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INTRODUCTION1.

ON THE ADDITIONAL MATTER IN CHRONICLES,

By S. R. DRIVER, D.D.,

REGIUS PROFESSOR OF HEBREW, AND CANON OF CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD.

IT

T does not fall within the province of the present work to examine the relation of the narrative of Chronicles to that of Samuel and Kings, except so far as may serve to illustrate the method or point of view of the compiler. The following general remarks must therefore suffice. It does not seem possible to treat the additional matter in Chronicles as strictly and literally historical. In many cases the figures are incredibly high2: in others, the scale or magnitude of the occurrences described is such that, had they really happened precisely as represented, they could hardly have been passed over by the compiler of Samuel or Kings; elsewhere, again, the description appears to be irreconcilable with that in the earlier narrative; while nearly always the speeches assigned to historical characters, and the motives attributed to them, are conceived largely from a point of view very different from that which dominates the earlier narrative, and agreeing closely with the compiler's. The peculiarities of the historical representation which prevails in the Chronicles are to be ascribed, no doubt, to the influences under which the author lived and wrote. The compiler lived in an age when the theocratic institutions, which had been placed on a new basis after the return from Babylon, had long been in full

1 Reprinted, by permission, from "An Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament" (Edinburgh, T. & T. Clark, 1891).

2 It is illegitimate to explain these as due to textual corruption; the numbers in the Chronicles are systematically higher than in other parts of the O. T.; and no reason exists for supposing the text of these books to have been specially subject to error in transmission. Besides, numbers written in full would not be readily corrupted: the supposition that letters were used for numerals in the sacred autographs is destitute of foundation.

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operation, and when new religious interests and a new type of piety—of course with points of contact with the old, but, at the same time, advancing beyond it had been developed, and asserted themselves strongly. The Chronicler reflects faithfully the spirit of his age. A new mode of viewing the past history of his nation began to prevail: pre-exilic Judah was pictured as already in possession of the institutions, and governed-at least in its greater and better men—by the ideas and principles, which were dominant at a later day; the empire of David and his successors was imagined on a scale of unsurpassed power and magnificence; the past, in a word, was idealised, and its history (where necessary) rewritten accordingly. Thus the institutions of the present, which, in fact, had been developed gradually, are represented as organised in their completeness by David: the ritual of the Priests' Code is duly observed; the Passovers of Hezekiah and Josiah (the former of which is not mentioned in the Book of Kings at all, the latter only briefly) are described with an abundance of ceremonial detail, suggested no doubt by occasions which the compiler had witnessed himself; David organises a vast military force, and amasses for the Temple enormous treasures; his successors have the command of huge armies, and are victorious against forces huger even than their own. In these and similar representations there is certainly much that cannot be strictly historical: but the Chronicler must not on this account be held guilty of a deliberate perversion of history; he and his contemporaries did not question that the past was actually as they pictured it, and the Chronicler simply gives expression to this persuasion. It is not necessary to deny―on the contrary, it is highly probable—that a traditional element lies at the basis of his representations; but this element has been developed by him, and presented in a literary form, with the aim of giving expression to the ideas which he had at heart, and of inculcating the lessons which he conceived the history to teach.

THE

PART II.

DIVIDED MONARCHY.

I Kings 12. I.

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2 Chronicles 10. 1.

The Revolt of Israel.

12 And Rehoboam went to Shechem for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him 2 king. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, (for he was yet in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and 3 Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt, and they sent and called him ;) that Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake 4 unto Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we 5 will serve thee. And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. 6 And the people departed. And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer 7 to this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will 8 be thy servants for ever. But

he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that were grown up with

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10 And Rehoboam went to Shechem for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him 2 king. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, (for he was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon,) that Jeroboam returned out of 3 Egypt. And they sent and called

him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spake to Reho4 boam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

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And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. 6 And the people departed. And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to 7 this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy 8 servants for ever. But he for

sook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that were grown up with

I

9 him, that stood before him. And he said unto them, What counsel give ye, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that thy father did put upon IO us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou speak unto them, My little finger is thicker than II my father's loins. And

now

whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chas12 tise you with scorpions. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come to me again the third day. 13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men which 14 they had given him; and spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15 So the king hearkened not unto ✓ the people; for it was a thing

brought about of the LORD, that he might establish his word, which the LORD spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16 And when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the. king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse : to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David.

So

9 him, that stood before him. And he said unto them, What counsel give ye, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that thy father 10 did put upon us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger is thicker than my father's II loins. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke : my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you 12 with scorpions. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come to me 13 again the third day. And the

king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the 14 counsel of the old men, and spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15 So the king hearkened not unto the people; for it was brought about of God, that the LORD might establish his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the 16 son of Nebat. And when all

Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So all Israel de

Israel departed unto their tents. 17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the levy; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David, unto this day.

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And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

17 parted unto their tents. But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18 Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the levy; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to 19 flee to Jerusalem. So Israel rebelled against the house of David, unto this day.

The Prophecy of Shemaiah.
And when Rehoboam was
come to Jerusalem, he assembled
all the house of Judah, and the
tribe of Benjamin, an hundred
and fourscore thousand chosen
men, which were warriors, to
fight against the house of Israel,
to bring the kingdom again to
Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

But the word of God came ✓
unto Shemaiah the man of God,
23 saying, Speak unto Rehoboam

the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the 24 1rest of the people, saying, Thus

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saith the LORD, Ye shall not go
up, nor fight against your breth-
ren the children of Israel: return
every man to his house; for this
thing is of me. So they hear-
kened unto the word of the
LORD, and returned and went
their way, according to the word
of the LORD.

1 See ver. 17.

11 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

2

But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of 3 God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house; for this thing is of me. So they hearkened unto the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

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