God’s people rediscover their roots.
The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles retell the history of Israel for the captives returning from the Babylonian exile. Many of these displaced Jews had been born far from their homeland and now sought to reclaim their identity. These books trace their origins, name their ancestors, and recount significant events that shaped their culture.
The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles were originally a single book identified as “The Words of the Days.” The name Chronicles was not given to these writings until they were translated into Latin between A.D. 385 and 405. Their emphasis on Israel’s spiritual history—as opposed to the more political outlook of 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings—suggests that these writings were intended to help returnees rebuild a community concerned first and foremost with following God’s commands. After all, it was the people’s stubborn disobedience that had caused the Exile to occur.
The first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles outline God’s work through a detailed genealogy of the people’s ancestors. The remainder of the book summarizes the life of David as the nation’s greatest king and spiritual leader. The account does not repeat many of the stories of David’s struggles but instead celebrates the best accomplishments of the man who shared God’s heart (Acts 13:22) and sought to honor the Lord by building a magnificent temple (1 Chr. 17:1).
Although the record of Israel’s history in 1 and 2 Chronicles covers much of the same ground as 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings, the accounts are not reproduced word-for-word (see “More than a Repeat of Kings” at 1 Chr. 1:1). Like Samuel and Kings, Chronicles was probably compiled from several sources. Some are named within the book, including tribal genealogies (7:9, 40), the book of the kings of Israel (9:1), and the books of Samuel, Nathan, and Gad (29:29). But the identity of the author remains unknown. Ancient tradition held that it was Ezra the scribe (see his profile at Ezra 7:1), whose intense interest in the temple is consistent with the emphasis on worship found in Chronicles.
The historical narrative of 1 Chronicles begins with the death of Saul (c. 1007 B.C.; 1 Chr. 10) and ends with the close of David’s reign (c. 971 B.C.; 1 Chr. 29). The geography of Chronicles is the same as that of Samuel and Kings—the territory of Israel, with references to other nations and regions of the Middle East—with the difference that Judah is the focal point for most of the action (see the maps at “The Queen of Sheba and International Trade” at 2 Chr. 9:1; “The Phoenicians” at 2 Chr. 9:21; “Solomon’s Empire” at 2 Chr. 9:26; and “The Captives of the Israelites” at 2 Chr. 36:20).
Key People in 1 Chronicles
• Sheerah, an Ephraimite woman who built three cities (1 Chr. 7:24).
• The Nethinim, a group of foreigners given responsibility for serving in the temple (1 Chr. 9:2).
• David’s mighty men, loyal warriors who helped David attain the throne (1 Chr. 11:10).
• Asaph, the Levite ancestor of generations of temple musicians and singers (1 Chr. 15:17).
• The Syrians, a people with Damascus as the principal city of their nation (1 Chr. 19:10).
• Heman, grandson of Samuel, possible composer of Psalm 88, and a chief singer under David and Solomon (1 Chr. 25:5).
Key Events in 1 Chronicles
• The chronicler provides detailed genealogies of the Israelites (1 Chr. 1–9).
• David assembles his mighty men (1 Chr. 11:10—12:22).
• David transports the ark of God to Jerusalem (1 Chr. 13, 15).
• God establishes a covenant with David (1 Chr. 17).
• David sins by taking a census of Israel (1 Chr. 21).