Chronicles . It is an Old Testament book , which together with 2 Chronicles , were a single book in the Hebrew Canon , called Dibre Jayyamín (Acts of the days).
Summary
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- 1 Features
- 2 Structure
- 3 Author
- 4 Historical framework
- 5 Purpose and position in the Canon
- 6 Sources
features
In the Septuagint it was divided into two; They were called Paraleipomena (things omitted) because it was believed that they contained history that the other historical books omitted, which explains why in some Roman Catholic versions these books are called Paralipomenos.
1 Chronicles is a post-captivity book whose author was perhaps Ezra, or less likely a Levite who at a later time took advantage of Ezra’s writings. The author claims to have used documents as the basis of his work. Much of the material parallels that of Samuel and Reyes, but it is not known whether the chronicler quotes these books or has used the same sources. Name six historical sources and eight prophetic sources.
Structure
At first glance the chronicle books seem to be a repetition of the episodes already reported by other writers, especially Samuel and Reyes. It would be divided as follows:
- Genealogical series, in which those of Saul and David are mentioned (1 Cr 1-9).
- David’s reign (Cr 10-29).
Author
The work is anonymous but the Jewish tradition attributes it to Ezra . There are diverse opinions regarding the identity of the author. Jewish tradition, the atmosphere of the time, Ezra’s position as a scribe, the library that Nehemiah claimed Josephos possessed, and the lack of evidence that it was written at a later date, has led some to believe that the author was Ezra (458 -398 ane).
It has also been claimed that it was not Ezra, but another who would later have used his writings. There are those who lean for a date around 300 BC, based on the chronicler’s opposition to the Samaritan community that started around 350 BC
Historical setting
Many critics have questioned the historicity of Chronicles, arguing that they contain idealized, exaggerated, and even invented data, but recent studies and new aecheological discoveries tend to confirm the chronicle data.
There are still problems that are difficult to solve, such as certain discrepancies, especially numerical ones, between the accounts of Chronicles, and those of Samuel and Reyes, but others that seemed unsolvable today can be explained as transmission errors or with the habit of using certain numbers hyperbolically.
Purpose and position in the Canon
The author highlights the Davidic dynasty, the covenant of God with David, the temple with its worship established by David, the role of the Levites and the Law. It is written from the priestly or Levitical point of view.
Therefore, these deal with ecclesiastical matters relating to the construction and dedication of the temple, and the ordinances of public worship. They highlight the times when the Faith had been the dominant force among the people and their leaders, and had brought prosperity, and they underline that the abandonment of the true faith resulted in ruin and curse.
