Books of Chronicles in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

4. The Contents: With respect to their contents the Books of Chronicles are naturally divided into three parts. The first part is preliminary, consisting mostly of genealogical matters with accompanying facts and incidents (1 Ch 1 through 9). The second part is an account of the accession and reign of David (1 Ch 10 through 29). The third part is an account of the events under David's successors in the dynasty (2 Ch). The genealogies begin with Adam (1 Ch 1:1) and extend to the latest Old Testament times (1 Ch 9; compare Neh 11, and the latest names in the genealogical lines, e.g. 1 Ch 3:19 ff). The events incidentally mentioned in connection with them are more numerous and of more importance than the casual reader would imagine. They are some dozens in number. Some of them are repeated from the parts of the Old Testament from which the Chronicler draws as sources--for example, such statements as that Nimrod was a mighty one, or that in the time of Peleg the earth was divided, or the details concerning the kings of Edom (1 Ch 1:10,19,43 ff; compare Gen 10:8,25; 36:31 ff). Others are instances which the Chronicler has taken from other sources than the Old Testament--for instance, the story of Jabez, or the accounts of the Simeonite conquests of the Meunim and of Amalek (1 Ch 4:9,10,38-43). The account in Chronicles of the reign of David divides itself into three parts. The first part (1 Ch 10 through 21) is a series of sections giving a general view, including the death of Saul, the crowning of David over the twelve tribes, his associates, his wars, the bringing of the ark to Jerusalem, the great Davidic promise, the plague that led to the purchase of the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite. The second part (1 Ch 22 through 29:22a) deals with one particular event and the preparations for it. The event is the making Solomon king, at a great public assembly (1 Ch 23:1; 28:1 ff). The preparations for it include arrangements for the site and materials and labor for the temple that is to be built, and the organizing of Levites, priests, singers, doorkeepers, captains, for the service of the temple and the kingdom. The third part (1 Ch 29:22b-30) is a brief account of Solomon's being made king "a second time" (compare 1 Ki 1), with a summary and references for the reign of David. The history of the successors of David, as given in 2 Chronicles, need not here be commented upon...