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1 Chronicles 28:9 - And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
1 Chronicles 28:10 - Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do [it].
 

The Old Testament - A Brief Overview

In the English versions of the Bible, the two books of Chronicles are placed immediately after Kings, although in the Hebrew canon they stand at the very end of the Old Testament. It is usually assumed that, as in the case of the books of Samuel and Kings, the two books of Chronicles were originally one. The Hebrew title of the books is translated "the words of the days." The name Chronicles is largely due to a suggestion by Jerome to the effect that they ought to bear a title derived from the Greek word for time, chronos. Unfortunately, the title has led many to consider the books as nothing more than copies of public, documents or annals, when in reality they were designed for a serious religious purpose, as will be noted below.

The date of the Chronicles can be no earlier than the decree of Cyrus allowing the Jews to return from Babylon (Cf. 2 Chr. 36:22), which sets c. 537 BC as a terminal date. The general belief that these two books form a unit with Ezra and Nehemiah, however, brings the probable date much nearer 400 BC. The closing verses of 2 Chronicles (36:22-23) are almost identical to the opening verses of Ezra (1:1-4). Hebrew tradition represents Ezra as the author both of Chronicles and the book bearing his name. This is certainly a possibility, as the books definitely appear to have been written from the same viewpoint, but there is nothing in them to necessitate the view that one man is responsible for the entire series.

To a great extent, Chronicles is a sifting of source materials to arrive at the exact facts which the compiler wished to record. Among the sources specifically mentioned are five books of the kings of Israel and/or Judah (2 Chr. 16:11; 25:26; 27:7; 20:34; 33:18; 24:27; etc.) It is possible that these are variant designations of the same work. Named in connection with the history of David are "the words of Samuel the seer, of Nathan the prophet and of Gad the seer" (1 Chr. 29:29). A source cited with reference to the history of Solomon is called "The words of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the Son of Nebat" (2 Chr. 9:29). In all, twenty or more sources are named. Besides this, the Chronicler often seems to be quoting from public documents and letters. Taken together, this would indicate that the range of sources to which he had access is astounding, considering the time at which the books appear to have been written. A fascinating possibility in connection with this is found in a passage from the apocrypha.

In 2 Maccabees 2:13-15, reference is made to a library which Nehemiah was collecting which would include just such documents as those referred to in Chronicles. One of the great difficulties connected with the captivity and return must have been the proper distribution of land, which was yet a vital point of the Jewish economy. Another difficulty, closely connected with the former, was the maintenance of the temple services at Jerusalem. Two things were necessary to make this possible. The first was seeing that the priests and Levites were in Jerusalem at the appointed time of their courses of service and fulfilled their proper function. Since the various offices in the temple service were assigned by families, proper genealogical records were imperative.

Secondly, the proper support of the Levites had to be insured if the temple service was to be maintained. Since the payment of tithes, first-fruits, etc., was dependent upon each family's being established in its inheritance, it was even more necessary to provide trustworthy genealogies. 1 Chr. 1-8 contain the efforts of the author to meet this need, while ch. 9 notes that the people were thus enabled to return to their rightful inheritances.

Having provided the desired information, the author seeks to bring the people to a realization of the true glory of their nation as the original theocracy and to a recognition of the rights and importance of the kingdom of David. Nothing could serve his purpose better than a compendious history of this kingdom, with a full account of its prosperity and the sin which led to its downfall. In preparing this history, the Chronicler chose only those materials which were integral to his purpose. His major concern is with two divine institutions - the temple service and the Davidic dynasty. The northern kingdom is scarcely mentioned, and then only where it affected the fortunes of Judah. The events mentioned in connection with David are those which relate to the worship in Jerusalem and preparations for building the temple. In dealing with the life of Solomon the emphasis lies on the building and dedication of the Temple, instead of the splendor of his kingdom and the personal events of his life. Similarly, prominence is given to the formal worship of the temple and the functions of the Levites whenever possible. The kings whose reigns are stressed are those who were in opposition to the idolatry which constantly seduced the Israelites. When the purpose of these two books is properly understood, the manner in which they treat history becomes much more explicable.

The contents of the books of Chronicles may be analyzed as follows (a fuller discussion of a number of points may be found in the introductory article on the books of Kings):

Outline of the Books of Chronicles

1 Chronicles

I. Genealogical Matters (1-9) These genealogies begin with Adam (1:1) and are brought up to the time of the writer (Cf. ch. 9). It is surprising to note the large number of historical incidents mentioned in connection with the individuals named in these lists. Many of these are taken from other Old Testament scripture, but some find their origin elsewhere (Cf. 4:9,10,38-43).

II. The Reign of David (10 -29)

1) The last days and death of Saul and the early reign of David (10-12).
2) The return of the ark to Jerusalem (13—16). Included in this section is the account of the misfortune of Uzzah, who was killed when he reached forth to save the ark from falling (13).
3) David purposes to build the temple but is forbidden because of the great amount of bloodshed to which he has been a party (ch. 17).
4) The account of David's conquests (18-20).
5) The census and the plague (ch. 21).
6) David's preparations for building the temple (ch. 22). Although David was himself forbidden to build a temple for God, he set about to collect the necessary materials for such a temple, that the task of his son Solomon might be easier.
7) Designation of the duties of the Levites (ch. 23).
8) Organization of the government (ch. 24).
9) David's last words and his death (28-29).

2 Chronicles

III. The Reign of Solomon (1-9) This section includes the further preparation, the building and the dedication of the Temple, as well as various other activities of Solomon.

IV. The History of Judah to Its Fall (10 -36)

1) The revolt of the ten tribes and the reign of Rehoboam (10-12).
2) The reign of Abijah (ch. /3).
3) The reign of Asa (14-16). This was a period of prosperity in Judah as Asa instituted a number of moral and religious reforms, establishing himself as a servant of the Lord.
4) The reign of Jehoshaphat (17-20). This king was also diligent in his efforts to serve God. He made considerable efforts to acquaint his people with the Law.
5) The reigns of Jehoram and Ahaziah (21:1—22:9).
6) The reign of Athaliah, the only queen of Judah (22:10-23:21).
7) The reign of Joash (ch. 24). Ascending to the throne at the age of seven, Joash, advised by the high priest Jehoida, brought about the restoration of true worship. After Jehoida's death, however, Joash himself slipped into the worship of idols.
8) Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham and Ahaz (25—28).
9) The reign of Hezekiah (29-32). After beginning his rule with a great religious restoration, Hezekiah helped his nation to regain a measure of power and glory.
10) Manasseh and Amon (ch. 33).
11) The reign of Josiah (34-35). In the eighteenth year of a reign that began when he was only eight years old, Josiah began the most sweeping religious reforms which Judah had ever known. During the renovation of the temple, the "book of the Law" was found, encouraging the people greatly in this time of revival.
12) The last days of Judah (ch. 36). After a brief reign by Jehoahaz, the throne was taken by Jehoiakim, who reigned for eleven years. During this period he was a vassal alternatively to Egypt and Babylon. In an effort to revolt against the Babylonian rule, he lost his life. He was succeeded by Jehoiachin, who reigned only three months, after which he was carried to Babylon, where he lived a number of years. The last of the Judean kings was Zedekiah. Nebuchadnezzar had already plundered Jerusalem of much of its treasures and a considerable number of its most promising men. This took place in two raids, in 606 and 597 sc. In 586 sc, during the reign of Zedekiah, the Babylonians struck once again, this time leaving none but the poorest class of people to remain in Jerusalem. Five years later, the Babylonians came to collect about 750 more captives, even after a number, including Jeremiah, had fled to Egypt (Cf. Jer. 43).

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The Old Testament
About
Divisions
Timeline
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Maps

Creation
Adam and Eve
The Flood
The Tower of Babel
Abraham the First Hebrew
Isaac, Son of Promise
Jacob and the 12 Tribes
Joseph and Egypt
Moses and the Exodus
The Giving of the Law
The Tabernacle
The Wilderness Wanderings
Joshua and the Promised Land
The Judges
Samuel the Prophet
Saul, Israel's First King
King David
King Solomon
The Divided Kingdom
The Northern Kingdom of Israel
The Southern Kingdom of Judah
The Assyrian Captivity
The Babylonian Captivity
The Return From Babylon
The Prophets
The Messiah

Conclusion
Bibliography and Credits

Summary of the Old Testament Books

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
Samuel
Kings
Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi