Chapter V: Introduction: § 1: Characteristics of Ancient Historical Writings (3)

In the Hebrew Bible the “Kĕthūbhīm” (Hagiographa) are usually arranged thus:――first the Poetical Books (Psalms, Proverbs, Job), next the Five Rolls or _Megillōth_ (Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther), and lastly the three books Daniel, Ezra‒Nehemiah, and Chronicles. This is the usual Hebrew tradition, though it is surprising to find Ezra (which begins with the closing verses of Chronicles) put before Chronicles. The wording of Matthew xxiii. 35, however, “From the blood of Abel the righteous (see Genesis iv. 10 f.) unto the blood of Zachariah (see 2 Chronicles xxiv. 20 ff.)” suggests that as early as our Lord’s day Chronicles was regarded as the last, just as Genesis was the first, book of the Hebrew Canon. It is probable, therefore, that Chronicles found its way into the Canon _after_ Ezra‒Nehemiah, the latter book being needed to represent the post-exilic period of the history, whereas Chronicles covered ground already occupied by the books of Samuel and Kings.

§ 10. TEXT AND VERSIONS OF CHRONICLES

_Text._ The Hebrew (Masoretic) text in Chronicles is, on the whole, well preserved, although by no means free from textual errors (compare 1 Chronicles vi. 28). Many of these occur, as one would expect, in the lists of proper names. Olstead (in the _American Journal of Semitic Languages_, October 1913) has given reasons for holding that occasionally the original text of Chronicles may have suffered from assimilation to the text of Samuel‒Kings. Further, we note a few phrases and passages which seem to be scribal additions (see § 3, p. xxii). An interesting scribal omission of late date is noted on 2 Chronicles xxviii. 20. In passages which are parallel to the older canonical books Chronicles has occasionally preserved a superior reading, e.g. 1 Chronicles xx. 4, Hebrew and LXX. “there arose war _at Gezer_” = 2 Samuel xxi. 18, “there was again war ... _at Gob_”; or again, 1 Chronicles viii. 53, “Eshbaal” = 2 Samuel ii. 8 “Ishbosheth”; or compare 1 Chronicles xiv. 14, note on _go not up_.

_Versions._ (1) _Greek Versions._ What is commonly called the Septuagint (LXX.) of Chronicles is now recognised to be not the _original_ LXX., but a later Greek translation, which most scholars (especially Torrey, _Ezra Studies_) consider to be the rendering of Theodotion. [For criticism of the view that it is Theodotion’s rendering see the article by Olstead mentioned above.] In the main this rendering is a close reproduction of the Masoretic text, and of little value except for determining the official Hebrew text of the second century. The _old_ LXX., unfortunately, no longer exists for 1 Chronicles i.‒2 Chronicles xxxiv.; but for 2 Chronicles xxxv., xxxvi. it has been preserved in 1 Esdras i.――a fact of great good fortune, not merely for the textual criticism of that passage, but for the light it sheds on the relations and characteristics of the Greek Versions.

(2) The _Old Latin Version_ was made from the _old_ LXX. which is now lost except for the last two chapters of Chronicles, as stated above. It would therefore be of great value for criticism, but alas! only a few fragments survive.

The later Latin Version, the _Vulgate_, made by Jerome, is of small value, as it represents only the official Hebrew text.

(3) The _Syriac Version_, known as the Peshitṭa, is of even smaller value for textual criticism. Unlike the close rendering of other books in the Peshitṭa, Chronicles constantly has the characteristics of a paraphrase rather than a translation. One example will suffice. For “Joel the chief and Shaphat the second,” 1 Chronicles v. 12, the Peshitṭa has “And Joel went forth at their head and judged them and taught them the scriptures well.” The Peshitṭa is further noteworthy for curious omissions (and substitutions), e.g. 2 Chronicles iv. 10‒22; xi. 5‒xii. 12 (for which 1 Kings xii. 25‒30, followed by 1 Kings xiv. 1‒9, is substituted).

For further information regarding the text and versions of Chronicles, see the edition by Curtis, pp. 35 ff.

§ 11. LITERATURE

Of the more recent literature on Chronicles the following is a list of the principal works which have been consulted in the preparation of this volume.

J. Wellhausen, _Prolegomena_ (1885), especially chapter vi.

W. H. Bennett, _The Books of Chronicles_ in the _Expositor’s
Bible_ (1894).

F. Brown, _Chronicles_ in Hastings’ _Dictionary of the Bible_
(1898).

W. R. Smith and S. R. Driver, _Chronicles_ in the _Encyclopaedia
Biblica_ (1899).

I. Benzinger, _Die Bücher der Chronik_ (1901).

R. Kittel, _Die Bücher der Chronik_ (1902).

C. F. Kent, _Israel’s Historical and Biographical Narratives_
(Student’s Old Testament, 1905).

W. R. Harvie-Jellie, _Chronicles_ in the _Century Bible_ (1906).

E. L. Curtis and A. A. Madsen, _Chronicles_ (the International
Critical Commentary, 1910).

S. R. Driver, _Literature of the Old Testament_, pp. 517‒540
(8th edition 1909).

W. R. Smith and S. A. Cook, _Chronicles_ in the _Encyclopaedia
Britannica_ (1910).

C. C. Torrey, _Ezra Studies_ (1910).

A. T. Olstead, _Source Study and the Biblical Text_ in the
_American Journal of Semitic Languages_ (October, 1913).

Students interested in the Hebrew text should consult Kittel’s edition of the Old Testament in Hebrew; Kittel’s _Chronicles in Hebrew_ in _The Sacred Books of the Old Testament_ (edited by P. Haupt); Torrey’s _Ezra Studies_, and the commentary by Curtis and Madsen mentioned above; also Arno Kropat, “Die Syntax des Autors der Chronik,” in the _Zeitschrift für Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft_ (Beihefte) xvi. (1909).

* * * * *

N.B. The commentary on Chronicles according to the text of the Authorised Version was edited in this series by the Rev. Professor W. E. Barnes, D.D., in 1899. For this new edition which is based on the Revised Version the present writer is entirely responsible. He desires here to acknowledge the courtesy of Professor Barnes who has kindly permitted the retention of notes from the first edition.

W. A. L. E.

_September 1st, 1915._

THE FIRST BOOK OF
THE CHRONICLES

CHAPTERS I.‒IX. GENEALOGIES.