The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV
Page 198
Background and Setting
The immediate historical backdrop encompassed the Jews’ three-phase return to the Promised Land from the Babylonian exile: 1) Zerubbabel in Ezra 1–6 (ca. 538 B.C.); 2) Ezra in Ezra 7–10 (ca. 458 B.C.); and 3) Nehemiah in Neh. 1–13 (ca. 445 B.C.). Previous history looks back to the Babylonian deportation/Exile (ca. 605–538 B.C.) as predicted/reported by 2 Kings, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Habakkuk. The prophets of this restoration era were Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
The Jews had returned from their 70 years of captivity (ca. 538 B.C.) to a land that was markedly different from the one once ruled by King David (ca. 1011–971 B.C.) and King Solomon (971–931 B.C.): 1) there was no Hebrew king, but rather a Persian governor (Ezra 5:3; 6:6); 2) there was no security for Jerusalem, so Nehemiah had to rebuild the wall (Neh. 1–7); 3) there was no temple, so Zerubbabel had to reconstruct a pitiful semblance of the Solomonic temple’s former glory (Ezra 3); 4) the Jews no longer dominated the region, but rather were on the defensive (Ezra 4; Neh. 4); 5) they enjoyed few divine blessings beyond the fact of their return; 6) they possessed little of the kingdom’s former wealth; and 7) God’s divine presence no longer resided in Jerusalem, having departed ca. 597–591 B.C. (Ezek. 8–11).
To put it mildly, their future looked bleak compared to their majestic past, especially the time of David and Solomon. The return could best be described as bittersweet, i.e., bitter because their present poverty brought hurtful memories about what was forfeited by God’s judgment on their ancestors’ sin, but sweet because at least they were back in the Land God had given Abraham 17 centuries earlier (Gen. 12:1–3). The chronicler’s selective genealogy and history of Israel, stretching from Adam (1 Chr. 1:1) to the return from Babylon (2 Chr 26:23), was intended to remind the Jews of God’s promises and intentions about: 1) the Land; 2) the nation; 3) the Davidic king; 4) the Levitical priests; 5) the temple; and 6) true worship, none of which had been abrogated because of the Babylonian captivity. All of this was to remind them of their spiritual heritage during the difficult times they faced, and to encourage them to be faithful to God.
Historical and Theological Themes
First and Second Chronicles, as named by Jerome, recreate an OT history in miniature, with particular emphases on the Davidic Covenant and temple worship. In terms of literary parallel, 1 Chronicles is the partner of 2 Samuel, in that both detail the reign of King David. First Chronicles opens with Adam (1:1) and closes with the death of David (29:26–30) in 971 B.C. Second Chronicles begins with Solomon (1:1) and covers the same historical period as 1 and 2 Kings, while focusing exclusively on the kings of the southern kingdom of Judah, thus excluding the history of the northern 10 tribes and their rulers, because of their complete wickedness and false worship. It ranges from the reign of Solomon (1:1) in 971 B.C. to the return from Babylon in 538 B.C. (36:23). Over 55 percent of the material in Chronicles is unique, i.e., not found in 2 Samuel or 1 and 2 Kings. The “chronicler” tended to omit what was negative or in opposition to the Davidic kingship; on the other hand, he tended to make unique contributions in validating temple worship and the line of David. Whereas 2 Kings 25 ends dismally with the deportation of Judah to Babylon, 2 Chronicles 36:22–23 concludes hopefully with the Jews’ release from Persia and return to Jerusalem.
These two books were written to the repatriated Jewish exiles as a chronicle of God’s intention of future blessing, in spite of the nation’s past moral/spiritual failure for which the people paid dearly under God’s wrath. First and Second Chronicles could be briefly summarized as follows:
I. A Selected Genealogical History of Israel (1 Chr. 1-9)
II. Israel’s United Kingdom Under Saul (1 Chr. 10), David (1 Chr. 11-29), and Solomon (2 Chr. 1-9)
III. Judah’s Monarchy in the Divided Kingdom (2 Chr. 10-36:21)
IV. Judah’s Release From Their Seventy Year Captivity (2 Chr. 36:22, 23).
The historical themes are inextricably linked with the theological in that God’s divine purposes for Israel have been and will be played out on the stage of human history. These two books are designed to assure the returning Jews that, in spite of their checkered past and present plight, God will be true to His covenant promises. They have been returned by God to the Land first given to Abraham as a race of people whose ethnic identity (Jewish) was not obliterated by the deportation and whose national identity (Israel) has been preserved (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:5), although they are still under God’s judgment as prescribed by the Mosaic legislation (Deut. 28:15-68). The priestly line of Eleazar’s son Phinehas and the Levitical line were still intact so that temple worship could continue in the hopes that God’s presence would one day return (Num. 25:10-13; Mal. 3:1). The Davidic promise of a king was still valid, although future in its fulfillment (2 Sam. 7:8-17; 1 Chr. 17:7-15). Their individual hope of eternal life and restoration of God’s blessings forever rested in the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34).
Two basic principles enumerated in these two books prevail throughout the OT, namely, obedience brings blessing, disobedience brings judgment. In the Chronicles, when the king obeyed and trusted the LORD, God blessed and protected. But when the king disobeyed and/or put his trust in something or someone other than the LORD, God withdrew His blessing and protection. Three basic failures by the kings of Judah brought God’s wrath: 1) personal sin; 2) false worship/idolatry; and/or 3) trust in man rather than God.
Interpretive Challenges
First and Second Chronicles present a combination of selective genealogical and historical records and no insurmountable challenges within the two books are encountered. A few issues arise, such as: 1) Who wrote 1 and 2 Chronicles? Does the overlap of 2 Chr. 36:22–23 with Ezra 1:1–3 point to Ezra as author? 2) Does the use of multiple sources taint the inerrancy doctrine of Scripture? 3) How does one explain the variations in the genealogies of 1 Chr. 1–9 from other OT genealogies? 4) Are the curses of Deut. 28 still in force, even though the 70 year captivity has concluded? 5) How does one explain the few variations in numbers when comparing Chronicles with parallel passages in Samuel and Kings? These will be dealt with in the notes at the appropriate places.
Outline
I. Selective Genealogy (1:1-9:34)
A. Adam to Before David (1:1-2:55)
B. David to the Captivity (3:1-24)
C. Twelve Tribes (4:1-9:1)
D. Jerusalem Dwellers (9:2-34)
II. David’s Ascent (9:35-12:40)
A. Saul’s Heritage and Death (9:35-10:14)
B. David’s Anointing (11:1-3)
C. Jerusalem’s Conquest (11:4-9)
D. David’s Men (11:10-12:40)
III. David’s Reign (13:1-29:30)
A. The Ark of the Covenant (13:1-16:43)
B. The Davidic Covenant (17:1-27)
C. Selected Military History (18:1-21:30)
D. Temple-Building Preparations (22:1-29:20)
E. Transition to Solomon (29:21-30)
The First Book of the
CHRONICLES
1 Chronicles 1
The Family of Adam—Seth to Abraham
(Gen. 5:1–32; 10:1–32; 11:10–26; Luke 3:34–38)
1Adam,a bSeth, Enosh,
2Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared,
3Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech,
4cNoah,1 Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
5dThe sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
6The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, 2Diphath, and Togarmah.
7The sons of Javan were Elishah, 3Tarshishah, Kittim, and 4Rodanim.
8eThe sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
9The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, 5Sabta, 6Raama, and Sabtecha. The sons of Raama were Sheba and Dedan. A Short Harmony of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles
10Cush fbegot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.
11Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,
12Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and the gC
aphtorim).
13hCanaan begot Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth;
14the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite;
15the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite;
16the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
17The sons of iShem were Elam, Asshur, jArphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and 7Meshech.
18Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber.
19To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was 8Peleg, for in his days the 9earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.
20kJoktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
21Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
2210Ebal, Abimael, Sheba,
23Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
24lShem, Arphaxad, Shelah,
25mEber, Peleg, Reu,
26Serug, Nahor, Terah,
27and nAbram, who is Abraham.
28oThe sons of Abraham were pIsaac and qIshmael.
The Family of Ishmael
(Gen. 25:12–16)
29These are their genealogies: The rfirstborn of Ishmael was Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
30Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 11Hadad, Tema,
31Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.
The Family of Keturah
(Gen. 25:1–4)
32Now sthe sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan.
33The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
The Family of Isaac
(Gen. 36:10–14)
34And tAbraham begot Isaac. uThe sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel.
35The sons of vEsau were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah.
36And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, 12Zephi, Gatam, and Kenaz; and by wTimna, Amalek.
37The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
The Family of Seir
(Gen. 36:20–28)
38xThe sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.
39And the sons of Lotan were Hori and 13Homam; Lotan’s sister was Timna.
40The sons of Shobal were 14Alian, Manahath, Ebal, 15Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon were Ajah and Anah.
41The son of Anah was yDishon. The sons of Dishon were 16Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
42The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and 17Jaakan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.
The Kings of Edom
(Gen. 36:31–43)
43Now these were the zkings who reigned in the land of Edom before a king reigned over the children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
44And when Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place.
45When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
46And when Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who 18attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith.
47When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place.
48aAnd when Samlah died, Saul of Rehoboth-by-the-River reigned in his place.
49When Saul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
50And when Baal-Hanan died, 19Hadad reigned in his place; and the name of his city was 20Pai. His wife’s name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
51Hadad died also. And the chiefs of Edom were Chief Timnah, Chief 21Aliah, Chief Jetheth,
52Chief Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon,
53Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar,
54Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.
1 Chronicles 2
The Family of Israel
(Gen. 35:23–26; 46:8–25)
1These were the asons of 1Israel: bReuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
2Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
From Judah to David
(Ruth 4:18–22; Matt. 1:2–6; Luke 3:31–33)
3The sons of cJudah were Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by the daughter of dShua, the Canaanitess. eEr, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so He killed him.
4And fTamar, his daughter-in-law, gbore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.
5The sons of hPerez were Hezron and Hamul.
6The sons of Zerah were 2Zimri, iEthan, Heman, Calcol, and 3Dara—five of them in all.
7The son of jCarmi was 4Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the kaccursed5 thing.
8The son of Ethan was Azariah.
9Also the sons of Hezron who were born to him were Jerahmeel, 6Ram, and 7Chelubai.
10Ram lbegot Amminadab, and Amminadab begot Nahshon, mleader of the children of Judah;
11Nahshon begot 8Salma, and Salma begot Boaz;
12Boaz begot Obed, and Obed begot Jesse;
13nJesse begot Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, 9Shimea the third,
14Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,
15Ozem the sixth, and David the oseventh.
16Now their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. pAnd the sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel—three.
17Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was 10Jether the Ishmaelite.
The Family of Hezron
18Caleb the son of Hezron had children by Azubah, his wife, and by Jerioth. Now these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.
19When Azubah died, Caleb 11took qEphrath12 as his wife, who bore him Hur.
20And Hur begot Uri, and Uri begot rBezalel.
21Now afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of sMachir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Segub.
22Segub begot tJair,13 who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.
23u(Geshur and Syria took from them the towns of Jair, with Kenath and its towns—sixty towns.) All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.
24After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Hezron’s wife Abijah bore him vAshhur the father of Tekoa.
The Family of Jerahmeel
25The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron, were Ram, the firstborn, and Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah.
26Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.
27The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.
28The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai were Nadab and Abishur.
29And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid.
30The sons of Nadab were Seled and Appaim; Seled died without children.
31The son of Appaim was Ishi, the son of Ishi was Sheshan, and wSheshan’s son was Ahlai.
32The sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai, were Jether and Jonathan; Jether died without children.
33The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.
34Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. And Sheshan had an Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha.
35Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant as wife, and she bore him Attai.
36Attai begot Nathan, and Nathan begot xZabad;
37Zabad begot Ephlal, and Ephlal begot yObed;
38Obed begot Jehu, and Jehu begot Azariah;
39Azariah begot Helez, and Helez begot Eleasah;
40Eleasah begot Sismai, and Sismai begot Shallum;
41Shallum begot Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begot Elishama.
The Family of Caleb
42The descendants of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were Mesha, his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron.
43The sons of Hebron were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.
44Shema begot Raham the father of Jorkoam, and Rekem begot
Shammai.
45And the son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.
46Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez; and Haran begot Gazez.
47And the sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.
48Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah.
49She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea. And the daughter of Caleb was zAchsah.14
50These were the descendants of Caleb: The sons of aHur, the firstborn of 15Ephrathah, were Shobal the father of bKirjath Jearim,
51Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader.
52And Shobal the father of Kirjath Jearim had descendants: 16Haroeh, and half of the 17families of Manuhoth.
53The families of Kirjath Jearim were the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. From these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites.
54The sons of Salma were Bethlehem, the Netophathites, 18Atroth Beth Joab, half of the Manahethites, and the Zorites.
55And the families of the scribes who dwelt at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These were the cKenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of dRechab.
1 Chronicles 3
The Family of David
(Matt. 1:6)
1Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was aAmnon, by bAhinoam the cJezreelitess; the second, 1Daniel, by dAbigail the Carmelitess;
2the third, eAbsalom’s the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, fAdonijah the son of Haggith;
3the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife gEglah.
4These six were born to him in Hebron. hThere he reigned seven years and six months, and iin Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years.
5jAnd these were born to him in Jerusalem: 2Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and kSolomon—four by 3Bathshua the daughter of 4Ammiel.
6Also there were Ibhar, 5Elishama, 6Eliphelet,
7Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
8Elishama, 7Eliada, and Eliphelet—lnine in all.
9These were all the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines, and mTamar their sister.