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Bible - OT - Chronicles: Passover and Exile

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1-2 Kings mentions Passover in only one passage, describing the Passover of Josiah (2 Kings 23:21-23).

1-2 Chronicles places more emphasis on Passover. Hezekiel celebrates a massive Passover (2 Chronicles 30), as well as Josiah (2 Chronicles 35).

In both cases, Passover is mentioned only near the very end of the of the history of the monarchy, and it is shortly followed by the deportation to Babylon. Passover and Exile replaces the earlier Passover and Exodus.

And, this suggests that, at some point (already with Solomon?), Judah had become an “Egypt” from which the real Israel had to be delivered. Neither Matthew nor the prophets are the first to make the Israel-is-Egypt connection. It’s embedded in the history of the kingdom.

posted by Peter J. Leithart on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 4:59 am

Bible - OT - Chronicles Bible - OT - Isaiah: Uzziah the proud

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According to 2 Chronicles 26, Uzziah was a powerful and successful king, but his power went to his head and he became proud. The Hebrew word behind “become proud” is gabah, related to gibeah, “high place.” Uzziah’s attempt to offer incense in the temple treated the temple as just another high place; it was a species of liturgical idolatry.

Importantly, this is the verb same word-group that Isaiah uses, especially in chapter 2, to describe the haughtiness and “loftiness” of proud Judah. Uzziah is a fitting king for the nation during this period: Wealthy, surrounded by armies, the land filled with wealth and weapons, but also full of pride. Uzziah is struck with leprosy, full of scabs, as is Israel (1:5-6) and the daughters of Zion (3:12).

posted by Peter J. Leithart on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 12:07 pm

Bible - OT - Chronicles: Making David King

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1 Chronicles 12 is a little book of numbers, listing leaders of each tribes and the numbers of “mighty men of valor” that accompany them. They assemble with their “weapons” (vessels) to make David King (v. 22). It is reminiscent not only of the census of Numbers 1-2, but of the enumeration of offerings in Numbers 7, where leaders of each tribe bring tribute to Yahweh, vessels for the service of the tabernacle.

The big difference between the passages has to do with the king whose kingship is being acknowledged. Numbers 1-2, 7 are part of the ritual of Yahweh’s coronation; 1 Chronicles 12 is about David’s coronation. Since David is Yahweh’s prince, His son, the ceremonies are naturally similar. The tribes offer Yahweh vessels for the service of His house; the tribes offer David weapons and men of war for the service of his house and the land.

posted by Peter J. Leithart on Monday, March 15, 2010 at 6:08 am

Bible - OT - Chronicles: Stirred spirits

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Near the beginning of 1 Chronicles, Yahweh stirs up the spirit of Pul of Assyria to invade and conquer Israel (5:26).

Near the end, He stirs up the spirit of Cyrus of Persia to issue a decree sending the exiles home (2 Chronicles 36:22).

Israel’s intervening history is framed by those two divine “stirrings.” The heart of the king is in Yahweh’s hand.

posted by Peter J. Leithart on Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 9:36 am

Bible - OT - Chronicles: Korah’s resurrection

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1 Chronicles 6:31-38 traces the genealogy of Levite singers backwards from those appointed by David to Jacob. There are some interesting names along the way. Heman the singer’s grandpappy was Samuel son of Elkanah, whom you may remember from 1 Samuel. Further back, Samuel’s great, great….grandpappy was Korah, whom we last saw disappearing into what can literally be described as the “maw” of the earth (Numbers 16). Korah’s line didn’t stay dead. He was raised in Samuel, and then raised to the temple, a singer in the house of the Lord.

posted by Peter J. Leithart on Thursday, February 1, 2007 at 12:55 pm

Bible - OT - Chronicles: Genealogies in Chronicles

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Gary Knoppers argues in a JBL article that, contrary to accepted scholarship, the Chronicler shows the signs of influence of Greek historiography. I find this kind of article tedious and this kind of evidence unconvincing, but along the way Knoppers makes some useful comments about the organization of the Chronicler’s genealogies. In particular, he shows (following many others) a chiastic outline of 1 Chron 1-9:

A. Peoples of the world, 1:1-54
B. Judah, 2:3-4:23
C. Simeon and transJordanian tribes, 4:24-5:26
D. Levi, 5:27-6:66
C. Northern tribes, 7:1-40
B. Benjamin, 8:1-40
A. Persian inhabitants of Jerusalem, 9:2-34

A couple of things emerge from this outline, which Knoppers unfortunately doesn’t pursue. First, the genealogies center on Levi. This is consistent with the Pentateuchal genealogies, which come to a climax in Ex 6 with the genealogy of Moses and Aaron. The whole purpose of genealogies in Scripture is to trace the fleshly lineage of a fleshly priesthood (Heb 7). Second, and related to this, the organization shows a gradual focus on the priestly tribe. From among all the nations of the world, Yahweh has selected the tribes of Israel to be priests, and withint the priestly people the Levites have been selected as the priestly tribe.

Finally, the A-A parallel is especially intriguing. At the beginning of the genealogies, the Chronicler is showing Israel within the context of Adamic humanity, within the context of the Gentile world. The genealogies close on the same note, with Israel set in the midst of the sea of nations. The situation of post-exilic Israel, in short, is nothing new, but in some respects a throwback to the original state of Israel and of Abraham.

posted by Peter J. Leithart on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 at 11:48 am

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