II Chronicles: Introduction, Translation, and Notes (Anchor Bible)

305 Pages·2016·23.09 MB·English

by  Jacob M. Myers

II CHRONICLES
THE ANCHOR BIBLE is a fresh approach to the world's greatest
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GENERAL EDITORS
THE ANCHOR BIBLE
I I
TRANSLATION AND NOTES
BY
JACOB
M. MYERS
Doubleday & Company, Inc.
Garden City, New York
1965
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 65-17226
Copyright © 1965 by Doubleday & Company, Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
All Rights Reserved
First Edition
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE
The biblical book of Chronicles is actually one book which, be­
cause of its length when translated from Hebrew into Greek, was
divided into what we now know as I and II Chronicles. The di­
vision into two volumes has been retained here, but the interrelated­
ness of the two precluded two separate introductions that would, by
avoiding repetition, tend to mislead the reader into thinking that I
and II Chronicles were two distinct works.
Therefore, the general introduction to the Chronicler's work ap­
pears at the beginning of I Chronicles, and a shorter introduction­
relevant specifically to II Chronicles-appears here. The appendixes
for all of Chronicles are to be found at the end of II Chronicles.
Appendix I gives a complete list of the parallel and comparative
passages that the Chronicler drew upon for both I and II Chronicles;
Appendix II contains genealogical charts based upon the first nine
chapters of I Chronicles. Each volume also includes an index of
place and personal names that appear in the biblical text of that
volume, but if a name occurs in any other of the Chronicler's works
(I and II Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah), all of these occurrences
are cited in order to illustrate the basic unity of the narrative con­
tained in these volumes.
J.M.M.

CONTENTS
Translator's Note v
Principal Abbreviations XI
INTRODUCTION
The Work of the Chronicler in the Bible XVII
The Intention of the Chronicler xx
Content& of II Chronicles XXI
Selected Bibliography XXXIII
I. THE REIGN OF SOLOMON (ca. 962-922 B.c.)
1. Solomon Takes Over the Kingdom (i 1-17) 3
2. Building the Temple: Preparations (i 18, ii 1-17) 8
3. Building the Temple: Construction (iii 1-1 7) 14
4. Building the Temple: Furnishings (iv 1-22, v 1) 19
5. Building the Temple: Removal of the Ark.
God's Approval (v 2-14) 26
6. Building the Temple: Solomon's Dedication and Prayer
(vi 1-42) 31
7. Building the Temple: The Dedication Ceremony
(vii 1-10) 39
8. Building the Temple: Yahweh's Response (vii 11-22) 42
9. Other Achievements of Solomon (viii 1-18) 45
10. Solomon's Wisdom and Wealth (ix 1-28) 52
11. Conclusion (ix 29-31) 60
II. THE KINGS OF JUDAH (ca. 922-587 n.c.)
12. The Reign of Rehoboam: The Rebellion of Israel
(x 1-19) 63
13. The Reign of Rehoboam: Establishing the Kingdom
(xi 1-23) 67
vm CONTENTS
14. The Reign of Rehoboam: Abandonment of Yahweh
(xii 1-16) 72
15. The Reign of Abijah (xiii 1-23) 76
16. The Reign of Asa: The Early Years (xiv 1-14) 82
17. The Reign of Asa: The Reformation (xv 1-19) 86
18. The Reign of Asa: The Later Years (xvi 1-14) 91
19. The Reign of Jehoshaphat: Character and Organization
(xvii 1-19) 96
20. The Reign of Jehoshaphat: Alliance with the Northern
Kingdom (xviii 1-34) 101
21. The Reign of Jehoshaphat: God's Rebuke and
Jehoshaphat's Reformation (xix 1-11) 106
22. The Reign of Jehoshaphat: Jehoshaphat's Piety
Rewarded (xx 1-37, xxi 1) 110
23. The Reign of Jehoram (xxi 2-20) 118
24. The Reign of Ahaziah (xxii 1-9) 124
25. The Reign of Athaliah (xxii 10-12, xxiii 1-21) 127
26. The Reign of Joash (xxiv 1-27) 133
27. The Reign of Amaziah (xxv 1-28) 140
28. The Reign of Uzziah (xxvi 1-23) 147
29. The Reign of Jotham (xxvii 1-9) 155
30. The Reign of Ahaz (xxviii 1-27) 158
31. The Reign of Hezekiah: Rehabilitation of the Temple
(xxix 1-36) 165
32. The Reign of Hezekiah: The Passover (xxx 1-27) 173
33. The Reign of Hezekiah: Reform Activities (xxxi 1-21) 180
34. The Reign of Hezekiah: The Assyrian Invasion
(xxxii 1-23) 185
35. The Reign of Hezekiah: The Later Years (xxxii 24-33) 191
36. The Reign of Manasseh (xxxiii 1-20) 195
37. The Reign of Amon (xxixii 21-25) 200
38. The Reign of Josiah: Discovery of the Lawbook
of Moses (xxxiv 1-33) 201
39. The Reign of Josiah: The Passover (xxxv 1-19) 209
40. The Reign of Josiah: The Later Years (xxvx 20-27) 214
41. The Reigns of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Jehoiachin
(xxxvi 1-10) 217
42. The Reign of Zedekiah. The Exile (xxxvi 11-21) 221
43. The Decree of Cyrus (xxxvi 22-23) 224
CONTENTS
IX
APPENDIXES
Appendix I: Parallels 227
I Chronicles 227
II Chronicles 229
Appendix II: Genealogical Charts 233
A. Noah 233
B. Abraham's Descendants 234
C. Edom: Kings and Chiefs 235
D. Jacob 235
E. The Line of Judah 237
F. Calebites 237
G. The Jerahmeelites 238
H. David's Family 239
I. Kings of Judah 240
J. Exilic and Postexilic Line 240
K. Southern Families 241
L. Simeon 242
M. Reuben 242
N. Gad and 112 Manasseh 243
0. Chief Priests 243
P. Other Descendants of Levi 244
Q. Singers and Aaronites 244
R. Issachar, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali 245
S. Manasseh 246
T. Ephraim and Asher 246
U. Benjamin 247
V. The Family of Saul 248
W. Returnees 249
Index of Place and Personal Names 251
Key to the Text 269