29, etc.). Twenty whole chapters, and twenty-four parts of chapters, are
occupied with matter not found elsewhere. It also records many things in
fuller detail, as (e.g.) the list of David’s heroes (1 Chronicles 12:1-37), the
removal of the ark from Kirjath-jearim to Mount Zion (1 Chronicles 13;
15:2-24; 16:4-43; comp. 2 Samuel 6), Uzziah’s leprosy and its cause (2
Chronicles 26:16-21; comp. 2 Kings 15:5), etc.
It has also been observed that another peculiarity of the book is that it
substitutes modern and more common expressions for those that had then
become unusual or obsolete. This is seen particularly in the substitution of
modern names of places, such as were in use in the writer’s day, for the
old names; thus Gezer (1 Chronicles 20:4) is used instead of Gob (2
Samuel 21:18), etc.
The Books of Chronicles are ranked among the khethubim or hagiographa.
They are alluded to, though not directly quoted, in the New Testament
(Hebrews 5:4; Matthew 12:42; 23:35; Luke 1:5; 11:31, 51).
- CHRONICLES OF KING DAVID (1 Chronicles 27:24) were statistical
state records; one of the public sources from which the compiler of the
Books of Chronicles derived information on various public matters. - CHRONOLOGY is the arrangement of facts and events in the order of
time. The writers of the Bible themselves do not adopt any standard era
according to which they date events. Sometimes the years are reckoned,
e.g., from the time of the Exodus (Numbers 1:1; 33:38; 1 Kings 6:1), and
sometimes from the accession of kings (1 Kings 15:1, 9, 25, 33, etc.), and
sometimes again from the return from Exile (Ezra 3:8).
Hence in constructing a system of Biblecal chronology, the plan has been
adopted of reckoning the years from the ages of the patriarchs before the
birth of their first-born sons for the period from the Creation to Abraham.
After this period other data are to be taken into account in determining the
relative sequence of events.
As to the patriarchal period, there are three principal systems of
chronology: (1) that of the Hebrew text, (2) that of the Septuagint version,
and (3) that of the Samaritan Pentateuch, as seen in the scheme on the
opposite page.
The Samaritan and the Septuagint have considerably modified the Hebrew
chronology. This modification some regard as having been wilfully made,