The Chronicler’s Saul

William Riley examines the Chronicler’s brief account of Saul in 1 Chronicles 10 ( King and Cultus in Chronicles: Worship and the Reinterpretation of History ). Why does the Chronicler include Saul at all, why place Saul’s story at the beginning of the narrative section of the book, and . . . . Continue Reading »

Temple-Building and Conquest

The goal of Joshua’s conquest of the land was to purge it of idols so that Yahweh’s house could be built. Temple-building was the end of the conquest. For the Chronicler, temple-building is the new form of conquest. David repeatedly exhorts Solomon to “be strong and . . . . Continue Reading »

Whom Do You Serve?

There’s a generation gap between the two sets of counselors that Rehoboam consults when the people ask for relief from taxes and conscripted labor (1 Chronicles 10). The first group is classified as “elders,” and the second as “young men.” The elders encourage . . . . Continue Reading »

The Porch

According to the NASB translation, “David gave to his son Solomon the plan ( tabnit ) of the porch ( ulam ) of the temple, its buildings, its storehouses, its upper rooms, its inner rooms, and the room for the mercy seat” (1 Chronicles 28:11). David plays Moses to Solomon’s . . . . Continue Reading »

David & Goliath Redux

According to the Chronicler, Hezekiah is a new David. He “did right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that his father David had done” (2 Chronicles 29:2). Like David in 1 Chronicles, Hezekiah organizes the priesthood and Levitical choir to reconsecrate the temple (2 Chronicles . . . . Continue Reading »

Oath of Joy

When King Asa of Judah heard the prophecy of Azariah, he “took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin” (2 Chronicles 15:8). Then he gathered the people to Jerusalem to re-enter into the covenant with Yahweh, promising to hold to the terms of the . . . . Continue Reading »

Seeking worshipers

The genealogy of Levi is at the chiastic center of the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1-9, and at the center of the genealogy of Levi is the description of the Levitical singers (1 Chronicles 6:31-32). Prior to this point, the genealogies move forward in time, from Levi to his sons all the way down to . . . . Continue Reading »