519 When the Sacred Books began to be organized, the Mosaic books were followed by a history of Israel that went from the Book of Joshua to the Book of Kings. Their authors shared the prophets’ views that were also those of Deuteronomy: God made a covenant with Israel, then gave Israel the land, provided that they would remain faithful to the covenant. In the course of the centuries, more and more infi delities occurred, which not only divided the kingdom into two; but is also the reason why the two kingdoms, Israel and then Judah, lost their land. Yet, after the disaster, there was still hope. God did not go back on his promise: the Promised Land and the temple of Jerusalem remain at the center of God’s plan, and the conversion of the people will usher in a new age. In the fi fth century B.C., this hope encouraged those who were returning from the Exile, as well as the last prophets. Then, with Zerubbabel, Nehemiah and Ezra, the Temple and the city were rebuilt and the rules for worship were reorganized. Time was passing by and the Jewish community was getting used to being just a province of the Persian Empire: it was satisfi ed with having imposed its own identity under the leadership of its priests. This is when the books of the royal period seem dated. People no longer expected anything from the kings. Priests had full authority… There was no interest in the history of the kingdom but, rather, in the roles that priests had in it. The Mosaic books were rewritten to put the laws dealing with wor- ship in the fi rst place; and this type of work continued until the contemporary period of “Ezra’s reform.” The history of Israel will take its readers from Moses, who fore- saw everything, to Ezra, who reformed everything, by way of holy King David who established the liturgy. The Book of Chronicles was written in this setting. The book is full of genealogies 1-2 CHR since the religious status of priests depended on their family of origin. Therefore, we should not be surprised by the fabulous genealogies at the beginning of the book. It is full of extraordinary numbers (this was also the case of Numbers with the 600,000 men of Exodus). This history is only interested in the Kingdom of Judah as it ignores or condemns a priori everything the other tribes of Israel had experienced. Did the authors want Chronicles to replace the previous books that we have men- tioned? God did not allow that to happen. Yahweh directed it such that Chronicles simply completed Samuel and Kings, even preserving strange traditions that the latter ignored. At times, they show the narrow-mindedness that characterizes people who base society on one or two principles. But they also offer us a grandiose vision of the worship of God, a people’s prayer and the conviction that this chosen people can, and must, have its own identity. Among other things, we will notice this con- viction: unity constitutes both the richness and the fi rst obligation of the people of God, that is to say, the condition for our obedience to God to be authentic. This assertion is still valid for the Church of Christ. 1 CHRONICLES 1 520 Peoples and cities and their relationships dants of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Ze - with the Israelites phi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna and Amalek. 1 2 37 Gen 5 Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalel, The descendants of Reuel were Nahath, 38 1 Jared, 3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. The sons Gen 36: 20-28 4 Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth. of Seir were: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 39 Gen 5 Sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, the Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. The clans 10:2-4 Me des, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Tiras. 6 Sons descended from Lotan were Hori and Ho - of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Diphath, Togarmah. mam. Lotan’s sister was named Timna. 7 Sons of Javan: Elisha, Tarshish, the Kit- 40 The clans descended from Shobal were tim, the Daanites. Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. 8 Sons of Ham: Cush, Misraim, Put, Ca - The descendants of Zibeon were Aiah and naan. Anah. 41 Anah had a son named Dishon, 9 Sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, who was the ancestor of the clans of Ham- Raama, Sabteca, Sons of Raamah: Sheba, ran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 42 Ezer Dedan. 10 Cush became father of Nimrod, was the ancestor of the clans of Bilhan, the fi rst potentate on earth. Zaavan, and Jaakan. Sons of Dishau: Uz Gen 10: 11 Misraim became of the people of Lud, and Aran. 13-18 of Anam, of Lehab, of Naptu, 12 of Path- 43 Here are the kings who ruled in the Gen 36: ros, Casluh and Caphtor, from which the land of Edom before an Israelite king ruled: 31-39 Philistines came. 13 Canaan became father Bela son of Bero; his city was called Dinha- of Sidon, his fi rstborn, then Heth, 14 and bah. 44 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah the Jebusites, the Amorites, Girgashites, from Bozrah became king. 45 When Jobab 15 Hivites, Sinites, 16 Arvadites, Zemarites, died, Husham of the land of the Temanites Hamathites. became king. 46 When Husham died, Hadad 17 Gen 10: Sons of Shem, Elam, Asshur, Arpach- son of Bedad became king; he defeated 22-29 shad, Lud, Aram. Sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, the Midianites in the country of Moab, and Gether and Meshech. 18 Arpachshad be- his city was called Avith. 47 When Hadad came father of Shelah, and Shelah became died, Samlah of Masrekah became king. father of Eber. 19 To Eber were born two 48 Samlah died and Saul of Rehoboth-han- sons; the fi rst was called Peleg, because it nahar became king. 49 When Saul died, was in his time the earth was divided, and Baal-hanan son of Achbor became king. his brother was called Joktan. 50 When Baal-hanan died, Hadad became 20 Joktan became father of Almodad, king. His city was called Pai; his wife’s Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21 Hadoram, name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, Uzal, Diklah, 22 Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, from Mezahab. 23 51 Ophir, Havilah, Jobab; all these are sons After Hadad died, these were the Gen 36: of Joktan. chiefs of Edom: Chief of Timna, Chief of 40-43 24 25 Gen 11: Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Aliah, Chief Jetheth, 52 Chief Oholibamah, 10-26 Pe leg, Reu, 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27 Abram, Chief of Elah, Chief Pinon, 53 Chief Ke - that is Abraham. naz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, 54 Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the Descendants of Abraham chiefs of Edom. 28 Sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. 29 The sons of Israel and the Gen 25: Sons of Ishmael: Nebaioth (his fi rstborn) 13-16 then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Du - descendants of Judah 31 1 mah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Na phish These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Gen 35: and Kedemah. 2 Simeon, Levi and Judah; Issachar and 23-26 32 2 Gen Sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concu- Zebulun; Dan, Joseph and Benjamin, 25:2-4 bine: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Nephtali; Gad and Asher. 3 Ish bak, and Shuah. Sons of Joksham: Judah had fi ve sons in all. The fi rst Gen 38: Sheba and Dedan. 33 Sons of Midian were three were born to him by Bath-shua the 2-5, 7 Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, Eldaah. Canaanite woman. They were Er, Onan Gen 34 15:19 Abraham was the father of Isaac and Shelah. Er, Judah’s fi rstborn, was so 35 4 Gen 36: who had two sons: Esau and Israel. The evil that Yahweh put him to death. By his Gen 38: 10-17 descendants of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel, daughter-in-law Tamar, Judah had two 27-30 Gen 36 5 Jeush, Jalam and Korah. The descen- more sons, Perez and Zerah. Perez had 46:12 521 1 CHRONICLES 2 6 1K 5:11 two sons, Hezron and Hamul. His brother the father of Ishi, who was the father of Zerah had fi ve sons: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Sheshan; Sheshan was the father of Ahlai. Calcol and Dara. 7 One of them, Achar, 32 Jada, Shammai’s brother, had two sons: son of Carmi—brought trouble upon the Jether and Jonathan. Jether died leaving people of Israel by keeping loot that had no sons. 33 Jonathan had two sons: Peleth been devoted to God. 8 Ethan had one son, and Zaza. Azariah. These were all descendants of Jerahmeel. 9 Hezron became the father of Jerah- 34 Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. 10 Num 1:7; meel, Ram, and Caleb. Ram was the 35 He had an Egyptian slave named Jarha Ru 4: 19-22 father of Amminadab; Amminadab of to whom he gave his daughter in marriage. Nah shan. 11 Nahshan, who was a prince 36 They had a son named Attai. The ances- of the tribe of Judah, was the father of tral line from Attai to Elishama is as fol- Salmon; Salmon of Boaz; 12 Boaz of Obed; lows: Attai, Nathan, 37 Zabad, Ephlal, Obed, Obed of Jesse. 13 Jesse had seven sons: 38 Jehu, Azariah, 39 Helez, Eleasah, 40 Sismai, Eliab, the fi rstborn, Abinadab, Shammah, Shallum, 41 Jekamiah, and Elishama. 14 Nethanel, Raddai, 15 Ozem and David, 42 The fi rst-born son of Caleb, Jerah- the youngest.