CHRONICLES (Deb. Dirrai bap-gamim, events of the days, Gk. ITana\c:r6aeva, Paralei pmmena, omitted. sc. 1343X1a, hiWia, book0. The name of two of the hooks of the Old Testament, which in the Hebrew canon form but one book, entitled "Book of Events of the Times." This appears to have been a designation commonly ap to special UrieS—hllell as, for example, "Events of the Times of King David," or the like. The Greek translators divided the long Hebrew book into two, and adopted the title "Things t hnitted"—that is. not recorded in the other historical hooks. demn° suggested the title ••Chronicon." whence eeones the English name. The Book of Chronicles begins with Adam and ends abruptly in the middle of Cyrus's decree of restoration. The emitinuation of the narrative is found in the Book of Ezra, which cemiplet es the fragment of the decree of the Per sian King. Chronicles, in fact, formed originally one work with Ezra and Nehemiah, displaying throughout the peeuliarities of a single author. The apparent separation of Ezra and Nehemiah from Chronicles proper is due to the insertion in the former of extracts from the memoirs of Ezra and Nehemiah and from other earlier docu ments. Of the authorship of Chronieles nothing is known except what can be determined by in ternal evidence. The language, and more par ticularly the syntax, implies that the book is one of the latest of the Old Testament. It is evident that the author lived a considerable time after Ezra, and stood entirely under the influence of the religious institutions of the new theocracy. This point of view determined the nature of his interest in the early history of his people. The true importance of Hebrew history centres for him in the fact that this petty nation was the people of Jehovah. The tragic interest which distinguishes the annals of Israel from the for gotten history of iloab or Damascus lies wholly in that long contest which finally vindicated the reality of spiritual things and the supremacy of Jehovah's purpose by the political ruin of the nation which was the faithless depositary of these sacred truths. After the captivity it was impossible to write the history of Israel's for tunes otherwise than in a spirit of religious prag matism. But within the Knits of the religious conception of the plan and purpose of the Hebrew hi-toy, more than one point of view might he taken. The Book of Kings looks upon history in the spirit of the prophets. But before the Chronicler wrote. prophecy had become extinct. The Jerusalem of Ezra was organized no longer as a nation. but as a municipality and a church. The centre I if religious life was no longer the prophetic word. but the ordinances of the Penta teuch and the liturgical service of the sanctuary. The religious vocation of Israel was no longer mtional. but ecclesiastical and municipal; and the historical continuity of the nation was vivid ly realized only within the walls of Jerusalem and the courts of the Temple, in the solemn as sembly and stately ceremonial of a feast-day. These influences naturally operated most strong ly on those who were officially attached to the sanctuary. To a T.evite. even more than to other Jews. the history of Israel meant above all things the history of Jerusalem, of the Tem ple, and of the Temple ordinances. The author of Chronicles betrays in every page his essen tially Levitical habit of mind. To such a mind, in the fallen condition of the Jews as a political nation, there seemed to be room for a new his tory, which should confine itself to matters still interesting to the theocracy of Zion, keeping Jerusalem and the Temple in the foreground, and developing the divine significance of the history in its causes and results, not so much with ref CYNIC(' to the as to the fixed legislation of the Pentateuch, so that the whole narrative might be made to teach that the glory of Israel lies in the observance of the divine law and ritual. For the sake of systematic complete ness, the author of the Chronicles begins with Adam; but he had nothing to add to the Penta teuch, and the period from Aloses to David con tained little that served his purpose. Ile there
contracted the early history into a of genealogies, which were by no means the least interesting part of his work at a time when every Israelite was coneerned to prove the purity of his Hebrew descent. From the death of Saul, the history becomes fuller, and runs parallel with the books of Samuel and Kings. The limitations of the author's interest in past times appear in the omission. among other partieulars, of David's reign in Hebron; of the disorders in his family and the revolt of Absalom; of the circumstances of Solomon's accession; and of many details as to the wisdom and splendor of that sovereign. as well as of his fall into idolatry. in the latter history, the ten tribes are quite neglected. and political affairs in Judah receive attention. not in proportion to their intrinsic importanee, hut according as they serve to exemplify God's help to the obedient and Ms chastisement of the re bellious. That the author is always unwilling to speak of the misfortunes of good rulers is not to be ascribed to a desire to suppress the truth, but shows that the book was throughout com posed not in purely historic interest, hut with a view to inculcate a practical lesson. The more important additions which the Chronicler makes to the old narrative consist partly of full details of points connected with the history 14 the sanctuary and the great feasts, or the arelm ology of the Levitical ministry, and partly of narratives of victories and defeats, of sins and punishments, of obedience and its reward, which could be made to point a plain religious lesson in favor of faithful observance of the law. The minor variations of Chronicles from the books of Samuel and Kings are analogous to the larger additions and omissions, so that the whole work has a consistent and well-marked character. pre senting the history in quite a different perspec tive from that of the old narrative. It is still possible to determine within certain limits the nature of the sources which were employed by the author. Ile had before him the canonical books of Samuel and Kings, from which he made excerpts: but, in addition to these. had at his disposal `Alidrashic' compilations. in which the past history was no longer told in sober fashion. Ion, embellished With more or less fanciful de tails, was intended as a means of illustrating religious ideas and of teaching moral lessons. lie mentions such a Alidrash of the Book of Kings (II. Chiron. xxiv. 27), and also specifically refers to a Mid•ash of the prophet Iddo Citron. sill. 22), which appears to have been a separate work either attributed to Iddo or in which the prophet plays a prominent part. There were probably other works of a similar character in existence, and it is important to note that these compilations were based upon the annals of the kings of Israel and Judah respectively, Nvhieh also form the sources underlying the canonical books of Kings. The variations of the Chronicles from the latter, however, are due in must instances to his religious Et en thing is done to emphasize the ancient im portance of the Levitcs, who are introduced at points and on occasions tthich are most inap propriate. llc is also fund of figures in cmlincrating and Flit speeches introduced by him and put into the mouths of prominent personages also collect entirely the Chronicler's peculiar point of view. 'faking all this together, it is claimed by many that the historical value of Chronicles, where it varies from the books of Samuel and Kings. is small, and, except in some details, which have chiefly an interest as representing perhaps a more or less widespread tradition, there is a reluctance among modern critical scholars to depend upon it in the study of Hebrew history.
LIBLIoGnAr111". See the commentaries of Bertheau, Kittel, Keil, Benzim!er, etc.. and in troductions to the Old Testament of Driver, Wildeboer, bluenen, Bleek-Wellhausen, Kautzsch, etc.