mation. Some have conjectured that he was the same who wrote the books of Kings: but the great difference, Calmet remarks,1 in the dates, narratives, genealogies, and proper names, together with the repetitions of the same things, and frequently in the same words, strongly militates against this hypothesis. The Hebrews commonly assign the Chronicles to Ezra; who, they say, composed them after the return from the captivity, and was assisted in this work by the prophets Zechariah and Haggai, who were then living. This opinion they endeavour to support, first, from the similarity of style, (the last three verses of the second book of Chronicles corresponding very nearly with the first three verses of Ezra,) from the recapitulations and general reflections which are sometimes made on a long series of events:-secondly, the author lived after the captivity, since in the last chapter of the second book he recites the decree of Cyrus, which granted liberty to the Jews, and he also continues the genealogy of David to Zerubbabel, the chief of those who returned from the captivity:-thirdly, these books contain certain terms and expressions, which they think are peculiar to the person and times of Ezra. However plausible these observations may be, there are other marks discernible in the books of Chronicles, which tend to prove that Ezra did not compose them. In the first place the author continues the genealogy of Zerubbabel to the twelfth generation: but Ezra did not live to that time, and consequently could not have written the genealogy in question. Secondly, the writer of these books was neither a contemporary nor an original writer; but compiled and abridged them from antient memoirs, genealogies, annals, registers, and other works which he frequently quotes, and from which he sometimes gives copious extracts, without changing the words, or attempting to reconcile inconsistencies. It is evident therefore that the author of these books lived after the captivity, and derived his materials from the memoirs of writers contemporary with the events recorded, and who flourished long before his time. The authenticity of these books is abundantly supported by the general mass of external evidence; by which also heir divine authority is fully established, as well as by the indirect a estations of our Lord and his apostles.2 II. The principal scope of these books is to exhibit with accurac, the genealogies, the rank, the functions, and the order of the pries; and Levites; that, after the captivity, they might more easily assun, their proper ranks, and re-enter on their ministry. The author had further in view, to show how the lands had been distribute among the families before the captivity; so that the respective tribes might on their return obtain, as far as was practicable, the antien inheritance of their fathers. He quotes old records by the name of antient things (1 Chron. iv. 22.), and recites four several 1 Comment. Litteral, tom. iii. pp. i.—iv. 2 Compare 1 Chron. xxiv. 10. with Luke i. 5. ; 2 Chron. ix. 1. with Matt xii. 42 and Luke xi. 31; and 2 Chron. xxiv. 20, 21. with Matt. xxiii. 35. and Luke xi. 51. 53 rolls or numberings of the people ;-one taken in the time of David, a second in the time of Jeroboam, a third in the time of Jotham, and the fourth in the time of the captivity of the ten tribes. In other places he speaks of the numbers which had been taken by order of King David, but which Joab did not finish. Hence we may perceive the extreme accuracy affected by the Jews in their historical documents and genealogies: the latter indeed could not be corrupted formerly (for most of the people could repeat them memoriter); although from frequent transcription, much confusion has been introduced into many of the names, which it is now perhaps impossible to clear up. It is, however, most evident that the basis of the books of Chronicles was a real history and real genealogies: for such particulars of names, and other circumstances would never have been invented by any person, as no imaginable purpose could be answered by it; and the hazard of making mistakes, and being thereby exposed when they were first published, would be very great. The Chronicles are an abridgment of all the sacred history, but more especially from the origin of the Jewish nation to their return from the first captivity. The FIRST BOOK traces the rise and propagation of the people of Israel from Adam, and afterwards gives a circumstantial account of the reign and transactions of David. In the SECOND BOOK the narrative is continued, and relates the progress and dissolution of the kingdom of Judah, to the very year of the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity as very little notice is taken of the kings of Israel, it is not improbable that this book was chiefly extracted from the records of the kingdom of Judah. The period of time embraced in the books of Chronicles is about 3468 years; and they may be commodiously divided into four parts, viz.-1. The genealogies of those persons through whom the Messiah was to descend, from Adam to the captivity, and to the time of Ezra; -2. The histories of Saul and David; -3. The history of the united kingdoms of Israel and Judah under Solomon; and, 4. The history of the kingdom of Judah after the secession of the ten tribes from Rehoboam, to its utter subversion by Nebuchadnezzar. PART I. Genealogical Tables from Adam to the time of Ezra. 1 Chron. i.-ix. 1-34.) SECT. 1. Genealogies of the patriarchs from Adam to Jacob, and of the descendants of Judah to David, and his posterity to Zerubbabel, from whom the Messiah was to descend. (1 Chron. i. -iii.) SECT. 2. Genealogies of other descendants of Judah by Pharez, and of the remaining eleven sons of Jacob. (iv.—viii. ix. 1.) SECT. 3. Genealogies of the first inhabitants of Jerusalem, after their return from the Babylonish captivity. (ix. 2—34.) This long series of genealogies is a signal testimony to the origin. and preservation of the Jewish church among mankind; and of the fulfilment of the divine promises to Abraham, that his seed should be multiplied as the sand upon the sea-shore. (Gen. xxii. 17.) These genealogies are also of very great importance, as exhibiting the detail of the sacred line, through which the pro mise of the Messiah was transmitted: so that, when in the fulness of time this promised mediator was revealed in the flesh, the church and people of God might infallibly know that this was that very promised seed of the woman, the son of Abraham and the son of David. In perusing the Hebrew genealogies, it will be necessary to remember that the terms father,' ' son,' begat,' and begotten,' which are of such frequent occurrence in them, do not always denote immediate procreation or filiation, but extend to any distant progenitor.1 · PART II. The histories of Saul and David. (1 Chron. ix. 35-44. x.-xxix. 1-22.) SECT. 1. The pedigree of Saul, and his death. (1 Chron. ix. 35— 44. x.) SECT. 2. The history and transactions of the reign of David; including, i. His inauguration; list of his worthies, and account of his forces. (xi. xii.) iii. The victories of David over the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, and Edom- § v. An account of David's regulations for the constant service of the temple: vii. David's address to Solomon and his princes concerning the building of the temple (xxviii.); the liberal contributions of David and his subjects for this purpose, and his thanksgiving for them. (xxix. 1—22.) PART III. The history of the united kingdom of Israel and Judah under Solomon. (1 Chron. xxix. 23-30. 2 Chron. i.-ix.) SECT. 1. The second inauguration of Solomon: Death of David; the piety, wisdom, and grandeur of Solomon. (1 Chron. xxix. 23-30. 2 Chron. i.) SECT. 2. Account of the erection and consecration of the temple, and of some other edifices erected by him. (2 Chron. ii.—viii. 16.) SECT. 3. The remainder of Solomon's reign to his death. (viii. 17, 18. ix.) PART IV. The history of the kingdom of Judah, from the secession of the ten tribes, under Jeroboam, to its termination by Nebuchadnezzar. (2 Chron. x.-xxxvi.) SECT. 1. The accession of Rehoboam to the throne of the united kingdom; its division; Jerusalem plundered by Shishak. (2. Chron. x.-xii.) SECT. 2. The reigns of Abijah and Asa kings of Judah. (xiii.— xvi.) SECT. 3. The reign of Jehoshaphat. (xvii.-xx.) 1 Thus in Gen. xxix. 5. Laban is called the son of Nahor, though in fact he was only his grandson' by Bethuel. Similar instances are often to be found in the Scriptures. SECT. 4. The reigns of Jehoram and Ahaziah; the usurpation of Athaliah. (xxi. xxii.) SECT. 5. The reigns of Amaziah, Uzziah, and Jotham. (xxv.xxvii.) SECT. 6. The reign of Ahaz. (xxviii.) SECT. 7. The reign of Hezekiah. (xxix.-xxxii.) SECT. 8. The reigns of Manasseh and Amon. (xxxiii.) SECT. 9. The reign of Josiah. (xxxiv. xxxv.) SECT. 10. The reigns of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah; the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple. (xxxvi.)1 IV. Independently of the important moral and religious instruction to be derived from the two books of Chronicles, as illustrating the divine dispensations towards his highly favoured but ungrateful people, the second book is extremely valuable in a critical point of view; not only as it contains some historical particulars which are not mentioned in any other part of the Old Testament, but also as it affords us many genuine readings, which by the inaccuracy of transcribers are now lost in the older books of the Bible. The discrepancies between the books of Kings and Chronicles, though very numerous, are not of any great moment, and admit of an easy solution, being partly caused by various lections, and partly arising from the nature of the books; which, being supplementary to those of Samuel and Kings, omit what is there related more at large, and supply what is there wanting.2 It should further be recollected, that, after the captivity, the Hebrew language was slightly varied from what it had formerly been; that different places had received new names, or undergone sundry vicissitudes: that certain things were now better known to the returned Jews under other appellations, than under those by which they had formerly been distinguished; and that, from the materials to which the author had access, (and which frequently were different from those consulted by the writers of the royal histories,) he has selected those passages which appeared to him best 1 The two last verses of the book of Chronicles are evidently the beginning of the book of Ezra, which follows next in the order of the canon; and must have been copied from it before the transcriber was aware of his error: but, finding his mistake, he abruptly broke off, and began the book of Ezra at the customary distance, without publishing his error by erasing or blotting out those lines which he had inadvertently subjoined to the book of Chronicles. This copy, however, being in other respects of authority, has been followed in all subsequent copies, as well as in all the antient versions. This circumstance affords a proof of the scrupulous exactness with which the copies of the canonical books were afterwards taken. No writer or translator would take upon himself to correct even a manifest error. How then can we think that any other alteration, diminution, or addition, would voluntarily be made by any of the Jewish nation, or not have been detected if it had been attempted by any person? Dr. Kennicott, Diss. i. pp. 491--494. Dr. Priestley, Notes on Scripture, vol. ii. p. 94. 2 The above remark will be clearly illustrated by comparing 2 Kings xxiv. 6. with 2 Chron. xxxvi. 6. and Jer. xxxvi. 30.; 1 Kings xv. 2. with 2 Chron. xv. 19.; 1 Kings xxii. 44. with 2 Chron. xvii. 6. ; 2 Kings ix. 27. with 2 Chron. xxii. 9. See also Professor Dahler's learned Disquisition De Librorum Paralipomenov auctoritate atque fide historica' (8vo. Argentorati et Lipsia 1819); in which he has instituted a minute collation of the books of Chronicles with the books of Samuel and of Kings; and has satisfactorily vindicated their genuineness and credibility against the insinuations and objections of some recent sceptical German critics. adapted to his purpose, and most suitable to the time in which he wrote. It must also be considered, that he often elucidates obscure and ambiguous words in former books by a different mode of spelling them, or by a different order of the words employed, even when he does not use a distinct phraseology of narration, which he sometimes adopts.1 As the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles relate the same histories, they should each be constantly read and collated together; not only for the purpose of obtaining a more comprehensive view of Jewish history, but also in order to illustrate or amend from one book what is obscure in either of the others.2 SECTION VIII. ON THE BOOK OF EZRA. 1. Title and author. II. Argument, scope, and synopsis of its contents.-III. Observations on a spurious passage ascribed to Ezra. 1. THE books of Ezra and Nehemiah were antiently reckoned by the Jews as one volume, and were divided by them into the first and second books of Ezra. The same division is recognised by the Greek and Latin churches: but the third book, assigned to Ezra, and received as canonical by the Greek church, is the same, in substance, as the book which properly bears his name, but interpolated. And the fourth book, which has been attributed to him, is a manifest forgery, in which the marks of falsehood are plainly discernible, and which was never unanimously received as canonical either by the Greek or by the Latin church, although some of the fathers have cited it, and the Latin church has borrowed some words out of it. It is not now extant in Greek, and never was extant in Hebrew. It is evident that the author of the book of Ezra was personally present at the transactions recorded in it, the narrative being in the first person. It also bears upon the face of it every character of natural simplicity, and contains more particulars of time, persons, and places, than could have been introduced by any other individual. That the last four chapters of this book were written by Ezra himself there can be no doubt, as he particularly describes himself in the beginning of the seventh chapter, and likewise frequently introduces himself in the subsequent chapters. The Jews, indeed, ascribe the whole of this book to Ezra, and their opinion is adopted by most Christian commentators. But as the writer of the first six chapters appears, from ch. v. 4., to have been at Jerusalem in the reign of Darius Hystaspes, and it is evident from the beginning of the seventh 1 Calmet's Dictionary, article Chronicles, in fine. 2 Compare 1 Chron. xxi. 16. with 2 Sam. xxiv. 17. ; 1 Chron. xxi. 1. with 2 Sam. xxiv. 1.; 2 Sam. vi. 2. with 1 Chron. xiii. 6.; 2 Sam. xxi. 19. with 1 Chron. xx 5.; 1 Chron. xi. 20. with 2 Sam. xxiii. 18.; and 2 Sam. xxiii. 20. with 1 Chron |