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Kings and Chronicles, Part 2: Seeds of Hope

  1. Lesson One
    Hezekiah (2 Kings 17–20, 2 Chronicles 28–32)
    19 Activities
  2. Lesson Two
    Josiah and the Fall of the South (2 Kings 21–23, 2 Chronicles 33–35)
    23 Activities
  3. Lesson Three
    Overview of 1 and 2 Chronicles (1 Chronicles 1–7, 14–29, 2 Chronicles 29–36)
    22 Activities
  4. Lesson Four
    Ritual and Sacramental Living (1 Chronicles 13, 21, 2 Chronicles 1–27)
    24 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  5. Lesson Five
    Wisdom Literature (Proverbs 1–4, Ecclesiastes 1–3, 12, Job 1–4, 40–42)
    18 Activities
  6. Course Wrap-Up
    Course Completion
    1 Activity
    |
    1 Assessment

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The authorship of 1 and 2 Chronicles is a matter of debate. The history of the debate is marked by a 180-degree shift in the consensus and shrouded with a certain level of uncertainty. 

Who wrote Chronicles?

Based on the textual links between Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah (2 Chron 36:22-33 with Ezra 1:1-3, and 1 Chron 9:2-17 with Neh 11:3-19), the witness of a non-canonical book (1 Esdras) and general ideological and linguistic similarities between the three books, scholarship long viewed Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah to be the work of a singular writer. Tradition held that author to be Ezra.

However, Sara Japhet and Hugh Williamson systematically questioned this long-held assumption and eventually swayed the consensus. In particular, they and other scholars have noted the following phenomena: A lack of concern for David and the temple in Ezra and Nehemiah; an emphasis upon the Exodus motif in Ezra and Nehemiah; Chronicles’ pronounced theology of retribution; and Chronicles’ emphasis upon prophecy. In addition, Chronicles has a pronounced emphasis upon “all Israel.” 

Today, the scholarly consensus sees Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah as separate compositions only related chronologically. 

When was Chronicles written?

Opinions on when Chronicles was written range widely. On one end of the spectrum, some believe it was written around the time of Haggai and Zechariah (approximately 515 BC). On the other end are those who argue that it was composed in the Greek period (approximately 300–165 BC). 

Coming to a definitive conclusion is difficult. 

Why was Chronicles written?

Chronicles was written in the wake of the developing concerns of the Second Temple period. With the construction and dedication of the rebuilt temple (516 BC), questions resurfaced concerning Jewish independence, the Davidic dynasty, the temple and other elements of society central to Judah before the Babylonian Exile. Exiled Jewish communities had been exposed to the broad cultural influences of the lands where they had been exiled—primarily Persia and Egypt. Consequently, the Jewish community was forced to revisit its traditions to understand its place in a turbulent imperial context.