THE ANCHOR BIBLE I CHRONICLES translated with an introduction and notes by JACOB M. MYERS A B DOUBLEDAY I CHRONICLES translated with an introduction and notes by JACOB M. MYERS This is Volume 12 of The Anchor Bible, a new translation in thirty-eight vol­ umes, each with an introduction and notes. I CHRONICLES is translated and edited by Jacob M. Myers, Professor of Old Testament at the Lutheran Theo­ logical Seminary in Gettysburg, Penn­ sylvania. A book closely related to three other books of the so-called "Chronicler's History"-11 CHRONICLES, EZRA, and NEHEMIAH-I CHRONICLES begins with the famous genealogical lists (from Adam to David), continues with an ac­ count of David's reign, in which the Chronicler emphasizes David's efforts to restore the religion of Israel, and concludes with the accession of Solomon to the throne of Judah. A crucial book for historians of the biblical period and for students of the Bible, I CHRONICLES has been both over­ and under-valued. In recent years, it has, certainly, suffered undue neglect. "Where it had to be dealt with," the present translator writes, "it was done grudgingly, often with misunderstand­ ing, misgiving, or downright hostility." (Continued on back flap) (Continued from front flap) "However," he continues, "archaeologi­ cal and historical studies have now rendered it more respectable and have shown it to be at times more accurate than some of its parallel sources." I CHRONICLES is to be neither accepted as a faithful narrative of the Davidic pe­ riod nor dismissed as a fanciful, imagina­ tive recreation of that history. It must be taken as an important clue to the bibli­ cal process. For here we find the Bible quoting itself - sometimes directly, sometimes in paraphrase. Professor Myers has set before him­ self the enormous task of organizing and correlating the evidence to be found in I CHRONICLES (as well as in II CHRON­ ICLES, EZRA, and NEHEMIAH-for which he is also the editor and translator). Meticulously, he analyses important as­ pects of the Chronicler and his work­ his method of composition, his convic­ tion that to rebuild the nation of Israel one had to restore and strengthen her traditional religion, his significantly post-Exilic perspective. The book also examines the vast literature on Chroni­ cles to find what it yields towards a better understanding of the Chronicler and a fuller appreciation of his work. Finally, it compares-in exhaustive de­ tail-I CHRONICLES with the other books in the Bible to which it is par­ allel. The volume Professor Myers has produced is no less than a definitive treatment of the subject. J ACKF.T BY GEORGE GIUSTI Printed in the U.S.A. tlf11 ·J'>/.\\11'\I among the contributors to THE ANCHOR BIBLE: f, I \I '->/', ' I·\( If JI ', 8. W. Anderson, Professor at Drew University of America. Executive >. I I \ I I I< I ', Theological School, and Professor of Secretary of the Catholic Biblical \I \ i f',f I('-> Biblical Theology. Ordained minister Association of America. (#23) ' I if' : I [(( l\f I 1/\ of the Methodist Church. (#24) Herbert Huffmon, Assistant Professor 1 ! 1 '' · 1 ', lllarkus Barth, Professor of New of Old Testament Studies in the Ori­ 1 111 1 -, : • Testament, Pittsburgh Theological ental Seminary at Johns Hopkins Seminary. ( #34) University. (#3) John Bright, Professor of Hebrew J. L. McKenzie, S. J., Professor of and Interpretation of the Old Testa­ History, Loyola University, Chicago. ment, Union Theological Seminary, President ( 1963-64), Catholic Bibli­ Iii. I, Virginia. Ordained minister of the cal Association. ( #20) I I 11 f, I\<.~, Presbyterian Church in the United G. E. Mendenhall, Professor of Near I 2. I ( 111(()\lf I/<-; States. ( #21) East Studies, Chairman of the I 1. 11 f 111« I\ I< I I .'-> Raymond E. Brown, S. S., Professor Committee on Studies in Religion, 11 I/JU. of New Testament, St. Mary's Sem­ University of Michigan. (#4) '\l.lll\1/\/1 i nary, Maryland. Vice-President, William L. Moran,S.J., Associate Pro­ I.> ..It II\ Catholic Biblical Association of fessor of the Old Testament Exegesis f 11. I'S \/\IS I America. (#29, #30) at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. 17. I''>\/ ,\1S II E. F. Campbell, Jr., Associate Pro­ (#5) I~. /'/Ul\ l:ltl\.'i. fessor of the Old Testament, Mc­ Johannes Munck, Professor of New H <US/ \.'iTFS Cormick Theological Seminary, and I 'J I IS \I \ 11 Testament Exegesis at Aarhus Uni­ editor of The Biblical Archaeologist. versity, Denmark. (#31) 211 11 1'>\1\11 Ordained of the United m~nister J. M. Myers, Professor of the Old 'I. 11 IU \I/ \11 Presbyterian Church in the United ,, ' I /l.hll·,I, Testament, Lutheran Theological States. (#7) 2: I l \ \ 11 I. Seminary, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 21 .1<>11. \\l<~.s. F. M. Cross, Jr., Professor of Hebrew Ordained minister in the Lutheran J< I\ \ 11, \ 11( \I I. and other Oriental Languages, Har­ Church in America. (#12, #13, #14) / 11'1 I\\ I \I I. vard University. Ordained minister Marvin H. Pope, Professor of North­ of the United Presbyterian Church in \I \I \ < 111 west Semitic Languages, Yale Uni­ the United States. (#2, #8, #9) 2' [/(hi\. versity. (#15) /I < 11.\IU \11. Mitchell Dahood, S. J., Professor of Jerome D. Quinn, Professor of Sacred < ll'> \I l I \ 11. Ugaritic Language and Literature, Scripture, The Saint Paul Seminary, '\.\111 \I. the Pontifical Biblical Institute, St. Paul, Minnesota. (#35) 11 \( :< : \I Rome. (#16, #17) 11.\1\.\h:J...l h: Bo Ivar Reicke, Professor of the W. D. Davies, Professor of Biblical New Testament, University of Basel, Theology, Union Theological Semi­ Switzerland. Ordained minister of nary, New York. Ordained minister the Church of Sweden. (#37) NF\\ TJ:s 1'.\l\IF:'\T of the Congregational Church. (#26, #27) R.B. Y. Scott, Chairman, Department '.!fi. 1\1.\'ITllEW of Religion, Princeton University, 27. 1\1\l{h: Jo.~eph A. Fitzmyer, S. J., Professor of Ordained minister of the United './S. f,(IJ\.E the New Testament and Biblical Church of Canada. (#18) W. JOI IN Languages, Woodstock College, Mary­ .'JO. El'ISTLES OF land. (#28) E. F. Siegman, C.PP.S., Professor of JOllN David Flusser, Professor of Compara­ Sacred Scripture, St. Charles Sem­ .'JI .. \<:TS tive Religions, Hebrew University, inary. (#38) .n 1&11 Jerusalem. (#36) E. A. Speiser, University Professor, COIUNTI 11\NS, and Chairman of the Department, of L. Ginsberg, Professor of Biblical I & II H. Oriental Studies, University of Penn­ History and Literature, Jewish Theo­ 'J'llFS'i \1.0,\'l.\NS sylvania. Joint editor, The American logical Seminary of America. (#19) :U. f{(ll\1\NS. 01·iental Series. (#1) <:.\I. \Tl\:\'i Moshe Greenberg, Professor of Bibli­ K rister Stendahl, Professor of Bibli­ 1'1111.11'1'1 \\S cal Studies, University of Pennsyl­ cal Studies, Chairman of Committee .'l 1. I· 1'111-:Sl\:\.S. vania. Editor, Journal of Biblical on Higher Degrees in History and COLOSSI \\S. Literature Monograph Series. (#22) Philosophy of Religion, Harvard 1'1111.Fl\IO:\ Walter Harrelson, Chairman of the University. Ordained priest of the .'Vi. I & II Tll\IOTII\' Graduate Department of Religion, Church of Sweden. (#32) TITt:s and Professor of the Old Testament, :Hi. 111·.HIU·:\\'s G. Ernest Wright, Professor of Divin­ .'37. J\1\11-:S, Vanderbilt University. Ordained ity, Curator of Semitic Museum, minister of the Baptist Church. (#25) I & II l'l·:TEll. Harvard University. Ordained min­ Jl!DE Louis F. Hartman, C. SS. R., Profes­ ister in the United Presbyterian :Js. HE\'EL.\TION snr of Semitic Languages, Catholic Church in the United States. (#6) I CHRONICLES THE ANCHOR BIBLE is a fresh approach to the world's greatest classic. Its object is to make the Bible accessible to the modem reader; its method is to arrive at the meaning of biblical literature through exact translation and extended exposition, and to recon­ struct the ancient setting of the biblical story, as well as the cir­ cumstances of its transcription and the characteristics of its tran­ scribers. THE ANCHOR BIBLE is a project of international and interfaith scope: Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish scholars from many countries contribute individual volumes. The project is not sponsored by any ecclesiastical organization and is not intended to reflect any par­ ticular theological doctrine. Prepared under our joint supervision, THE ANCHOR BIBLE is an effort to make available all the signifi­ cant historical and linguistic knowledge which bears on the in­ terpretation of the biblical record. THE ANCHOR BIBLE is aimed at the general reader with no special formal training in biblical studies; yet, it is written with the most exacting standards of scholarship, reflecting the highest technical accomplishment. This project marks the beginning of a new era of co-operation among scholars in biblical research, thus forming a common body of knowledge to be shared by all. William Foxwell Albright David Noel Freedman GENERAL EDITORS THE ANCHOR BIBLE I CHRONICLES INTRODUCTION, TRANSLATION, AND NOTES BY JACOB M. MYERS Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 65-17226 Copyright © 1965 by Doubleday & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved Printed in the United States of America Second Edition PREFACE This work has been in preparation for a number of years-which may account for some repetition here and there. Certainly there can be no claim to finality or definitiveness for it. It represents only one more slight effort in furthering our understanding of the magnitude and significance of Chronicles in the light of recent study and dis­ coveries, archaeological and linguistic.