The Book of Chronicles (one book in the Hebrew) is broken down into two books in the English, 1Chronicles and 2Chronicles. I am now over half of the way through 1Chronicles. Many of the older 1Chronicles files have been recently updated (2010).

At the bottom of this document is a new chapter summary with corresponding links.

Bear in mind that only about half of these links are good (I am still working on this book).

On a personal note, I can’t tell you how much I dreaded exegeting the first 9 or so chapters in Chronicles, given that these are genealogies. However, I was surprised that I did not become bored and that I find myself going back to 1Chron. 3 and 1Chron. 6 frequently to reference.

For some reason, the Return to Chapter Outline link works in these documents, but the Return to Chart and Map Index does not. They both should take you to about the same place in the document.

The pdf files should give you a more accurate representation of the original document, which would include the Hebrew letters displaying properly, along with all of the graphics. If you do not have Adobe Acrobate Reader on you computer, then go here: Adobe Acrobat Reader.

What I may have to do in the future, for those pdf files which do not display, is upload the WordPerfect version of the file (I create all of my documents in WordPerfect). You won’t be able to open up the document, but you will be able to download it and open it up with WordPerfect.

Again, I am only half finished with 1Chronicles, so half of the links below will not work.

Now and again, I have seen that I have made some mistakes in spelling as well as in the morphology (I took the information from Owen, but changed it whenever there was a mistake in his work). If you discover mistakes, then I would want to know what they are so that I could change them and update the documents. I enjoy studying the Word of God, but I so hate to proofread.

The Same problems noted above for 1Chronicles are also true of the 2Chronicles files. At this point, I have not done anything in 2Chronicles. Therefore, none of these links will work.

Chapter Summaries and Links:

The first 10 or so chapters of Chronicles concentrate on genealogies:

1Chronicles Introduction: is incomplete and being worked on.

I write the introduction to a book after I complete the book. However, I do, on occasion, write down a thought here or there. At this point in time, the introduction is very incomplete. 1Chronicles Introduction (HTML) (PDF)

In most of these genealogical lines, there are some inconsistencies with the lines are recorded elsewhere. In almost every case, these inconsistencies are examined, and, wherever possible, reconciled.

1Chronicles 1:       This chapter covers the early descendants of Adam, going from Adam to Abraham, and then examining the descendants of Abraham. Obviously, the first discussion will be, why are all of these genealogies in the Bible in the first place? Why do we bother to study this? Most of the work on this book was done back in the year 2000. 1Chronicles 01 (html) 1Chronicles 01 (pdf)

1Chronicles 2:      1Chron. 2 primarily covers the line of Jacob, down through Judah and on through David. In this is a full genealogical chart of Jacob, and hyperlinked to rest of 1Chron. 2 (which will be characteristic of all genealogical chapters). There are 6 different ways in which the Bible groups the sons of Jacob; all 6 ways will be given in an easy to follow chart. There is some discussion, again, about the meaning and importance of a list of names. 1Chronicles 02 (html) 1Chronicles 02 (pdf)

1Chronicles 3:      This chapter contains one of the most important genealogies in Scripture—the line of David, and, depending upon your depth of study, you may find yourself referring back to this chapter now and again. There is, of course, a hyperlinked chart of David’s sons laid out near the beginning of this chapter. This chart is color-coded as to the time that these men lives (before, during or after the exile). Midway through this chapter, there are two important features: a brief bio of each king of Judah and a chart of the kings of Judah and Israel (this is a parallel chart which includes a listing of the prophets and their times as well). A point of interest in this chapter is a comparison of the Davidic lines to Christ as found in Chronicles, Matthew and Luke. 1Chronicles 03 (html) 1Chronicles 03 (pdf)

1Chronicles 4:      There were lines of Judah not followed in the previous chapter, so some of these are taken up in this chapter. Also, the line of Simeon is covered as well. These are the two tribes who occupied southern Israel. A hyperlinked chart of the sons of Judah is found in this chapter. There are two mean named Caleb in the Bible (one is prominent and the other is less so). They are clearly distinguished in this chapter exegesis. There is also the hyperlinked chart of the line of Simeon in this chapter, but it is far less detailed than the line of Judah. 1Chronicles 04 (html) 1Chronicles 04 (pdf)

1Chronicles 5:      In 1Chron. 5, we look at the genealogical lines of the eastern tribes of Israel (Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh). Reuben is the first born, and, because of that, should have been the preeminent son. However, he was weak, and easily influenced. Therefore, very little detail is given to his line. 1Chronicles 05 (html) 1Chronicles 05 (pdf)

1Chronicles 6:      1Chron. 6 is all about the line of Levi. As you would expect, there is a hyperlinked genealogical chart of the line of Levi (this is actually a set of 3 charts). You may be surprised, or think I am psychotic, but I refer back to this as a reference chapter almost more than any other chapter that I have exegeted. The primary reason for this is, the chart of Kings, Prophets and Priests. Included is also a comparative chart of the priestly lines as found in various places in Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. One area of confusion is, the two lines of priests and the parallel priesthood which existed in the time of David. This is explained in vv. 5–9. This is also a list of priests not found in 1Chron. 6, along with a brief bio of each. 1Chronicles 06 (html) 1Chronicles 06 (pdf)

1Chronicles 7:      1Chron. 7 is an examination of the lines of Jacob: Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim and Asher (the northern tribes of Israel, which area is called both Israel and Samaria). In this chapter are hyperlinked charts of each of these lines. Most of these genealogies are quite brief. 1Chronicles 07 (html) 1Chronicles 07 (pdf)

1Chronicles 8:      Chapter 8 is all about the line of Benjamin and then, the line of Saul (his ancestors and his descendants; there are actually 3 such charts). There is, of course, a hyperlinked line of Benjamin. One discussion, which you may find interesting, is, Is Saul 100% Jewish? 1Chronicles 08 (html) 1Chronicles 08 (pdf)

1Chronicles 9:      1Chron. 9 is about the genealogy of Saul and the genealogy of those returning from the exile. This chapter has not been exegeted yet. 1Chronicles 09 (html) 1Chronicles 09 (pdf)

1Chronicles 10:    With 1Chron. 10, we leave genealogies and begin the history of Israel with the defeat of Saul by the Philistines. This chapter parallels 1Sam. 31 (and many chapters, after this points, parallel chapters in Samuel and Kings). This is the first chapter of Chronicles with a complete, word-for word Hebrew exegesis, and which is separated as tables, so that they can be easily skipped by those who are not interested in the Hebrew. There is a lot about King Saul in this chapter, including theories about his death and the various sins which he committed, along with his personal failings. 1Chronicles 10 (html) 1Chronicles 10 (pdf)

1Chronicles 11:    I began working on this chapter several years ago and just picked it up and spent the last 3 months on it. Therefore, the document online has been updated a great deal and uploaded (as of June–August of 2010). The first quarter of this chapter deals with David as King over all Israel, and the second portion is a list of David’s great military men. Now, you may think that a long list of names is boring, but there is a lot to be learned in this chapter and a great deal of application. Several short doctrines are covered in this chapter (the Suzerain-Vassal treaty; the Jebusites, Joab, the Pivot, prophecies about David becoming king, David pouring out the drink offering, Ashtoreth and I just had to include George Will’s excellent column on the pencil czar). Furthermore, there are links the great doctrines of the client nation, redemption, Bethlehem, the Arabah and Masada. Also, very importantly, there is a lot of real-life application found in this chapter. This is an important chapter in the Word of God; furthermore, it is an unplowed field, as no one has ever spent more than 5 or 6 pages on this chapter at most . The exegesis is in excess of 250 pages. 1Chronicles 11 (html) 1Chronicles 11 (pdf)

1Chronicles 12:    Before David was made king, he was King Saul’s top general. However, Saul became jealous of David, to the point of thinking and acting irrationally. Eventually, David had to escape Gibeon, and hide out from Saul in a variety of places in southern Judah. David even spent a great deal of time in Ziklag, which was Philistine-controlled territory, and he was encamped there, having been given permission by the Philistine king, Achish. However, men came to David, and the first third of 1Chron. 12 names the men who came to David in Ziklag. In 1Sam. 27, we see the why and wherefore of David setting up shop in Ziklag; but, in 1Chron. 12, we see the great men who came to David, having become disenchanted with their own nation Israel. David also camped out while in exile in the wilderness, in the stronghold in the wilderness, in the stronghold of Engedi, and he apparently lived in Ziklag on 2 different occasions. The men who came to David under these circumstances are named in this chapter. Early on, this chapter is placed side-by-side the parallel passages in Samuel, as this chapter takes in a pretty large chunk of time. Around this time, I began to include lists of men with the same name, who are found throughout Scripture. Sometimes, it is disconcerting to read about Joash, and, in one passage he is a king, with this lineage, and in another passage, he has an entirely different linage. Topics of discussion include, Was David out of fellowship in Ziklag?; the Strongholds of David; Were Levites military types?; Why the tribe of Benjamin was the least supportive of David. 1Chronicles 12 (html) 1Chronicles 12 (pdf)

1Chronicles 13:    David’s moving of the Ark of God from being in storage to a prominent place in Jerusalem is covered in one chapter in Samuel (2Sam. 6), but is given 3 chapters in Chronicles (1Chron. 13, 15, 16). 1Chron. 13 is the failure of David’s first attempt to move the Ark; 1Chron. 15 describes its successful move, after David learned some doctrine; and 1Chron. 16 documents the celebration which occurred after the Ark was in Jerusalem. In this chapter, we will see why David wanted to move the Ark; exactly what he did wrong, and how he learned doctrine in order to move the Ark in the correct manner (God’s plan involves precisely correct procedure). Important topics in this chapter include: The Ideal Form of Government; Why Doesn’t the Bible Specify an Ideal form of Government?; Our Responsibilities toward our own Government; when we should obey God rather than man; the secular view of the 7-day work week; a brief history of the Ark; an explanation of God, the Ark, the Mercy Seat and the Cherubim; the Angelic Conflict; confusing passages of Scripture; what David did wrong in moving the Ark; how we know that David studied the Word of God in order to move the Ark correctly; and why David’s lineage is inserted between the 2 attempts (the first unsuccessful; the second successful) to move the ark. 2 complete, original translations of this chapter are included at the end of 1Chron. 13. 1Chronicles 13 (html) 1Chronicles 13 (pdf)

1Chronicles 14:    In 2Sam. 6, David’s 2 attempts to move the Ark are chronicled. However, 3 chapters of Chronicles are given over to this narrative (1Chron. 13, 15, 16). Sandwiched between these chapters is 1Chron. 14, where Hiram, the King of Tyre, builds David a great palace; David’s lineage is given; and 2 wars with the Philistines are covered. Therefore, we need to know, why is this chapter found in the Bible and why is it here, in between the 2 attempts to move the Ark of God. Furthermore, there is essentially only a one-verse difference between this and 2Sam. 5. so why is this chapter here at all?

Given all the anti-war protests which have recently occurred (this was written in 2005), and given that this is a study of David at war with the Philistines (among other things), it is worthwhile to examine the exegetical study of 1Chron. 14, particularly those sections which deal directly with the believer whose country is at war. When our nation is at war, what do we, as believers, do? It is always interesting when those who tend to be anti-God are marching in these peace marches (not all of them, of course), and the Christian right are seen as the war mongers (which confuses the left, because they recall that Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers"). Given all of this, you may find this to be an interesting set of points. Less topical, but every bit as important are the two questions: (1) Why is 1Chron. 14 placed here, in between the two attempts to move the Ark; and (2) why is 1Chron. 14 here at all? That is, there is essentially one verse found here which is not found in 2Sam. 5; so what is the reason for the repetition? Also, a topic of interest in this chapter is, who is the author of Chronicles?; the theme of 1Chron. 14 a listing of David’s children; parallel passages naming David’s children; the reason why there are continual wars between the Philistines and Israel; how we should understand these wars of David and how they apply to us; principles of textual criticism; and how the author of Chronicles compares and contrasts David and Saul. 2 complete, original translations of this chapter are included at the end of 1Chron. 14. 1Chronicles 14 (html) 1Chronicles 14 (pdf)

1Chronicles 15:    Although covered in just one chapter in 2Samuel, the writer/editor of Chronicles devotes 3 chapters to David moving the Ark of God. 1Chron. 13 deals with the unsuccessful attempt to move the Ark; 1Chron. 15 covers the successful transport of the Ark from Obed-edom's home to Jerusalem; and 1Chron. 16 will cover the celebration which takes place after the Ark is placed in its tent in Jerusalem. At the end of 1Chron. 15, I will cover Psalms 24, 46, 12, 8 and 68 (in that order). Whether or not these psalms were a part of the celebratory movement of the Ark, is unknown. However, given that several psalms are alluded to in 1Chron. 16, and given that there were many musicians involved in the transport of the Ark, it is reasonable to suppose that psalms were sung while the Ark was moving. It is possible that these actual psalms were sung during this time (which psalms are a part of 1Chron. 16). There are several important short doctrines in this study: particularly, the relationship between David and the Tabernacle of God; and the treatment of the Tabernacle in Scripture during David’s reign is explained by who David was and how he represented Jesus Christ on earth. Other topics include: Reasons for us to have confidence in the Word of God; the Levite Branches and the 2 High Priests; the Obed-edom and Jewel confusion; why bulls and rams are offered together; Psalms associated with 1Chron. 15–16. 2 complete, original translations of this chapter are included at the end of 1Chron. 15. 1Chronicles 15 (html) 1Chronicles 15 (pdf)

1Chronicles 16:    In 1Chron. 16, the Ark has been successfully moved to Jerusalem, David overseeing this process, and now it is time to celebrate. 1Chron. 16 is the celebration of the Ark of God now being in Jerusalem. There is a lot of incredible material in 1Chron 16: I have given very reasonable theories as to why the psalms found in 1Chron 16 do not match their counterparts word-for-word in the Psalms. I have explained why we have the book of Chronicles, which appears to be a repetition now and again. One item which has been ignored by commentators over the years: King David will actually choose the place where Jesus Christ will rule from during the Millennium. Why the Ark is in Jerusalem and the Tabernacle is in Gibeon will be explained. We are told exactly what foods David gave to the people--I will explain why this is meaningful. How our lives are like an improvised jazz riff. The idea that Jesus did not exist or was a fraud. Some Muslims have gone past the point of natural affection. God's Covenant to Abraham in the New Testament. Sometimes, God gives us a preview of coming attractions in our lives. Christian martyrs versus Muslim martyrs. Most environmentalists do not worship God, but they worship His creation instead. Why was Moses so disciplined for twice slamming the rock with his rod for the 2^nd "no-water" incident. Why David did not move the Tabernacle to Jerusalem. The two High Priests. The exegetical study of this chapter ended up being about 250 pages long and includes 2 original translations of this chapter at the very end. 1Chronicles 16 (html) 1Chronicles 16 (pdf)

1Chronicles 17:    There are 3 chapters in the Bible which cover the Davidic Covenant in detail: 2Samuel 7, Psalm 89 and 1Chronicles 17. Samuel is history recorded at the time that it occurred (probably written down by Samuel, David, and/or Nathan), and Chronicles was written after the 5^th Cycle of Discipline had been applied to the Southern Kingdom (Judah) and after they had been returned to the land. In general, Chronicles is the divine interpretation of Israel's history. However, this is one of the chapters of Chronicles which is almost identical to 2Samuel 7. There are a few new things which we examine in this chapter which we did not in 2Samuel 7: Why didn't God allow David to build the Temple and why didn't God push David to unite the Tabernacle and the Ark? The near and far fulfillments of the Davidic Covenant are important, as the author/editor of Chronicles is writing this after the Davidic dynasty appeared to come to its end. We examine progressive revelation and the Messiah. In my lifetime, I have observed incredible full-frontal assaults on the divine institutions, so that is discussed in this chapter. Finally, 2Samuel 7 and 1Chronicles 17 purport to be direct quotations from God and then from David. How do we explain the differences between the texts, if these are direct quotations? Therefore, we examine in depth the inconsistencies of the texts, the accuracy of textual transmission, textual criticism, and discuss, just how much can we trust the text of the Bible? Finally, Psalm 89 and 1Chronicles 17 are the first texts where the Hebrew characters are properly reproduced in the HTML format (which will be true of all subsequent chapters). 2 original translation of this chapter are included at the very end of this exegetical study. 1Chronicles 17 (html) 1Chronicles 17 (pdf)

1Chronicles 18:    1Chron. 18 is all about David being at war with the nations which surround Israel. Although the writer of Chronicles used Samuel as one of his source documents, there are some differences between 1Chron. 18 and 2Sam. 8, every single one of which will be noted. There are some textual problems as well, and they will be sorted out as well. One of the most important applications that we get from the study of this chapter is the Biblical view of war. Included in this study is, "Some Points on War", "What is a Righteous War?", and some introductory points to this chapter of Chronicles which substantiates that some just wars are aggressive, offensive wars. Included in this study are doctrines which, insofar as I know, are not covered anywhere else, e.g., "Is David Amassing Blood Money?" and "The Parallel Structure of 1Chron. 18." There are several doctrines on the Davidic Covenant. Also covered is the dual priesthood of David's day, Zadok and Abiathar and Ahimelech, the Cherethites and the Pelethtites, as well as a plethora of maps, so that you have some idea as to the movement of David's armies. 2 original translation of this chapter are included at the very end of this exegetical study. 1Chronicles 18 (html) 1Chronicles 18 (pdf)

1Chronicles 19:    Not yet begun. 1Chronicles 19 (html) 1Chronicles 19 (pdf)

1Chronicles 20:    Not yet begun. 1Chronicles 20 (html) 1Chronicles 20 (pdf)