It must be allowed that Chronicles owes its origin, not to the
arbitrary caprice of an individual, but to a general tendency of
its period. It is the inevitable product of the conviction that
the Mosaic law is the starting-point of Israel's history, and
that in it these is operative a play of sacred forces such as
finds no other analogy; this conviction could not but lead to
a complete transformation of the ancient tradition.
Starting from a similar assumption, such an author as C. F. Keil
could even at the present day write a book of Chronicles, if this
were not already in existence. Now, in this aspect, for the
purpose of appraising Chronicles as the type of that conception of
history which the scribes cherished, the inquiry into its "sources"
is really important and interesting. References to other writings,
from which further particulars can be learned, are appended as a rule,
to the account of each sovereign's reign, the exceptions being in
the cases of Joram, Ahaziah, Athaliah, Amon, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim,
Zedekiah. The titles referred to in this way may be classed under
two groups:
(1.) The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah, or of Judah and Israel
(in the cases of Asa, Amaziah, Jotham; Ahaz, Josiah, and Jehoiakim),
with which the Book of the Kings of Israel (in the cases of Jehoshaphat
and Manasseh; comp.
Pages:
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511