{"commentary":{"id":"adam-clarke","name":"Adam Clarke Bible Commentary","website":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Clarke","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/","licenseNotes":null,"licenseNotice":null,"englishName":"Adam Clarke Bible Commentary","language":"eng","textDirection":"rtl","sha256":"92e28c9363c876d215e296f2fe04abb3ab7e34a2aacebdf06bd62ae79c6e3dba","availableFormats":["json"],"listOfBooksApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/books.json","listOfProfilesApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/profiles.json","numberOfBooks":57,"totalNumberOfChapters":854,"totalNumberOfVerses":13318,"totalNumberOfProfiles":0,"languageName":"English","languageEnglishName":"English"},"book":{"id":"1CH","commentaryId":"adam-clarke","name":"1 Chronicles","commonName":"1 Chronicles","introduction":"Preface to the Two Books of Chronicles Anciently these two books were considered but as one: for this we have not only the testimony of St. Jerome, but also that of the Masoretes, who gave the sum of all the sections, chapters, and verses, under one notation at the end of the second book, without mentioning any division; and although the modern Jews divide them, yet they give the Masoretic enumeration of sections, etc., as it was given of old; and all editors of the Masoretic Bibles, whether Jewish or Christian, follow the same plan. These books have had several names. In Hebrew they are denominated דברי הימים dibrey haiyamim; literally, The Words of the Days, i.e., The Journals, particularly of the kings of Israel and kings of Judah. But this name does not appear to have been given by the inspired writer. The Syriac has, The Book of the Transactions in the days of the Kings of Judah: which is called, Dibrey Yamim; referring to the Hebrew title. The Arabic has, The Book of the Annals, which is called in Hebrew, Dibrey Haiyamim. The Septuagint has, παραλειπομενων, of the things that were left or omitted; supposing that these books were a supplement either to Samuel and to the books of Kings, or to the whole Bible. To this the Greek translators might have been led by finding that these books in their time closed the Sacred Canon, as they still do in the most correct editions of the Hebrew Bible. The Vulgate uses the same term as the Septuagint, referring, like the Syriac and Arabic, to the Hebrew name. In our English Bibles these books are termed Chronicles, from the Greek χρονικα, from χρονος, i.e., A History of Times; or, as the matter of the work shows, \"A History of Times, Kingdoms, States, Religion, etc., with an Account of the most memorable Persons and Transactions of those Times and Nations.\" Concerning the author of these books, nothing certain is known. Some think they are the works of different authors; but the uniformity of the style, the connection of the facts, together with the recapitulations and reflections which are often made, prove that they are the work of one and the same person. The Jews, and Christian interpreters in general, believe they were the work of Ezra, assisted by the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. That Ezra was the author is, on the whole, the most probable opinion. That he lived at the conclusion of the Babylonish captivity is well known; and the second book of Chronicles terminates at that period, barely reciting the decree of Cyrus to permit the return of the captivated Israelites to their own land; which subject is immediately taken up in the book of Ezra, in which the operation of that decree is distinctly marked. There are words and terms, both in Chronicles and Ezra, which are similar, and prove that each was written after the captivity, and probably by the same person, as those terms were not in use previously to that time, and some of them are peculiar to Ezra himself: e.g., we have כפורי זהב kipporey zahab, \"golden cups;\" Ezr 1:10; Ezr 8:27; and in Ch1 28:17; and דרכמון darkemon or drakmon, \"a drachma\" or; drachm, Ch1 29:7; Ezr 2:69; Neh 7:70; and רפסדות raphsodoth, \"rafts\" or floats, Ch2 2:16, widely differing from דברות doberoth, Kg1 5:9, which we there translate in the same way. Calmet considers these words as strong evidence that these books were the work of Ezra, and penned after the captivity. We are not to suppose that these books are the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah and Israel so often referred to in the historical books of the Old Testament; these have been long lost, and the books before us can only be abridgments, either of such chronicles, or of works of a similar kind. That the ancient Jews took great care to register their civil, military, and ecclesiastical transactions, is sufficiently evident from frequent reference to such works in the sacred writings; and that these registers were carefully and correctly formed, we learn from the character of the persons by whom they were compiled: they were in general prophets, and seem to have been employed by the kings under whom they lived to compile the annals of their reigns; or most likely this was considered a part of the prophet's regular office. Samuel, Nathan, and Gad, wrote under the reign of David; Ch1 29:29. The acts of the reign of Solomon were written by Nathan, Ahijah, and Iddo; Ch2 9:29. Shemaiah and Iddo wrote those of Rehoboam; Ch2 12:15. Iddo wrote also those of Abijah; Ch2 13:22. It is likely that Hanani the seer wrote those of Asa; Ch2 16:7. Jehu the prophet, the son of Hanani, Kg1 16:1, Kg1 16:7, wrote the acts of Jehoshaphat; Ch2 20:34. Under this same reign we find Jahaziel the prophet, Ch2 20:14; and Eliezer the prophet, Ch2 20:37. Isaiah recorded the transactions of Uzziah, Ch2 26:22; and those of Hezekiah, Ch2 32:32; and of Ahaz, of whose reign we find the principal facts in the fifth, sixth, and ninth chapters of his prophecies. Under this reign we find Oded the prophet, Ch2 28:9. Hosea wrote the history of the reign of Manasseh. See Ch2 33:19, in the margin. And Jeremiah wrote the history of Josiah and his descendants, the last kings of Judah. This was such a succession of historians as no nation of the world could ever boast. Men, all of whom wrote under the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit; some of whom had minds the most highly cultivated, and of the most extraordinary powers. Whether the prophets who flourished in the reigns of the kings of Israel wrote the annals of those kings, we know not, because it is not positively declared. We know that Ahijah the Shilonite lived under Jeroboam, the son of Nebat; Kg1 11:29; Kg1 14:2; and Jehu, son of Hanani, under Baasha; Kg1 16:7. Elijah and many others flourished under the reign of Ahab. Elisha, Jonah, and many more, succeeded him in the prophetic office. Besides these prophets and prophetic men, we find other persons, whose office it was to record the transactions of the kings under whom they lived. These were called secretaries or recorders; so, under David and Solomon, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder. מזכיר mazkir, \"remembrancer;\" Sa2 8:16, and Ch1 18:15. And under Hezekiah we find Joah, the son of Asaph; Kg2 18:18. And under Josiah, Joah the son of Joahaz, who filled the office; Ch2 34:8. The real object of the author of these books is not very easy to be ascertained. But it is evident that he never could have intended them as a supplement to the preceding books, as he relates many of the same circumstances which occur in them, and often in greater detail; and, except by way of amplification, adds very little that can be called new, and omits many things of importance, not only in the ancient history of the Israelites, but even of those mentioned in the preceding books of Samuel and Kings. Nine chapters of his work are occupied with extensive genealogical tables, but even these are far from being perfect. His history, properly speaking, does not begin till the tenth chapter, and then it commences abruptly with the last unsuccessful battle of Saul and his death, but not a word of his history. Though the writer gives many curious and important particulars in the life of David, yet he passes by his adultery with Bath-sheba, and all its consequences. He says nothing of the incest of Amnon with his sister Tamar, nor a word of the rebellion and abominations of Absalom. He says very little of the kings of Israel, and takes no notice of what concerned that state, from the capture of Amaziah king of Judah by Joash king of Israel; Ch2 25:17, etc. And of the last wars of these kings, which terminated in the captivity of the ten tribes, he says not one word! The principal design of the writer appears to have been this: to point out, from the public registers, which were still preserved, what had been the state of the different families previously to the captivity, that at their return they might enter on and repossess their respective inheritances. He enters particularly into the functions, genealogies, families, and orders of the priests and Levites; and this was peculiarly necessary after the return from the captivity, to the end that the worship of God might be conducted in the same way as before, and by the proper legitimate persons. He is also very particular relative to what concerns religion, the worship of God, the temple and its utensils, the kings who authorized or tolerated idolatry, and those who maintained the worship of the true God. In his distribution of praise and blame, these are the qualities which principally occupy his attention, and influence his pen. It may be necessary to say something here concerning the utility of these books. That they are in this respect in low estimation, we may learn from the manner in which they are treated by commentators: they say very little concerning them, and suppose the subject has been anticipated in the books of Samuel and Kings. That the persons who treat them thus have never studied them, is most evident, else their judgment would be widely different. Whatever history these books possess, in common with the books of Samuel and Kings, may, in a commentary, be fairly introduced in the examination of the latter; and this I have endeavored to do, as the reader may have already seen. But there are various details, and curious facts and observations, which must be considered in these books alone: nor will a slight mention of such circumstances do them justice. St. Jerome had the most exalted opinion of the books of Chronicles. According to him, \"they are an epitome of the Old Testament.\" He asserts, that \"they are of such high moment and importance, that he who supposes himself to be acquainted with the sacred writings, and does not know them, only deceives himself; and that innumerable questions relative to the Gospel are here explained.\" Paralipomenon liber, id est, Instrumenti Veteris επιτομη, tantus ac talis est, ut abeque illo, si quis scientiam Scripturarum sibi voluerit arrogare, seipsum irrideat. Per singula quippe nomina, juncturasque verborum, et praetermissae in Regum libris tanguntur historiae, et innumerabiles explicantur Evangelii Quaetiones. - Epis. Secund. ad Paulinum Presbyterum., Oper. Edit. Benedict. vol. iv., col. 574. And in another place he asserts, that \"all Scripture knowledge is contained in these books;\" Omnis eruditio Scripturarum in hoc libro continetur. - Praefat. in lib. Paral. justa Septuaginta Interpret Oper. Edit. Bened., vol. i., col. 1418. This may be going too far; but St. Jerome believed that there was a mystery and meaning in every proper name, whether of man, woman, city, or country, in the book. And yet he complains greatly of the corruption of those names, some having been divided, so as to make two or three names out of one, and sometimes names condensed, so as of three names to make but one. To cure this evil he labored hard, and did much; but still the confusion is great, and in many cases past remedy. To assist the reader in this respect I wish to refer him to the marginal readings and parallel texts, which are here carefully represented in the inner margin; these should be constantly consulted, as they serve to remove many difficulties and reconcile several seeming contradictions. In addition to these helps I have carefully examined the different ancient versions, and the various readings in the MSS. of Kennicott and De Rossi, which often help to remove such difficulties. There is one mode of exposition which I have applied to these books, which has not, as far as I know, been as yet used: I mean the Targum, or Chaldee Paraphrase, of Rabbi Joseph. It is well known to all oriental scholars, that a Chaldee Targum, or Paraphrase, has been found and published in the Polyglots, on every book of the Old Testament, purely Hebrew, the books of Chronicles excepted. Neither in the Complutensian, Antwerp, Parisian, nor London Polyglot, is such a Targum to be found; none having been discovered when these works were published. But shortly after the London Polyglot was finished, a MS. was found in the University of Cambridge, containing the Targum on these books: this, with several other pieces, Arabic, Persian, Syriac, etc., Dr. Samuel Clarke collected, and intended to publish, as a supplementary volume to the Polyglot, but was prevented by premature death. The MS. was afterwards copied by Mr. David Wilkins, and printed, with a Latin translation, at Amsterdam, quarto, 1715. Of this work the reader will find I have made a liberal use, as I have of the Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, on the preceding books. Rabbi Joseph, the author, lived about three hundred years after the destruction of the second temple, or about a.d. 400. The MS. in question formerly belonged to the celebrated Erpen, and was purchased by the duke of Buckingham, then Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, and by him presented to the public library of that University. It is worthy of remark, that the term מימרא meymera, \"word,\" and מימרא דיי meymera dayeya, \"the word of Jehovah,\" is used personally in this Targum; never as a word spoken, but as a Person acting: see the notes on Joh 1:1. The first book of Chronicles contains a sort of genealogical history from the creation of the world to the death of David, A.M. 2989.","order":13,"numberOfChapters":29,"sha256":"c6c4ca5d4f88a8a6e813b0a3856bc3e1696bb1ff2873b4db458a4e68b81a01cb","firstChapterNumber":1,"firstChapterApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/1CH/1.json","firstChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"1CH","chapter":1},"lastChapterNumber":29,"lastChapterApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/1CH/29.json","lastChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"1CH","chapter":29},"totalNumberOfVerses":299},"chapter":{"number":3,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":1,"content":["The second, Daniel - In Sa2 3:3, this person is called Chileab; he probably had two names. The Targum says, \"The second, Daniel, who was also called Chileab, because he was in every respect like to his father.\" The Targumist refers here to the import of the word כלאב ke-le-ab, like to the father. Jarchi says the two names were given to this person because David, having taken Abigail immediately after the death of Nabal, it could not be ascertained whether this child were the son of David or of Nabal, therefore David called him דניאל Daniel, God is my Judge, and כלאב Chileab, he who is like to the father; probably from the striking resemblance he bore to David, his reputed father. \"God is my Judge, I have not fathered another man's child; this is entirely like unto myself."]},{"type":"verse","number":3,"content":["By Eglah his wide - The Targum, Jarchi, and others, maintain that this was Michal, the daughter of Saul; but this does not well agree with Sa2 6:23 : Michal had no child to the day of her death. Yet she might have had a child before the time that is mentioned above."]},{"type":"verse","number":5,"content":["Shimea, and Shobab - Solomon is mentioned last, though he was the eldest of these four sons, because the genealogy was to be continued from him. Bath-shua בת שוע is the same as Bath-sheba, בת שבע the ו vau being put by mistake in the former for ב beth in the latter."]},{"type":"verse","number":6,"content":["Elishama, and Eliphelet - In this and the eighth verse these two names occur twice; some think this is a mistake, but others suppose that two persons of these names died young, and that the next born received the name of the deceased. - See Jarchi."]},{"type":"verse","number":8,"content":["Nine - There are thirteen if we count the four sons of Bath-sheba, and nine without them; and in the second book of Samuel there are eleven, reckoning the above four, and without them only seven. In the book of Samuel probably only those who were alive were reckoned, while the author of the Chronicles comprises those also who were dead in this enumeration. Jarchi supposes that the duplicate Elishama and Eliphelet are those which increase the regular number seven to nine; and that the dead without posterity, as well as the living, are mentioned to increase the number of David's descendants; for, says he, the whole book is written for the honor of David and his seed."]},{"type":"verse","number":9,"content":["And Tamar their sister - This is the only daughter of David whose name is on record; and yet he is said to have had both Sons and Daughters, Sa2 5:13."]},{"type":"verse","number":16,"content":["Zedekiah his son - If this be the same who was the last king of Judah, before the captivity, the word son must be taken here to signify successor; for it is certain that Zedekiah was the successor of Jeconiah, and that Zedekiah was the son of Josiah, and not of Jehoiakim."]},{"type":"verse","number":17,"content":["The sons of Jeconiah - Jeremiah has said (Jer 22:30) that Jeconiah, or, as he calls him, Coniah, should be childless; but this must refer to his posterity being deprived of the throne, and indeed thus the prophet interprets it himself: For no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.\nAssir - Salathiel was not the son of Assir, but of Jeconiah, Mat 1:12. Who then was Assir? Possibly nobody; for as the Hebrew אסר assir signifies a prisoner, it may be considered as an epithet of Jeconiah, who we know was a very long time prisoner in Babylon. See Kg2 24:15 and Calmet."]},{"type":"verse","number":18,"content":["Malchiram also - Calmet supposes we should read here, And the sons of Salathiel were Malchiram and Pedaiah, etc."]},{"type":"verse","number":19,"content":["The sons of Pedaiah - Houbigant thinks these words should be omitted. Pedaiah is wanting in the Arabic and Syriac. If this be omitted, Zerubbabel will appear to be the son of Salathiel, according to Mat 1:12, and not the son of Pedaiah, as here stated."]},{"type":"verse","number":22,"content":["The sons of Shemaiah - six - Five only are found in the text, and the versions give us no assistance; neither do the MSS. correct the place. If the father be not here included with his sons, some name must be lost out of the text."]},{"type":"verse","number":24,"content":["And Anani - \"This is the King Messiah who is to be revealed.\" - T. Jarchi says the same, and refers to Dan 7:13 : Behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds (ענני ananey) of heaven. For this application of the word he gives a fanciful reason, not worthy to be repeated. The Syriac and Arabic omit several names in this table, and make only twenty-three verses in the chapter: but such differences are frequent in the books of Chronicles."]}],"introduction":"The children of David which were born to him in Hebron, Ch1 3:1-4. Those born to him in Jerusalem, Ch1 3:5-9. The regal line from Solomon, Ch1 3:10-24."},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/1CH/3.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"1CH","chapter":3},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/1CH/4.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"1CH","chapter":4},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/1CH/2.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"1CH","chapter":2},"numberOfVerses":12}