Outline
Genealogies, Adam to Abraham. (Verse 1-27.)
The descendants of Abraham. (Verse 28-54.)
Upon a first reading, it would appear that both I & II Chronicles are merely a repetition of the books of Samuel and Kings – this however is not the case. I & II Samuel and I & II Kings give us history from the viewpoint of the prophets
– the perspective is human. I & II Chronicles on the other hand give us history from the standpoint of the priests where the perspective is that of God himself.
A few illustrations of this point might be helpful. In I Sam. 31:1 we are simply told that the Philistines killed King Saul. However, in I Chr. 10:1-14 we are told that Saul was killed by God with specific reasons given for this action being carried out; the Philistines were merely God’s instrument for carrying out his purpose. In Samuel, only one chapter (II Sam. 6) is devoted to an account of the ark being transferred to Jerusalem; in Chronicles however there are three chapters devoted to this topic informing us why God slew Uzzah and including David’s confession on this matter. Three verses in Kings record the revival in Judah under King Hezekiah while this same event takes three chapters in Chronicles. David’s sin with Bathsheba took up two chapters in Samuel but is not even mentioned in the Chronicles – this is in keeping with the
character of God where he forgives and forgets!
Another difference between Samuel/Kings and the Chronicles is the object being discussed. I & II Kings record the history of both Israel and Judah – Chronicles however is almost exclusively a record of Judah’s history, referring to Israel only when absolutely necessary. Furthermore, the Chronicles seem to concentrate upon the descendants of David and the Temple in Jerusalem. The chief matter of David’s reign is the preparation to build the Temple while the chief matter of Solomon’s reign is actually building it. Therefore, the Chronicles appear to zero in on the religious life of the southern kingdom of Judah – the emphasis is upon the spiritual life of Judah, not the secular life as in the previous books.
The books of I & II Chronicles do not historically fit where they are placed in the King James Bible (this in noway suggests the KJB is in error). Chronologically, II Kings is followed by Ezra. In the Hebrew OT used by the Jews, they have the same 39 OT books that we do, but arrange them differently. In their text, I & II Chronicles are the LASTTWO books of the 39; the idea is that they are a summary or conclusion of all that has been said in the other 37 books.
The genealogies of I Chr. 1-8 include virtually everyone of note in the OT from Adam right down until the very last kingsof Judah. Very methodically, the basis is laid for the exact genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel. This genealogy is then repeated in reverse in Luke chapter three.
The difference in the order of the books between the Hebrew Bible and the KJB is very significant. As the order of the books stands in the Hebrew Bible, II Chr. is the last book. If you read the end of this book, the tone is hopeful – God’s punishment is past, the captivity of Israel is coming to an end, and the last verse of the book is a proclamation for the Jews to return to Jerusalem and build the Temple – to prepare to meet the coming Messiah and usher in the millennial kingdom of the Messiah. With this as the last book, the Jews were expectant when Jesus arrived and if they had been obedient to God’s words, they should have received Jesus as their King and thereby brought in the kingdom. II Chron. is a natural lead in to the book of Matthew which presents the coming of the King of Israel.
However, looking back, we know that the Jews rejected Jesus. By rejecting their Messiah, the kingdom did not come into existence, and instead the Lord established a church; this temporarily bypassed the Jews and made salvation possible to the Gentiles – it also postponed the Jewish kingdom for at least 2,000 years. The KJB Old Testament ends with Malachi – this small book contains four chapters of rebuke directed at Israel for their rejection of God and his words. The last chapter (chap. 4) is a warning of the coming tribulation (the “day” of the Lord – 4:1 & 5), the promise of the return ofthe Messiah (second advent – 4:2), a command to remember God’s laws (4:4) and a warning about a curse (last word of the OT). This tribulational passage directed at a spiritually blinded nation of Israel is very appropriate in light of how things actually turned out in history. II Chronicles would have still fit at the end of the OT if the Jews had accepted Jesus as Messiah; because they didn’t, Malachi naturally fits the way history turned out. Thus we see God’s guiding hand in thedevelopment, translation and preservation of his holy word.
One thing that we will make many references to is the “apparent contradictions” between the Chronicles and thebooks of Samuel/Kings. We say “apparent” for these differences are not really contradictions (there are no genuine contradictions in God’s perfect word), but they appear to be contradictions at first glance. In reality, we are getting the same facts from different viewpoints which in the end greatly enhances our view of what actually took place. Sceptics however pounce on these passages in an attempt to prove errors in the word of God.
The author of I & II Chron. from a human standpoint was probably Ezra. The books appear to have been written after the Jews finished their seventy years of captivity in Babylon. Ezra was a scribe and priest from this time who encouraged the Jews to go back to Judah and build the Temple, and the Temple just happens to be the main topic of the Chronicle
1 Adam, Sheth, Enosh,
[Gen 5:1, Matt 1:1, Luke 3:23]
2 Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,
3 Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech,
[Gen 5:18, Jude 14]
4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
[Gen 9:18]
5 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
6 And the sons of Gomer; Ashchenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
[Gen 10:3, Jer 51:27]
7 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
[Gen 10:4, Isa 66:19, Eze 27:13, Eze 27:19]
8 The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
[Gen 10:6, Psa 78:51, Psa 105:23, Psa 106:22]
9 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.
10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.
11 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
12 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (of whom came the Philistines,) and Caphthorim.
13 And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth,
[Gen 10:15, Gen 23:3, Gen 25:10, Gen 27:46, Gen 49:32]
14 The Jebusite also, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite,
15 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
16 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
Canaan was the father of a number of small nations in the land that bore his name, the land of “Canaan.”
17 The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech.
18 And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber.
19 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg; because in his days the earth was divided: and his brother’s name was Joktan.
[Gen 11:16]
20 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
21 Hadoram also, and Uzal, and Diklah,
22 And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
23 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,
25 Eber, Peleg, Reu,
26 Serug, Nahor, Terah,
27 Abram; the same is Abraham.
[Gen 11:26, Gen 12:1, Josh 24:2]
28 The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael.
29 These are their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
30 Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema,
31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael.
32 Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.
[Gen 25:2]
33 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these are the sons of Keturah.
34 And Abraham begat Isaac. The sons of Isaac; Esau and Israel.
Issac actually begat Esau and Jacob whose name was later changed to Israel – this point however is in keeping with the theme of I Chr. where the spiritual history of the Jews is emphasised. Remember that Jacob was his fleshly name meaning “supplanter” where Israel was his God-given, spiritual name meaning “prince.
35 The sons of Esau; Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.
[Gen 36:4]
Esau’s descendants are the Edomites, one of the most significant adversaries in Israel’s history and the probable identity of the Palestinians with whom modern day Israel is having so many problems
36 The sons of Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek.
37 The sons of Reuel; Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
38 And the sons of Seir; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezar, and Dishan.
[Gen 36:20]
39 And the sons of Lotan; Hori, and Homam: and Timna was Lotan’s sister.
40 The sons of Shobal; Alian, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. and the sons of Zibeon; Aiah, and Anah.
41 The sons of Anah; Dishon. And the sons of Dishon; Amram, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.
42 The sons of Ezer; Bilhan, and Zavan, and Jakan. The sons of Dishan; Uz, and Aran.
43 Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel; Bela the son of Beor: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
[ Gen 36:31]
44 And when Bela was dead, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.
45 And when Jobab was dead, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead.
46 And when Husham was dead, Hadad the son of Bedad, which smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.
47 And when Hadad was dead, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.
48 And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.
49 And when Shaul was dead, Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.
50 And when Baalhanan was dead, Hadad reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pai; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
51 Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke Aliah, duke Jetheth,
52 Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,
53 Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,
54 Duke Magdiel, duke Iram. These are the dukes of Edom.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710
Verse 1-27 – This chapter, and many that follow, repeat the genealogies, or lists of fathers and children in the Bible history, and put them together, with many added. When compared with other places, there are some differences found; yet we must not therefore stumble at the word, but bless God that the things necessary to salvation are plain enough. The original of the Jewish nation is here traced from the first man that God created, and is thereby distinguished from the obscure, fabulous, and absurd origins assigned to other nations. But the nations now are all so mingled with one another, that no one nation, nor the greatest part of any, is descended entirely from any of one nation, nor the greatest part of any, is descended entirely from any of these fountains. Only this we are sure of, that God has created of one blood all nations of men; they are all descended from one Adam, one Noah. Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us? Malachi 2:10.
Verse 28-54 – The genealogy is from hence confined to the posterity of Abraham. Let us take occasion from reading these lists of names, to think of the multitudes that have gone through this world, have done their parts in it, and then quitted it. As one generation, even of sinful men, passes away, another comes. Ecclesiastes 1:4. Numbers 32:14,. and will do so while the earth remains. Short is our passage through time into eternity. May we be distinguished as the Lord’s people.