1 & 2 Chronicles

Author:

  • Do not know his name. Lived in Jerusalem. Group of scribes rewriting history of kingdoms up to Exile along with story of difficult restoration of Israel after the Exile.
  • From writings, evidence of colourful personality, worked at Temple, loved music & liturgy, appreciated good preaching, teacher of Torah, Levite, scholar of Deut. history, large references to biblical canon books = Pentateuch must have been complete by his time. Priestly author.

Date:

  • 332 BC final version from Duggan… when Alexander the Great took over this area of the Mediterranean (b/c Chronicles doesn’t mention anything of Hellenism that sweeps the region).
  • 200 BC from NJC. Since Sirach & Macabees only mention Hellenistic culture. Also only 8 generations mentioned of David gives you date between 300 – 200 BC.

For Whom:

  • Israelites reconstructing Israel after Exile.

Overall:

  • group of scribes rewriting history of kingdoms up to Exile along with story of difficult restoration of Israel after the Exile.
  • “Covenant” world-view =  “covenant” = establishes a sacred kinship. God extends covenant to Israel = takes Israel into His family. God binds Himself to His people.  Crucial theme for Chronicler = b/c how relationship of God to His people is expressed… Chronicler puts COVENANTS in sequence… 3 main ones = Abraham, Moses, David. Chronicler wants to trace inner unity between 3 main covenants.  Chronicler = 1st theologian of the Canon = shows overarching pattern of God’s working with His people over time.  Abraham’s 3 blessings: (1) great nation, (2) great name, (3) source of blessing for all the world. –> all fulfilled in David’s covenant. Moses covenant: (1) gives Israel identity of being a priestly people. DAVID as NEW MOSES.  QAHAL = Moses summons the whole people … like David summons all of Israel up to Jerusalem.

General Outline:

  1. 1 Chr. 1-9 = Israel’s history / genealogy from Adam to Saul
      1. Function as preparation for King David coming on stage, breezes over history quite fast and then slows down in the next section.
      2. To legitimize priestly authors + express faith in God’s grand plan (like tracing sacramental genealogy of bishops + summarize whole patriarchal history + emphasize eternal promise to David + show unbroken continuity.
  1. 1 Chr. 10-29 = David’s reign
      1. God covenant with David = key
      2. Chronicler shows David as ideal king, no sins
      3. Solomon receives plans from David to build Temple (so Temple is a Davidic temple – shows link between 2 kings).
      4. David brings ark to Jerusalem = religious concern with liturgical rules + David’s success linked to worship of YHWH.
      5. Divine promise – eternal + stability of Davidic line reinforced.
      6. David’s census sin = rare sin mentioned – purpose to show link between David’s erection of the altar of holocausts with building of Temple. Satan = one who incited David to sin –> avoid attributing evil to God.
  1. 2 Chr. 1-9 = Solomon’s reign
      1. Focus on relationship of Davidic kings to Temple in Jerusalem. Solomon: omits bad (killing + infidelity + political & economic issues) & includes good (wisdom regarding liturgical matters + Law as his guide + universal prayer). Highest importance of Solomon in Chronicles = he built the Temple. ALL Israel took part in it too.
  1. 2 Chr. 10-36 = History of kings of Judah (SOUTH) up to time of Cyrus.
    1. especially those who concerned themselves with the Temple… Davidic line going through and forget about Israelite kings).
    2. FOCUS ON SOUTH… Chronicler has little interest in describing events of northern kingdom… so Elijah and Elisha are withdrawn from view. The south IS Israel, North are schismatics (unambigious anti-Samaritan polemic).
    3. Law = becomes guide and standard for kings, priests, Levites.

Themes:

  1. The Davidic line and its relationship to Israel and the Temple (northern kings ignored)
      1. History – really begins with David. Judah tribe given 1st place and most verses (entire tribes almost same verses total as just Judah). David’s line does NOT end in the Exile either but continues on through Zerubbabel to a period of about 400 BC.
      2. David & Temple – 4 times as many verses on David’s contribution to Temple VS. military/civil activities.
      3. David = model of covenant faithfulness. Omits bad stuff (for Solomon too). David’s relationship to community is intimate & good too = “all Israel” anoints David as king.  North and south unite under David’s monarchy.
      4. Hezekiah – a superior Davidic kings. –> to show Davidic line of kings is the agency through which YHWH reigns in Israel. Lack of mention of prophets hints at the goodness of the kings. Glory of Josiah put on Hezekiah – from 1 verse in Kgs to 84 verses in Chr. The 1st great reformer than inspired Josiah’s initiatives.
  1. Retribution and repentance in YHWH’s guidance of Israel’s history
      1. YHWH guides history by rewarding virtue and punishing vice. Reward or punishment happens WITHIN the lifetime of the human subject (whereas Deut. happened after usually). When the people worship in the Temple and obey the prophetic word, YHWH gives them victory in battle and vice versa. Repentance opens the way for mercy & healing & leads to unification of ALL Israel.
  1. The Temple, congregational worship, and liturgy from the Levites’ perspective.             
      1. TEMPLE = Central element for worship of God… visible tangible connection to promise God made to David about everlasting dynasty, prosperity to nation, great name, and so on…. since TEMPLE / LITURGY was going on at the time of the Chronicler… whereas Davidic covenant was not. Chronicler avoids describing Temple as a place where God dwells due to exilic prophet influence (God cannot be confined to a place).
      2. Levites — levitical office replaces prophecy. Levites stand at the forefront to lead the people to triumph by song. Chronicler gives great details of Levites. Levites bring life to the community. Music, song, joy, worship, prayer. Levites = priestly group set apart by YHWH to assist Aaron and his descendants in the priesthood. Chronicler’s lesson = genuine renewal = insightful preaching, personal prayer, vibrant liturgical celebrations. The identity of the Israelites at the time of the authors writing became centred in cult. Levites as guardian of that cult – Levites replace prophets. Kings evaluated by their contribution to the Temple. Chronicler gives more attention to the singing and chanting (liturgical piety) more than the activity of sacrificial offerings.

Theology:

  1. ENCOURAGE = Chronicler consoles & encourages his people in tough times by retelling the story of the past in an idealized way that has a clear pattern (whereas Deut. was unpredictable) to show that the large picture of history has God active in it. Good kings = prosperous. Highlights GOOD points of Davidic kings and excuses their infidelities (even Manasseh shown as repentant at end).
  2. LAW = God’s plan for the Chroniclers is intimately connected to the written book of the law.
  3. HOPE = key focus for Chronicler based around Davidic dynasty & Temple.
  4. Theology of retribution = offered here and now for Chronicler.

Literary Form

      • Midrash = re-tell biblical story to draw out devotional and practical applications  –> what postbilbical rabbis saw this as. theological history –> loose historical narrative. Midrashic. Tell story from priestly view with liturgical emphasis. And highlight liturgical significance of David & importance of Temple.
  • Chronicles is a literary commentary punctuated by florid expressions: prose, poetry, orations suffused with a love for music & liturgy.
    • Art of interpretive re-reading –> Chronicler’s history exemplifies the art of interpretative re-reading of biblical texts. Chronicles is a literary commentary punctuated by florid expressions: prose, poetry, orations suffused with a love for music & liturgy.  Chronicles is NOT a leftover, but rather an ingenious re-imagining of Davidic monarchy 200 years after it had apparently become extinct.
  • Historiography = chronological + recapitulation of Israel’s history + 3 peculiar emphases: (1) homiletic – commentary on history / series of homilies of Israel’s history as told in its sacred scripture ,(2) selectivity of texts – omit and add things like prophetic speeches, (3) perspective – bring out identity and mission of Israel. 
  • An act of ZAKHOR = Anamnesis – liturgical remembrance for the sake of coming into living contact with those realties. Why? in Chronicles, a dozen or so prophetic speeches that are original that are interpretations, particular prophet or priest addressing ppl to exhort them to battle or explain why tragedy has befallen them. Dozen speeches reflect theological outlook of author himself.  So author sees himself as a prophet too, taking whole history, representing it to his ppl to assure them of God’s guiding hand.
  • Chronicles = PROPHETIC historiography.  = chronological + recapitulation of Israel’s history + 3 peculiar emphases: (1) homiletic – commentary on history / series of homilies of Israel’s history as told in its sacred scripture ,(2) selectivity of texts – omit and add things like prophetic speeches, (3) perspective – bring out identity and mission of Israel.

Purpose:

  • assist in reconstruction of Israel after the Exile. Modify the depressing picture given in Deut. history. Goal to make text relevant to situation of his community. HOPE – centred around Davidic dynasty + Temple. Overall objective = revive appreciation for line of David while cultivating enthusiasm for liturgies and festivals in Judah.
  • Why write another history??   to glorify and consolidate the ritual and dynastic authority of the Davidic covenant.

CHRONICLER OVERALL:

Chronicler’s History = 4 Books: 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah. They form a coherent whole. Priestly strand style. Many additions & editions. Group of scribes rewriting history of kingdoms up to Exile along with story of difficult restoration of Israel after the Exile. Final form = 350 BC  –> shows enough cohesion that we call the group responsible “the Chroniclers”. This is the period of intense literary activity for Israel, the period when our Bible begins to take shape.  Chronisitic History = similarities in themes & research techniques between Chronicles & Ezra-Nehemiah. Motive = assist in reconstruction of Israel after the Exile. Modify the depressing picture given in Deut. history. Goal to make text relevant to situation of his community. 2 sources used for Israel’s hope: (1) Temple – The Temple stands in the foreground from the beginning to the end of the narrative (geneaologies to open and Cyrus’ edict to close).  (2) Davidic dynasty – The Chronicler offers NO sequential history of the kings who ruled the northern territory after the division between Israel and Judah following Solomon’s death. He devotes his undivided attention to David and his line in Judah.

CHRONICLER VS. DEUTERONOMIST:

  1. The Chronicler offers NO sequential history of the kings who ruled the northern territory after the division between Israel and Judah following Solomon’s death. He devotes his undivided attention to David and his line in Judah.
  1. The TEMPLE stands in the foreground from the beginning to the end of the narrative (genealogies to open and Cyrus’ edict to close).
  1. Deut = history more contingent and unpredictable. VS. Chr. = pattern to history.
  1. DEUT –> 1-2 Kings = prosperity (era of peace) + fulfillment + 1st seeds of downfall (too many wives & idols). VS. CHR –> 1-2 Chronicles = not burdened with task of why they came into exile… so gives serene portrait of Solomon. Fulfillment + liturgical focus (weds monarchy with liturgy that began with David).
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