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8 Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Chronicles 2007 EditionExpositionI. ISRAEL'S HISTORICAL ROOTS CHS. 1—9"The fact that the author of 1 and 2 Chronicles devoted nine chapters outof sixty-five to genealogies (1 Chr 1—9) makes clear that these were ofgreat importance to him and bear significantly on his purpose in writinghis work. This purpose needs to be understood by any commentator whowould elucidate the nature of these volumes."We may define a genealogy as 'a written or oral expression of the descentof a person or persons from an ancestor or ancestors.' 21 They may displaybreadth ('These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,' 1Chr 2:1) and depth (the sons of Solomon: 'Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asahis son,' 1 Chr 3:10). This latter genealogy and others of its type thatdisplay depth alone are termed 'linear.' Biblical genealogies, like theextrabiblical ones, are normally quite limited in depth, rarely extendingbeyond ten or twelve generations but often from four to six. In 1Chronicles 2—9 we have an exception. Perhaps the writer sometimesjoined separate genealogies."If a genealogy displays breadth as well as depth, it is termed 'segmented,'or 'mixed.' In Chronicles multiple descendants of an ancestor arefrequently named, but not all the lives are pursued to later generations.Genealogies may proceed from parent to child (descending, as in 1 Chr9:39-44) or from child to parent (ascending, as in 1 Chr 9:14-16)."The two types of genealogy, linear and segmented, serve differentpurposes. The linear genealogy seeks to legitimize an individual byrelating him to an ancestor whose status is established. The segmentedgenealogy is designed to express relationships between the variousbranches of a family." 22"Their function, broadly speaking, is to show that the promises andpurposes of God continue." 23The aim of the genealogies "is to paint a portrait of the people of God inits ideal extent as a symbol of both the particularity of his election and thebreadth of his grace." 2421 R. R. Wilson, Genealogy and History in the Biblical World, p. 9.22 Thompson, pp. 25-26. Cf. Roddy L. Braun, 1 Chronicles, pp. 1-5; Wilson, pp. 9-10. There are reallymore than nine chapters of genealogies since other shorter genealogies appear at various places throughoutthe book.23 McConville, p. 7.24 Williamson, p. 39.
2007 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Chronicles 9". . . it should be noted that a further theme of Chr., that of the Lord'swillingness to start afresh with his errant people, is also tucked awayalmost unnoticed in the genealogies." 25A. THE LINEAGE OF DAVID CHS. 1—3The writer evidently chose, under divine inspiration, to open his book with genealogies tohelp his readers appreciate their heritage and to tie themselves to Adam, Abraham, andDavid in particular. Adam was important as the head of the human race. Abraham wasimportant because of the promises God gave him and his descendants in the AbrahamicCovenant. David was important because of his role as Israel's model king and because ofthe promises God gave him in the Davidic Covenant. This section shows Israel's placeamong the nations. Both the Old and New Testaments open with genealogies, in Genesis,Matthew, and Luke.One of the major themes of Chronicles is that the Davidic dynasty would be theinstrument through which God promised that salvation and blessing would come toIsrael. It would also come through Israel to the whole world. The final Davidic king,Jesus Christ, was the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45) as well as the Person who would fulfill theAbrahamic and Davidic Covenants completely."The genealogy of David in the Book of Ruth and in 1 Chronicles 2:3-17unambiguously establishes the connection between patriarchal promiseand historical fulfillment and demonstrates once and for all Judah'stheological primacy amongst the tribes despite its geographicalhandicap." 26The writer probably also went back to Adam for another reason. He tied God's provisionof salvation in David and his descendants to the first promise of salvation given to Adamand Eve in Genesis 3:15.In 3:19-24 the Chronicler traced David's descendants into the restoration period. David'skingdom ended with the Babylonian exile (cf. Amos 9:11), but by tracing David's line thewriter was giving his original readers hope that God would fulfill His promises. Thefuture did not depend ultimately on the decisions of Cyrus, king of the Persian Empire,but on the faithfulness of Yahweh (cf. Hag. 2:21-22).In 3:19 the writer said Zerubbabel was the son of Pedaiah. Other references toZerubbabel call him the son of Shealtiel (cf. Ezra 3:2; Neh. 12:1; Hag. 1:12; Matt. 1:12;Luke 3:27; et al.). This may be a scribal error, or perhaps Shealtiel died early and hisbrother, Pedaiah, reared Zerubbabel.The original readers of Chronicles, freshly transplanted into the Promised Land fromBabylon, were having an identity crisis. They needed to remember what they were and25 McConville, p. 10.26 Eugene H. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests, p. 316.
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