Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead." Chap. v. 19-22. "And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab. And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated of them; because they put their trust in him. And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand. For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity." Chap. vii. 21-24. "And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle. And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him. "And when he went in to his wife, she conceived and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house. And his daughter was Sherah, who built Beth-horon the nether, and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah." § 188. THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED. II. 1 Ch. x.-xxix. contains the history of David. In some parts, this is entirely consistent with that in the books of Samuel, but it is distinguished from that by having several accounts peculiar to itself, and especially by its Levitical accounts. III. The history of Solomon; 2 Ch. i.—ix. IV. 2 Ch. x.-xxviii. The history of the kingdom of Judah while the kingdom of Israel also subsisted. It does not contain the history of Israel. V. 2 Ch. xxix.-xxxvi. The history of Judah after the fall of Israel, with particular reference to the state and history of the worship. The three last chapters are like the books of Kings." a Table of Passages parallel with 1 Ch. x.-2 Ch. xxxvi. § 189. RELATION OF THE CHRONICLES TO THE EARLIER 1. IN RESPECT TO ANTIQUITY. To decide upon the degree of affinity between the books of Chronicles and those of Samuel and the Kings, is, above all, to determine upon their antiquity. We have the following facts to guide us in this: 1. The history itself comes down to the end of the exile. 2 Ch. xxxvi. 20-23. "And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: to fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate, she kept Sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years. ...... the Lord "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, "All the kingdoms of the earth Who is there with him, and hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. among you of all his people? The Lord his God be let him go up." 2. In that confused passage, 1 Ch. iii. 19-24, the genealogy of the house of David is brought down to the second generation after Zerubbabel, if no further: — : 1 Ch. iii. 19--24. "And the sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel, and Shimei: and the sons of Zerubbabel; Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister and Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushab-hesed, five. And the sons of Hananiah; Pelatiah, and Jesaiah: the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shechaniah. And the sons of Shechaniah; Shemaiah; and the sons of Shemaiah; Hattush, and Igeal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat, six. And the sons of Neariah; Elioenai, and Hezekiah, and Azrikam, three. And the sons of Elioneai were, Hodaiah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Delaiah, and Anani, seven." a R. Benjamin thinks this genealogy contains nine generations from Jesiah to Johanan, (verses 21, 24,) and therefore comes down to 270 B. C. But, according to Movers and Hävernik, it goes no further than the grandchildren of Zerubbabel - Pelatiah and Jesiah; and then, as they think, the author adds some names from David's posterity in general. But Shemaiah is the son of Shechaniah, (verse 22,) a contemporary of Nehemiah, (Neh. iii. 29 ;) and therefore the genealogy comes down to the third generation after Nehemiah. This passage is commonly regarded as a later addition." 3. Contrary to all historical propriety, the author reckons by Daricks in the history of David, (1 Ch. xxix. 7.) It is plain that the name and use of this coin had long been current among the Jews." 4. The document in 1 Ch. ix., from the time of Nehemiah, (chap. xi.,) could not have been so disfigured as it has been shown to be, (§ 187,) except in a time far more modern. Movers thinks the Chronicler was a younger contemporary of Nehemiah, and wrote about 400 B. C. Zunz places him about 260 B. C. 5. Besides the orthography and language,' the mythological and Levitical spirit of the book, as well as its place in the canon, is evidence in favor of its late origin.c § 190, a. 2. IN RESPECT TO THEIR COMMON CONTENTS. In the passages which the books of Chronicles have in common with the books of Kings, there are many [17. This word does not appear in the English Bible, but is translated dram. The origin of the name is doubtful. According to Suidas, Harpocration, and the scholiast on Aristophanes, (Ecclesiazus, verse 741,) it is derived from a more ancient Darius; but according to the common opinion, from Darius Hystaspes. Herodotus (iv. 166) does not say this distinctly. See the etymologies in Gesenius and Winer. But see, also, Hengstenberg, 1. c. vol. i. p. 51, sqq., and Movers, 1. c. p. 26, note b, and the authorities there cited.] 67777, for 777; b, for 7; 1, 1 Ch. xiii. 7, for 3; 777,1 Ch. xiii. 12, for ;, 1 Ch. ii. 12, for "; 1778, for 1278, 2 Ch. ii. 6; 7, 2 Ch. ii. 13; 3, 1 Ch. xxix. 1; 2, 1 Ch. xxviii. 11; 2777, 1 Ch. v. 17; 772, 2 Ch. xiii. 22, xxiv. 27; 172, 1 Ch. xxi. 27; 77, 2 Ch. ii. 15; 2, 2 Ch. xxix. 16; 73, 1 Ch. xxv. 8; , for 2; 2, for п. Jahn, vol. ii. p. 244, sq. Gramberg, p. 5, sqq. According to Gesenius (Gesch. Heb. Sprache, p. 157, sq.) and Gramberg, (p. 39,) some of the variants of the Chronicles may be explained by the use of the square letter. But this is doubtful. Bertholdt (p. 983, sqq.) derives too much from this circumstance, for the order of the book is not chronological. Keil, p. 72. |
