judah or by their long stay in a foreign land. Though they might feel that their hopes as God's people had perished with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, the writer intends to show them that this was just another stage in the accomplishment of God's purpose. The writer wants to encourage them to reestablish their religious practices and institutions in the tradition of those who had gone before them.

What's the story behind the scene?

The book of 2 Chronicles repeats many stories that are found in 1 and 2 Kings, but from the point of view of devotion to faith. The stories needed to be retold, because the situation of their audience was quite different from that of the people who had first read the books of Samuel and Kings. The original readers of those earlier books had lived during the exile and had experienced the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the rule by David's ancestors. Their lives were filled with questions, such as “Why did this happen to us?” and “Did God's plan fail?” The books of Samuel and Kings answer these questions by showing that God did not fail. God fulfilled his warning that the people would be punished for their failure to live up to their agreement to obey God's word.

But the books of Chronicles are addressed to people who have returned from exile in Babylon. Their questions are different and require a different telling of the story. Instead of asking “Why did this happen to us?” the people want to ask about their relationship to the past: “Are we still the people of God?” and “What do God's promises to David mean for us?” The books of Chronicles retell the story of Israel's past in ways that speak to these questions.

How is 2 Chronicles constructed?

The book of 2 Chronicles is told in three major sections. The first section (2 Chr 1–9) tells the story of Solomon, the builder of the temple. The second section (2 Chr 10–28) retells the story of the divided monarchy following the rebellion of the northern tribes, but it records only the history of the southern kingdom, Judah. The third section (2 Chr 29–36) presents the story of the monarchy from the conquest of the northern kingdom by the Assyrians until the exile of the people of Judah to Babylon. At the close of 2 Chronicles, King Cyrus of Persia declares the end of the exile, and the people are allowed to return to Judah.