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34 35 36

2 Chronicles

The second book of Chronicles describes times of rapid change; not only the political turmoil of the collapse of the northern kingdom and later exile of the south, but also the introduction of money in place of bartering.[2 p.78 ]

2 Chronicles starts with Solomon opening the glorious new stone temple at Jerusalem, and goes on to describe Solomon's glory and the visit of the Queen of Sheba. But after Solomon's death the glory was soon lost amidst civil war, pagan worship, and subjection to foreign powers. By the end of the book the Babylonians had burned Jerusalem, and taken away the principal people and the valuables from the Temple; but then Cyrus the Persian took charge of Babylon and allowed some people to return and rebuild.

It is interesting that the Exile took the people right back (geographically) to where Abram had been before his call, and also to where they had been religiously without the covenants and Ark.

This book is titled "2 Paralipomenon" in the Greek Bible.[1]

According to Nehemiah 8:17, the full Law was not followed throughout the period covered by this book.

Commentary

1:17

Shekel: see Appendix 2 Money.

3:1

Solomon built the temple where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:2), which became the city of Jerusalem, where Jesus was sacrificed for us.

3:9

Shekel: see Appendix 2 Money.

4:1

It is not clear why this altar was made, because nothing like it was specified in the model that Moses was told to follow closely. Perhaps it was a sin.

6 f

This passage teaches a lot about prayer.

6:26

This passage repeats 1 Kings 8:35.

9:15

Shekel: see Appendix 2 Money.

20:1–30

This passage teaches two key lessons: firstly that hope rests on memory; and secondly that worship, by focussing on God's power, can lead to success where failure was otherwise inevitable.

20:12

See Prayer.

34:14

=2 Kings 22:8. Tradition has it that the book was found lying open at Deuteronomy 28:36[3 p.1027]. See comment on the discovery of Deuteronomy.

35:25

The reference to lamentations here does not refer to the book of that name in our OT.[4 p.53]

36:22–23

=Ezra 1:1–3.

References:

  1. NRSV Holy Bible New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, 1998 Oxford: OUP, 1989 & 1995
  2. Bowker, John Complete Bible Handbook London: Dorling Kindersley 1998
  3. Hertz, Dr J H The Soncino Edition of the Pentateuch and Haftorahs 2nd Edition 1970
  4. Collins, J.J., Evans, C.E., McDonald, L.M. Ancient Jewish and Christian Scriptures—​New Developments in Canon Controversy Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press 2020

© David Billin 2002–2022