the hock of Ezra; 1 Chron. xv-xxii, zxii-xxix;^ 2 Chron. xiii-xv, xxiv-xxvi, xxix-xxxi, and xxxr ai« among the passages wholly or in part pecnliar to tiie books of Chronicles, which mark the purpose of t^ compiler, and are especially suited to the age and tbe work of Ezra (q. v.).
y I. 8ource$, — It is evident that the Chronicles were compiled not only from former inspired writers, but, for the most part, frt)m public records, registers, and genealogies belonging to the Jews. That nadonal annals existed there can be no doubt. They are ex- pressly mentioned, as in 1 Chron. xxvii, 24. They contained ttn account of the most important events in the history of the Hebrews, and were generally lodged in the tabemade or Temple, where they could most conveniently be consulted.
The following are the explicit references by the com- piler himself to older memoirs or historical works : (1) The book (Q*^*!^*^, words or €u:Ut) of Samuel the seer, the book of Nathan the prophet, and the book of Gad the seer (1 Chron. xxix, 29). This cannot mean the inspired books of Samuel, because they do not oontata tbe entire history of David (*^ his acts first and last"^). It refers to a history of his own times written by Sam- uel, and to a continuation of it, embracing succeeding times, written by Nathan and Crad, frx)m which it ia probable that part of the contents of the present books of Samuel was drawn. See Nathan ; Gad. (2) Tbe book of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Ahij^ tbe Shilonite, and the visions of Iddo the seer (2 Chron. ix, 29). See Ahijah ; Iddo. (3) The book of Shemaiah (he prophet, and of Iddo the seer concenm^ffmealogies ; or, as De Wette translates it, after the maimer qfjbm- ily-reffisters (2 Chron. xii, 16). See Shemaiah. (4) The stoiy, or, rather, the wterpretatiom (UTi^p, 9^ rash) of the prophet Iddo (2 Chron. xiii, 22). (5) Tbe book of Jehu the son of Hanani, inserted in the hock of the Kings of Israel (2 Chron. xx, 84). See Jbhit. (6) The history of Uzziah, by Isaiah the son of Amos (2 Chron. xxvi, 22). (7) The vision of Isaiah tbe propltet, in the book of the Kings of Judah and Israel (2 Chron. xxxii, 82). See Isaiah. (See Gesenios's Commentar Hber den Jesaia ; EkUeit. § 4.) (8) The say- ings ofthe seers (2 Chron. xxxiii, 19). SeeHozAi. (9) The interpretation of the book of the Kings (2 Chron. xxiv, 27). (10) The book of the Kings of Jodah and Israel (2 Chron. xvi, 11; xxv, 26; xxvii, 7; xxviii, 26 ; XXXV, 27 ; xxxvi, 8). This could not have been our present books of Kings, but ptihUc annals, because, in several instances where the reader is referred to them for fiurther information, our books of Kings con- tain less than what is stated in the Chronicles. (11) The book of the Kings of Israel (2 Chron. xx, 84). (12) The words or histories of the Kings of Israel (3 Chron. xxxiii, 18). It is jffobable that Nos. 10, 11, and 12 refer to the same historical work. See Kikos (Books of). (18) The Chronicles of King David (1 Chron. xxvii, 24). (14) The Lamentations (2 Chroo. XXXV, 25). This, however, has been thought by some not to mean the Lamentations of Jeremiah which we now have, but other Lamentations, composed by the prophet on the death o/Josiah, and long since lost. See Lamentations.
In addition to the above avowed docmnents, tbe compiler must have had others. Thus the lists of Di- vides heroes (xi, 10-47), of those who came to him at Ziklag (xii, 1-22), of the captains, princes of the tribes, and officers of David's household (xxvii), the number and distribution of the Levites, and the nunnte information given respecting divine worship (xxui- xxvi), must have been derived from written sources not included in the book of the Kinffs qflsraei and Ju- dah. Some documents are mentioned by the compiler which he did not twe. Thus a writing of Elijah, ad- dressed to Jehoram, is spoken of in 2 Chron. xzi, 12. See Elijah.
CHRONICLES
289
CHRONICLES
In 1 Oa«m. i, 9, we haye only a few lefarencM to the oi%in of the genealegical liste. Throughout moct of thU portioo the compfler relied on registers, which he carefully followed, bat does not definitely cite (yet see 1 Chixm. v, 7, 17 ; vil, 7, 9 ; ix, 1). Although the genealogies of 1 Chron. i-ti, 2, are substantially the same as in Genesis, greatly abridged, and with the omission of nearly all the historical notices, these mat- ters being already so well%nown as to render repeti- *tion nnnecessaiy— a strong, because indirect argu- ment for the authority of the Mosaic writings-^yet the greater portion of those which follow is found nowhere else. Exen fai tiiis abrid^inent of the older genealo- gies there is manifested much independence. In proof of this it is only necessary to observe some of the ap- pended notices, e. g. : 1 Chron. i, 61, " Hadad died also,** an addition to Gen. xxxvi, 89, it being inferred by Hengstenberg (Gmmm. qf the PeHlateuchy ii, 246) and others, from the latter passage, that Hadad wss Btm Ihring in the time of Moses. See Hadad. After 1 CliTon. ii, 2, the genealogical lists are interspersed with fuller details, and the work attains to more com- pleteness and independence.