dom contemporary with the events related, from which works these books were compiled.[b] Nor can any thing be brought to show that Jeremiah or Ezra was the author.[c]

[a) For an account and attempt at defence of the common opinion which refers this passage to the books of Samuel, see HORNE, Introd. IV. p. 40. s. Tr.]

[b) So also other references which occur in Chronicles do not relate to our books of Kings. See II Chron. ix. 29. xii. 15. xiii. 22. Tr.] [c) For a statement of the argument in favour of Ezra's being the compiler of the books of Kings, see HORNE, Introd. IV. 47. s. The majority of the Jews assert them to be the work of Jeremiah. CARPZOV, Introd. p. 243. The difference of style, and the superficial notice of his times, are in contradiction to this opinion. Comp. also II Ki. xxiv. 1, 6, with Jer. xxii. 19. Tr.]

§ 48.

Contents of the Books of Chronicles.

In the books of Chronicles or annals (D''n 7) the following

particulars are contained. 1) I Chron. i-ix. consists of a series of genealogies, the more ancient of which are so obscure as to be hardly intelligible unless collated with the Pentateuch; the more modern are the most perspicuous. Agreeably to ancient usage in genealogies, historical facts worthy of observation are interspersed throughout the whole.[a] 2) I Chron. x. 1—II Chron. ix. 31, contains accounts relating to David and Solomon, which in part are the same as those contained in the books of Samuel and the first chapters of the first book of Kings, although there are many additions, particularly on subjects relating to the worship of God.[b] 3) II Chron. xxxxvi. affords a succinct history of the kingdom of Judah, and many matters, especially with respect to the various reformations and to divine worship, which are not in the books of Kings.[c] The kingdom of Israel is not mentioned, except when it becomes connected with the history of that of Judah.

[a) These genealogical tables are exceedingly brief. Nothing is to be
found of the tribe of Dan.
I Chron. vii. 6-12. and viii.

That of Benjamin is twice introduced,
The genealogies of the priests and Le-

vites are given most in detail, and terminate with the destruction of Jerusalem, I Chron. v. 27–40. vi. 1–32. (vi. 1—47.) They are very far from being complete. Even those of the high priests, extending through 1000 years, comprehend only twenty-two successions where thirty might be expected, I Chron. v. 27-40. vi. 1-14. Those of the tribe of Judah are pretty copious, I Chron. ii. iv. 1-23., and the register of David's descendants runs down to the end of the fourth century before Christ; I Chron. iii. All these tables relate to distinguished families and indi viduals. They contain occasionally most important historical notices, which prove that in the original tables historical matters were here and there introduced. See I Chron. iv. 18, 22, 23, 38-43. v. 10—26. vii. 20-24.]

[b) The death only of Saul is mentioned, I Chron. x. David's seven years' government of Judah, of which we read in II Sam. i—iv. is entirely omitted, and the submission of the eleven tribes, and the capture of the citadel of Jerusalem, with some additional matter, immediately introduced, I Chron. xi. Then follow accounts of men who had joined David during Saul's persecution, and who afterwards went to aid him at Hebron, c. xii.; also, accounts of the attempt to take the ark to Zion, c. xiii.; of David's friendship with Hiram, king of Tyre; of two successful attacks upon the Philistines, c. xiv.; and of the bringing the ark into the citadel of Zion, c. xv. xvi. The promise which was made to David in consequence of his intention to build a temple, and the narrative of his victories over various peoples, and of the war of vengeance which he undertook against the Ammonites, are related almost in the same words with the parallel accounts in Samuel: comp. c. xvii. xviii. xix. xx. 1-3. with II Sam. vii. viii. x. xii. 26-32.- -These are followed by certain occurrences which took place during different wars, and by the numbering of the army, c. xxi. Then come additional circumstances of David's life, namely, his commission to Solomon to build the temple, c. xxii; his division of the Levites and priests, c. xxiii-xxv., with some of their services, c. xxvi; also the distribution of the Israelites in reference to military service, c. xxvii; the public recognition of Solomon as his successor, accompanied by a renewed command to build a temple, and an account of the presents offered by himself and the most distinguished Hebrews, c. xxviii. xxix. In II Chron. i-is., the history of Solomon is almost throughout in unison with that in I Ki. iii-xi.]

[c) Thus the reformation under Jehoshaphat, II Chron. xvii—xx., that under Hezekiah, c. xxix—xxxii., that under Manasseh, c. xxxiii., and that under Josiah, c. xxxiv. xxxv., are described with more particularity than in the parallel places in Kings. See I Ki. xxii. 41–46. II Ki. xviii-xx. xxi. 1—18. xxii. 1–xxiii. 30.]

§ 49. Design of the Books of Chronicles.

From the preceding sketch of the contents of these books, it is evident that the author has written an epitome of the history of the Hebrews down to the end of the captivity, yet with the determination not to touch on the history of the kingdom of Israel, unless where that of the kingdom of Judah required it. He supplies many things which had been omitted in the books of Samuel and Kings, and omits others which had been mentioned in those books. Whether he had read them or not is uncertain.[a] The choice of subjects to be related shows that his intention was to point out to the Hebrews when returning to their country their real ancestry, with the possessions and residences of their families, and to instruct them in the manner in which divine worship should be restored.* Hence in the genealogies he continually mentions the situation and residence of each family, I Chron. ii. 23, 53. iv. 3, 12, 14, 17, 18. ss., 28-33. v. 8, 11—17. vi. 39-66. vii. 28. s. ix. 1—45; hence also he gives the genealogy of the Levites and priests at greater length; and hence, lastly, he narrates with the more particularity, not only the order of divine worship as established by David and Solomon, but also the reformations which followed at different periods.

[a) LE CLERC thinks it probable that he had not: Diss. de Script. Libror. Historicor. But see note a) to § 51. Tr.]

§ 50. Age of the Books of Chronicles.

It appears from the design of the writer, that these books were written not long after the time of the captivity. With this date agree the several peculiarities which may be observed in them, such as the Chaldean orthography; the frequency of the letters called matres lectionis[a]; the introduction of recent words and objects, especially those of Persian origin, for instance, pa, cotton, 173, a

T.

This design, which is obvious to every attentive reader, was not observed by De Wette, and hence he charges the author with the flagrant crime of imposture, as though, being himself a Levite or a priest, he had invented those matters which relate to divine worship, to the Levites, and to the priests. But that he candidly recounts facts, and does not add from his own invention, will appear hereafter.

palace, wrn, to recount a genealogy; the mention of ancient and

modern cubits, II Chron. iii. 3., and of 778, Darics, a Persian

gold coin, I Chron. xxix. 7.—It is impossible to determine the age of these books more accurately than this, for want of evidence. Still less can we ascertain who was the author. They who have concluded from the two last verses of the second book, which are the same as the first two of Ezra, that the books of Chronicles are the work of Ezra[b], have not attended to the difference of style and manner of narration. Some have placed the writer of these books in the times of Darius Codomannus or Alexander the Great, appealing to the genealogy, I Chron. iii. 19-24: but this modern date is repugnant to the style and design of the books, so that the genealogy referred to must be considered as appended by a more modern hand. [c]

(a) Thus David is not written 717, but always '; Jerusalem not oh, but D. Aramæan orthography occurs, such as Aleph

at the end of words instead of He, as Ny for my, I Chron. xiii. 7. comp.

II Sam. vi. 6. So also Aleph is prefixed, or commuted with He. See I Chron. ii. 12, xiii. 12. II Chron. ii. 15.]-[For a comparison of the style of the books of Chronicles with that of the books of Samuel and Kings, see DE WETTE, Einleit. § 190 anm. b), or GESENIUS Geschicht der Heb. Sprach. S. 38. ff. Tr.]

[b) This is the opinion of most of the Jewish writers; CARPZOV, Introd. p. 286., Episcopius, Sanctius, Huet, and others, consider Ezra as the compiler from previous documents.The identity of II Chron. xxxvi. 22. s. and Ezra i. 1. s. has been accounted for on the supposition of a mistake of the transcriber; HORNE, Introd. IV. 55. note 1). To this, however, some minute verbal differences may be objected.De WETTE (Einleit. § 192. anm. b), considers the difference of the genealogies I Chron. vi. 3. ss. and Ezra vii. 1. ss. as a proof that Ezra was not the compiler of Chronicles. Comp. also BERTHOLDT. Th. V. S. 987. ff. Tr.]

[c) So EICHHORN, Th. II. S. 583. f. and alipomenon auctoritate atque fide historica.

DAHLER de librorum Par-
Argent. 1819. p. 5. Tr.]

51. Sources of the Books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles.

The records from which these books* were compiled, are referred to throughout; but it is questioned whether the Chronicles have been derived from the same sources as the books of Samuel and Kings. In the books of Samuel there is indeed no citation of any authority; but that there were in those times public annals, is plain, from I Chron. xxvii. 24, where they are expressly mentioned, and from I Chron. xxix. 29. where their authors are named.[a]In the books of Kings the history of king Solomon is first mentioned, and subse. quently the annals of the kings of Judah and of the kings of Israel are perpetually cited.[b]—In Chronicles, especially in the second book, there are frequent references to records, from a collation of which it is evident; 1) that the history of most of the kings was written by the prophets[c]; and therefore, agreeably to the prophetic manner, there is a constant reference to the theocracy and to divine rewards and punishments[d]. 2) Many histories of kings written by prophets were inserted in the annals of the kingdom [e]. 3) Citations of the annals of the kings of Judah and Israel, in which the historical writings of the prophets just mentioned were inserted, are very frequent[f]. 4) Yet all the historical writings of the prophets which are cited, were not inserted in those annals; for occasionally the historical writings of the prophets are distinguished from them, e. g. II Chron. xxxii. 22. xxxiii. 18. s.—From all this it follows, that the author of Chronicles generally uses the same authorities as the author of the books of Kings, but with the addition of some others. -It is beyond all doubt that the annals of the kings of Judah and Israel cited in Chronicles are not our books of Kings; for the author refers the reader who may be desirous of further information to those annals, in cases where our books of Kings have not more, but less, than his work: e. g. II Chron. xvii. 1—xx. 34. comp. I Ki. xv. 24, xxii. 1—33, 41— 51; so also II Chron. xxiii. 1-xxiv. 27. comp. I Ki. xi. 1—xiii. 22. Those annals, therefore, which the author of Chronicles refers to, are books contemporaneous with the events which they relate, the

* [The author undoubtedly means the books of Kings and Chronicles, as is plain from the very next sentence where he denies that those of Samuel contain any such references.

Tr.]