1 Chronicles

Composition

The first book of Chronicles, or 1 Chronicles, was compiled and written by an unidentified person or group of people. Judeo-Christian scholars commonly refer to this individual or group as “the chronicler,” acknowledging that the precise identities of the book’s author(s) are not known. The first book of Chronicles and its companion work, 2 Chronicles, are traditionally dated to approximately 450 BC–425 BC.

Religious and secular researchers have long speculated over who “the chronicler” might be. The text of both 1 and 2 Chronicles provides no direct clue to the identity of its author, but it does contain repeated references to annals, records, and other source works that suggest the composer was a literate individual or group whose elevated social standing included access to written records, which were rare and prized at the time. Jewish tradition has historically advanced the idea that priest and scribe Ezra, who is widely accepted as the author of the biblical Book of Ezra, is a strong candidate for “the chronicler.” The books of Chronicles also reiterate much of the information found in the Christian Old Testament’s books of Samuel and books of Kings, suggesting continuity of authorship, compilation, and/or editing as a possibility.

Notably, 1 and 2 Chronicles originally appeared as a single, consolidated text. It continues to be rendered as a standalone work, the book of Chronicles, in the Ketuvim (“writings”) section of the Hebrew Bible. Christians collectively refer to the separated works as 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles. Like other split scriptural works found in the Old Testament, such as the books of Samuel (1 and 2 Samuel), and the books of Kings (1 and 2 Kings), the original book of Chronicles was first divided into two parts when the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek in the second century BCE.

Summary

Both 1 and 2 Chronicles display high levels of overlap with 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2. Observers note that 1 and 2 Chronicles cover the same general period of Israelite history documented in the books of Samuel and the books of Kings, reiterating many of the same events. The key divergence derives from shifts in perspective and narrative framing, which differentiate Chronicles from these earlier works.

In 1 and 2 Kings, the narrative covers the division of the Israelite state into two kingdoms—the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom (Judah)—and documents the detailed histories of both kingdoms and their respective successions of rulers. Chronicles also describe this historical period and some of the events that come before it, which were covered in the books of Samuel. However, the earlier books—especially 1 and 2 Kings—focus on both the Northern Kingdom and Judah, while Chronicles primarily discuss Judah and typically mentions the Northern Kingdom only when it directly interacts with Judah. By focusing its historical narrative on Judah, “the chronicler” affiliates with the southern Israelite tribes, which remained more closely aligned with the emerging Jewish religion during ancient Israel’s two kingdoms period. The Northern Kingdom, by contrast, more readily reverted back to pagan customs and idol worship under its rulers, who were almost without exception depicted as morally corrupt in the books of Kings.

Another defining aspect of Chronicles is its narrative focus on the Jewish priesthood as it evolved in Judah. “The chronicler” specifically endeavors to describe the improved, proper temple worship of God under certain Southern Kingdom rulers and accompanying advancements in religious practice and scholarship.

Chapters 1–9 of 1 Chronicles focus heavily on a genealogy that documents the patriarchal lineages of the descendants of Jacob, a key early figure in the Hebrew Bible/Christian Old Testament. Chapters 10–22 cover the end of the reign of the corrupt King Saul and the passage of Israel’s rulership to his successor, King David. Under King David, the united twelve tribes of Israel transported their sacred Ark of the Covenant to their new capital city of Jerusalem. These chapters also describe how God commanded King David not to build a temple in Jerusalem, explaining that David’s son will instead perform that task. In 1 Chronicles, King David’s long reign is presented as a glorious golden age marked by tempered justice and military success over Israel’s rivals and enemies.

The final section of 1 Chronicles, covered in chapters 23–29, delve into King David’s relationship with his son Solomon, the future Israelite king. King David instructs his son in God’s plan for Solomon to build a temple in Jerusalem. The Book of 1 Chronicles ends with David’s death and the ascension of King Solomon to the Israelite throne.

Themes

Thematic analysis of 1 Chronicles frequently fixate on the ways in which the book deviates from histories of the same events as they are covered in the books of Samuel and Kings. Some scholars view 1 Chronicles’ focus on Judah, its priests, and its faithful God-fearing citizens as an editorialized comment on the divisions between the respective societies of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. From this perspective, the omission of much of the previous discussion of events in the Northern Kingdom frames the Southern Kingdom of Judah in a morally superior light.

In a broader sense, 1 Chronicles also advances a key recurring theme established in the earlier books of Samuel and Kings, in which obedience of God brings blessings and disobedience brings calamities and, ultimately, God’s judgment. The cause-and-effect patterns that define the events depicted in these books are carefully curated to show that adhering to God’s laws and deferring to God’s will yields prosperity and positive results, while doing the opposite provokes God’s wrath and deprives the Israelites of God’s protection. A typical spiritual progression is also established—the Israelites and their leaders sin then repent, securing God’s forgiveness and healing the wounds and divisions that arose from sinning. The cycle repeats, with those who repent earning forgiveness and those who do not sealing their doomed fate.

Another thematic element that resurfaces from earlier scriptural works in the books of Chronicles relates to God’s fulfillment of promises. The causal origins of many events depicted in the books, including David’s rise to the Israelite throne, trace back to promises made by God and delivered through Jewish prophets. This trope establishes another cause-and-effect pattern, in which God always honors promises and delivers blessings to those who follow holy laws and customs.

Modern commentators also tend to pay significant attention to the time at which the books of Chronicles were written, which is historically said to date to the period following the Israelites’ exile in Babylon. When 1 and 2 Chronicles were originally produced, the period of exile had ended and the Jewish people had returned to their established homeland. Thus, 1 and 2 Chronicles can be viewed as a treatise on how the Israelites can best conduct themselves going forward as they endeavor to repair their relationship with God and avoid repeating the sins that brought about their division, downfall, and exile. Its narrative preoccupation with the priests and worship practices of Judah achieve more than simply positioning the Southern Kingdom as morally superior to the Northern Kingdom; it documents the precise practices and observances that will prevent Israel from repeating the painful events of its two kingdoms period and its Babylonian exile.

Analysis of 1 Chronicles also endeavors to explain the significance of the detailed genealogies listed in chapters 1–9. Many readers, both ancient and modern, find these chapters tedious, and academics have long mused on the purpose for their inclusion in 1 Chronicles. Some observers interpret the genealogies as a reminder that, in the Judeo-Christian worldview, each person is a child of God and God knows and remembers each person by name. Another interpretation theorizes that the genealogies function as a written assertion of the Israelite historical record, ensuring that claims to titles and honors can be verified and legitimated, and that family and tribal rank can be properly established. An alternative hypothesis suggests that the genealogy served the logical purpose of recording and reaffirming the continuity of the Israelite people as the era of the Babylonian exile reached its end.

Bibliography

Graham, Matt Patrick and Steven L. McKenzie. The Chronicler as Author: Studies in Text and Texture. A&C Black, 1999.

Hwang, Jerry. Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament: A Discourse Analysis of the Hebrew Bible. Zondervan Academic, 2021.

“Introduction to the Books of 1 Chronicles; 2 Chronicles.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2022, www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/old-testament-seminary-teacher-manual/introduction-to-the-books-of-1-and-2-chronicles?lang=eng. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

Redditt, Paul L. 1 & 2 Chronicles. Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2020.

Swindoll, Chuck. “First Chronicles.” Insight for Living Ministries, 2022, insight.org/resources/bible/the-historical-books/first-chronicles. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.