Highlights from the Book of 1 Chronicles Source Material
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Highlights from the Book of 1 Chronicles Source Material................................................................................2 1 Chronicles - Outline of Contents................................................3 Chapters 1 - 4...................................................................................3 Chapters 5 - 7.................................................................................30 Chapters 8 -11................................................................................42 Chapters 12 - 15.............................................................................57 Chapters 16 - 20.............................................................................66 Chapters 21 - 25.............................................................................78 Chapters 26 - 29.............................................................................87 Source Material This material has been sourced from the 2014 Watchtower Library compact disk. Scriptures Included. Only verses that are explained in some way are included in the Scripture Index. Hence, if the material explains the meaning of the text, gives its background, tells why the text was written, or clarifies an original-language word and its implications, the text would be indexed, since the verse or part of it is explained. Scriptures that are used as proof texts but that are not explained are omitted. For example, Ezekiel 18:4 may be used merely to show that the soul dies. In this instance the scripture would not be indexed, since no explanation of the text is given. Additional personal research is encouraged. Page 2 1 Chronicles 1 Chronicles - Outline of Contents 1 From Adam to Abraham (1-27) Abraham’s descendants (28-37) The Edomites and their kings and sheikhs (38-54) 2 Israel’s 12 sons (1, 2) Descendants of Judah (3-55) 3 Descendants of David (1-9) Royal line of David (10-24) 4 Other descendants of Judah (1-23) Jabez and his prayer (9, 10) Descendants of Simeon (24-43) 5 Descendants of Reuben (1-10) Descendants of Gad (11-17) Hagrites are conquered (18-22) Half tribe of Manasseh (23-26) 6 Descendants of Levi (1-30) Temple singers (31-47) Descendants of Aaron (48-53) Settlements of the Levites (54-81) 7 Descendants of Issachar (1-5), of Benjamin (6-12), of Naphtali (13), of Manasseh (14-19), of Ephraim (20-29), and of Asher (30-40) 8 Descendants of Benjamin (1-40) Saul’s family line (33-40) 9 Genealogy after returning from the exile (1-34) Saul’s family line repeated (35-44) 10 Death of Saul and his sons (1-14) 11 David anointed as king by all Israel (1-3) David captures Zion (4-9) David’s mighty warriors (10-47) Page 3 1 Chronicles 12 Supporters of David’s kingship (1-40) 13 The Ark brought from Kiriath-jearim (1-14) Uzzah struck dead (9, 10) 14 David established as king (1, 2) David’s family (3-7) Philistines defeated (8-17) 15 Levites carry the Ark to Jerusalem (1-29) Michal despises David (29) 16 The Ark placed in a tent (1-6) David’s song of thanks (7-36) “Jehovah has become King!” (31) Service before the Ark (37-43) 17 David not to build temple (1-6) Covenant with David for a kingdom (7-15) David’s prayer of thanksgiving (16-27) 18 David’s victories (1-13) David’s administration (14-17) 19 Ammonites insult David’s messengers (1-5) Victory over Ammon and Syria (6-19) 20 Rabbah captured (1-3) Philistine giants killed (4-8) 21 David’s illegal census (1-6) Punishment from Jehovah (7-17) David builds an altar (18-30) 22 David’s preparations for the temple (1-5) David instructs Solomon (6-16) Princes commanded to help Solomon (17-19) 23 David organizes the Levites (1-32) Aaron and his sons set apart (13) 24 David organizes priests into 24 divisions (1-19) Other Levitical assignments (20-31) Page 4 1 Chronicles 25 Musicians and singers for God’s house (1-31) 26 Divisions of gatekeepers (1-19) Treasurers and other officials (20-32) 27 Officers in the king’s service (1-34) 28 David’s speech on the temple construction (1-8) Instructions to Solomon; architectural plan given (9-21) 29 Contributions for the temple (1-9) David’s prayer (10-19) People rejoice; Solomon’s kingship (20-25) Death of David (26-30) Page 5 1 Chronicles Chapters 1 - 4 (1 CHRONICLES 1:6) The sons of Goʹmer were Ashʹke·naz, Riʹphath, and To·garʹmah. *** it-1 p. 192 Ashkenaz *** ASHKENAZ (Ashʹke·naz). 1. The first named of three sons of Gomer, the son of Japheth.—Ge 10:3; 1Ch 1:6. In Jewish writings of medieval times (and even thereafter) the term “Ashkenaz” was applied to the Teutonic race, and more specifically to Germany. Thus, even today Jews from Germanic countries are referred to as Ashkenazim in contrast to the Sephardim, Jews from Spain and Portugal. *** it-2 p. 813 Riphath *** RIPHATH (Riʹphath). A son of Gomer and grandson of Japheth. (Ge 10:2, 3; 1Ch 1:6) At 1 Chronicles 1:6 the Masoretic Hebrew text has “Diphath”; however, the Greek Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, and some 30 Hebrew manuscripts have “Riphath.” The difference in spelling is perhaps the ,(ר) instead of the Hebrew rehsh (ד) the result of a copyist’s writing the Hebrew daʹleth letters being very similar in appearance. (1 CHRONICLES 1:7) The sons of Jaʹvan were E·liʹshah, Tarʹshish, Kitʹtim, and Roʹda·nim. *** it-2 p. 178 Kittim *** KITTIM (Kitʹtim). Kittim is listed as one of the four “sons” of Javan, although the name appears only in the plural form in all Scriptural references. (Ge 10:4; 1Ch 1:7) The name thereafter is used to represent a people and region. Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, I, 128 [vi, 1]) referred to Kittim as “Chethimos” and associated it with Cyprus and with “the name Chethim given by the Hebrews to all islands and to most maritime countries.” The ancient Phoenicians referred to the people of Cyprus as Kitti. Modern authorities generally agree with such identification of Kittim with Cyprus. The city of Kition (Citium) on the SE coast of Cyprus is best known as a Phoenician Page 6 1 Chronicles colony, and so some scholars have viewed the listing of Kittim among the descendants of Japheth as out of place. (Ge 10:2, 4; 1Ch 1:5, 7) However, the evidence shows that the Phoenicians were relative latecomers to Cyprus and their colony at Kition is considered to date from only about the ninth century B.C.E. Thus, after The New Encyclopædia Britannica (1987, Vol. 3, p. 332) identifies Kition as the “principal Phoenician city in Cyprus,” it adds: “The earliest remains at Citium are those of an Aegean colony of the Mycenaean Age (c. 1400-1100 BC).”—See also Vol. 16, p. 948. *** it-2 p. 819 Rodanim *** RODANIM (Roʹda·nim). Listed as one of Javan’s four sons at 1 Chronicles 1:7. There is uncertainty as to the correct spelling of the name, since the Masoretic text at 1 Chronicles 1:7 has “Rodanim,” whereas many Hebrew manuscripts and the Latin Vulgate here read “Dodanim.” “Dodanim” also appears in the Masoretic text at Genesis 10:4, where, however, the Greek and (ר) ”Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch read “Rodanim.” In Hebrew the letter “r are very similar and hence could be confused by a copyist. (Thus (ד) ”the letter “d “Riphath” in Ge 10:3 appears as “Diphath” at 1Ch 1:6 in the Masoretic text.) Most translations present both names. Many lexicographers consider “Rodanim” to be the preferred reading. Commentators that accept this reading consider it likely that the people descending from this son of Javan populated the island of Rhodes and the neighboring islands of the Aegean Sea. (1 CHRONICLES 1:10) Cush became father to Nimʹrod. He was the first to become a mighty one on the earth. *** it-2 p. 503 Nimrod *** NIMROD (Nimʹrod). Son of Cush. (1Ch 1:10) The rabbinic writings derived the name Nimrod from the Hebrew verb ma·radhʹ, meaning “rebel.” Thus, the Babylonian Talmud (Erubin 53a) states: “Why, then, was he called Nimrod? Because he stirred up the whole world to rebel (himrid) against His [God’s] sovereignty.”—Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation, by Menahem M. Kasher, Vol. II, 1955, p. 79. Nimrod was the founder and king of the first empire to come into existence after the Flood. He distinguished himself as a mighty hunter “before” (in an unfavorable sense; Heb., liph·nehʹ; “against” or “in opposition to”; compare Nu 16:2; 1Ch 14:8; 2Ch 14:10) or “in front of” Jehovah. (Ge 10:9, ftn) Although in this case some scholars attach a favorable Page 7 1 Chronicles sense to the Hebrew preposition meaning “in front of,” the Jewish Targums, the writings of the historian Josephus, and also the context of Genesis chapter 10 suggest that Nimrod was a mighty hunter in defiance of Jehovah. The beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom included the cities of Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, all in the land of Shinar. (Ge 10:10) Therefore it was likely under his direction that the building of Babel and its tower began. This conclusion is also in agreement with the traditional Jewish view. Wrote Josephus: “[Nimrod] little by little transformed the state of affairs into a tyranny, holding that the only way to detach men from the fear of God was by making them continuously dependent upon his own power. He threatened to have his revenge on God if He wished to inundate the earth again; for he would build a tower higher than the water could reach and avenge the destruction of their forefathers. The people were eager to follow this advice of [Nimrod], deeming it slavery to submit to God; so they set out to build the tower . and it rose with a speed beyond all expectation.”—Jewish Antiquities, I, 114, 115 (iv, 2, 3). It appears that after the building of the Tower of Babel, Nimrod extended his domain to the territory of Assyria and there built “Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah and Resen between Nineveh and Calah: this is the great city.” (Ge 10:11, 12; compare Mic 5:6.) Since Assyria evidently derived its name from Shem’s son Asshur, Nimrod, as a grandson of Ham, must have invaded Shemite territory.