Commentary on 1 Chronicles

“Commentary on 1 Chronicles” (29 chapters, after 453) is part of the essay “Questions on the Books of Kings and Chronicles.” Blzh. Theodoret of Cyrus dedicated it to his “beloved son Hypatius,” the chorebishop. The work is written in the form of a sequential commentary, in which only difficult passages of Holy Scripture are explained. The interpretation talks about the reason for the deprivation of the birthright by Reuben, the genealogy of the priests and Levites, the time of writing the 1st book of Chronicles, etc. *The title of the work in Latin is Quaestiones in Libros regnorum et Paralipomenon; Quaestiones in Reges et Paralipomena. Contents Chapter 1 Chapters 2–3 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 The contents of the book of Chronicles shows the title. For what he who wrote the books of Kings did not bring into history, he who took upon himself this work, having collected from many books of the prophets, put it together. But much of what was written there was brought into the same order with what is described here, in order to preserve the connection in everyday life. He began from ancient times with a genealogy to briefly show how all human tribes arose from a single man. And since he makes a mention of one Jewish kingdom, he makes it clear what cities and villages the Jews had and from whom they received their names. From this book we learn that Nathan, from whom the wonderful Luke produces the genealogy of our Savior and Lord, was the son of David and the half-brother of Solomon. For it is said: “And these were born to David in Jerusalem: Shemaa and Sobab, and Nathan and Solomon, four sons by Bathsheba to the daughter of El” 1 (1 Chronicles 3:5). And about Richab, often praised in Scripture, this book shows that he was from the tribe of Judah. ​​(1 Chronicles 2:55) It also reveals more clearly the reason why Reuben was deprived of the birthright, but Joseph received it, and why the tribe of Judah enjoyed greater honor. It is said: “The son of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: like the firstborn; and when he desecrated his father's bed, he gave the primacy to the sons of Joseph, and Reuben was not counted as the primacy, as Judah was strong in strength among his brethren, and as a leader from him, and the primacy to Joseph" (1 Chronicles 5:1-2). These words make it clear that Joseph received the privileges of the firstborn, and Judah accepted government power for the sake of the Lord, who came from him according to the flesh. For this thought is conveyed by the words “in the leader from him.” They mean not only the kings who were from Judah, but also that eternal King, who had no beginning of days and will not receive an end. This book also tells how the Trans-Jordanian tribes - Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh - fought with the Hagarites, Itureans, Paphiseans and others who took up arms with them, and how, after a stubborn battle, they defeated and drove out the Hagarites. It also indicates the reason for the victory, for it is said: “You cried out to God in battle, and when you heard them, you put your trust in Him” (1 Chronicles 5:20). He also describes the amount of military booty, for he says: “they took fifty thousand camels, and two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, and two thousand donkeys, and one hundred thousand human souls; Because there were many wounds, there was no battle from God; and was lost in their stead even to the point of exile” (1 Chronicles 5:21–22). This book also sets out the genealogy of the priests and Levites and says that Zadok, the high priest under David, was the eleventh from Aaron; Azariah, the grandson of Zadok, was the first to officiate in the church built by Solomon. From them came Yosedek, who was taken captive along with others to Babylon, and his son Jesus was the great priest who, together with Zerubbabel, brought out the captives and created God’s church. From this book we learn that Korah, who rebelled against the great Moses, was the grandson of Issaar, who was the son of Kohath, and the brother of Amram, the father of Aaron and Moses. Therefore, Korah was the second cousin of the lawgiver. But he is punished in the desert for wanting to steal power; and the sons did not participate in the punishment of the parent. Even the great Samuel descends from him. And Heman the singer was the grandson of the prophet Samuel, because he was the son of Joel, the son of Samuel. And Asaph, also one of the singers, was descended from Gerson, the son of Levi and brother of Kohath. And Etham, who also belonged to the number of singers, had Merari, the third son of Levi, as his great-grandfather. This book also shows the difference between the priests and the Levites, for it says that “the Levites were given for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God; and Aaron, - it is said, - and his sons, keep the altar of burnt offerings and the altar of incense for every work of the Holy Ones, and let them pray for Israel according to everything Moses the servant of God commanded" (1 Chronicles 6:48-49). It seems that this book was written after the return from Babylon, because it mentions the captivity and shows the reason for it; It says: “All Israel is numbered; and behold, they were written in the book of the days of the kings of Israel and Judah, and they were carried into Babylon for their treachery, which was their iniquity. And those who dwelt first in their possessions, and in their cities of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nathinites” (1 Chronicles 9:1-2). And this shows that the book was written later than the captivity. For the one who writes history does not speak about what happened after him, but about what happened before him or during his time. It is common for prophets to predict the future. The writer said that those who owned this land before them were captured along with the Jews. For many Canaanites, Hittites and Jebusites lived with them and shared this disaster. The priests and Levites were also taken into captivity with the Israelites. I think the so-called clergymen are called Nathineas. For many devoted themselves to the service of the priests and Levites. And those who came from other tribes had to carry water, chop wood and do all other similar work. If the most praised Jesus also commanded the Gibeonites, foreigners, to be water bearers in the tabernacle and woodcutters, how much more was such service appropriate for the Israelites. And in the interpretation of Jewish names I found that this name means the gift of Iao, i.e. The Existing God. The writer also mentions the inhabitants of Jerusalem and says that they were “from the sons of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraimlich and Manasseh” (1 Chronicles 9:3); remembers the priests and Levites who lived in this city (1 Chronicles 9:11-16). He calls the descendants of the Korahites Koreans and says that from them were also the doorkeepers of God’s church, and this institution was made by Samuel and David. For it is said: “These David and Samuel the seer numbered and appointed in their faith. And these and their sons at the gate of the house of the Lord, and in the house of the tabernacle, beat it with four winds” (1 Chronicles 9:22-24). He mentioned the tabernacle because under Samuel and David the church of God had not yet been created and sacred services were performed in the tabernacle. The writer also explains the sequences, because they did not change every day, but after a sevenfold number of days. He added the following: “And their brethren, who dwelt in their country houses, came on the seventh day to go in with them seven days from time to time” 2 (1 Chronicles 9:25). And the liturgical utensils were entrusted to other Levites. It is said: “From the same ones I laid over the vessels of service, according to the number I wore and according to the number I wore out. From the same they set over the vessels and over all the holy vessels, and over flour of wheat and wine and oil, and incense and spices” (1 Chronicles 9:28-29). However, the priests prepared the incense. It is said: “Of the priests 3 besha the myrrh-bearers were the aroma” (1 Chronicles 9:30). It is written more clearly here about the tomb of Saul. In the books of Kings we read: “taking his bones, and burying them in the oak grove (άρουραν) in Jabez” (1 Sam. 31:13), and here it says: “under the oak (δρΰν) in Jabez” (1 Chron. 10:12). Here it is also said more clearly about the sorceress. The writer says: “and Saul died in iniquity His own, in the image of the lawless Lord, according to the word of the Lord, do not save him, but Saul asked the sorceress, and Samuel the prophet answered him” (1 Chron. 10:13). From these words it is clear that Samuel was not summoned by the sorceress’s sorcery, but Saul wickedly and lawlessly asked the sorceress to do this, and God Himself pronounced the sentence on his punishment. The prophecy to Saul is not false, as others claimed, for it is said: “Samuel the prophet answered him.” I think that the vision was called Samuel because Saul wanted to know from Samuel what he should do. Either the one who appeared in the image of Samuel was an angel representing his appearance, or in this vision the soul of Samuel himself appeared; but one must know that this was accomplished not by the charm of a sorceress, but by the wisdom and power of God, who through the wicked often predicted much of the future, through Pharaoh he predicted the harvest and famine, and through Nebuchadnezzar the greatest kingdoms of the universe. And we have said enough about this in our interpretation of the book of Kings. Therefore, we must move on to the rest. The writer said that David was anointed in Hebron “according to the word of the Lord, by the hand of Samuel” (1 Chronicles 11:3), because God commanded Samuel to anoint David. What was said, “David prospered and grew, and the Lord Almighty was with him” (1 Chronicles 11:9) makes it possible to see the dignity of the All-Holy Spirit, because the writer called the All-Holy Spirit the Lord Almighty. And about the Egyptian whom Benaiah killed, he says that he was five cubits (1 Chronicles 11:23). Why did others claim that there were no tall people? The writer called the Amalekite detachment by the name “Geddur” (1 Chronicles 12:22); the book of Kings calls their congregation that way (1 Samuel 30:8) 4. Enumerating those who came to Hebron, the writer said the following: “from the sons of Issachar, who knew the times of reasoning, knowing what Israel should do, in the beginning they were two hundred, and all their brethren with them” (1 Chronicles 12:33). And he was amazed at their wisdom, at the fact that they were able and skillful to see what should be done, to foresee the future, not prophetically, but with their own minds, and to give useful advice. But when Uzzah was carrying the ark, seeing it falling, he stretched out his hand and, as a Levite and not a priest, was punished for daring to approach the ark, because some priests were allowed to carry it on their shoulders. When David, being afraid, did not dare to bring him into his royal house, but placed a Gethein in the house of Abeddar, God, showing that he does not know the difference between the Israelites and foreigners, but honors only piety, and filled the foreigner’s house with all sorts of blessings. And David, seeing these streams of mercy, already carried the ark to the royal city. But he also knew the reason why Uzzah was punished, and therefore he used priests, not a chariot, to carry him. For it is said: “They took him, as Moses commanded by the word of God according to the Scripture, with his shoulder straps on his shoulders” (1 Chronicles 15:15). Then the writer talks about the distribution of singers: which of them played the harp, which played the psaltery, and which played the cymbals. We talked about the difference in musical instruments in the books of Kings. Question. How did David, not being a priest, put on the ephod? For it is said: “On David there was no efud” (1 Chronicles 15:27). We have repeatedly said that the Ephud called Aquila an outer garment, and Symmachus called an amice. But outer garments were both priestly and common. It is obvious that the great David, a pious and God-loving man, would not have broken the law and would not have dared to put on a priestly robe. On the contrary, from these words it is clear that, preceding the ark and galloping, David was not dressed in royal clothes, but had on him a sleeveless retinue, which is now called Arcadian. And the word “herkhal” (1 Chronicles 16:3) 5 we found in the books of Kings; it means “crusted bread” (2 Samuel 6:19) 6. This book makes it clear that all the psalms belong to the all-praised David, and says this: “On that day David caused the beginning to praise the Lord by the hand of Asaph and his brethren” (1 Chronicles 16:7). And the singers performed the service of hymns incessantly, taking up the work one by one, for first one, then the other offered up hymns to the Creator of all things. This book informs that in Gibeon David commanded that sacrifices be made to the priest Zadok (1 Chronicles 16:39), because the tabernacle built by Moses was erected in this city. But when God-sent death struck the people, David saw an angel inflicting destruction, he created an altar on the threshing floor of Orna and made a sacrifice for the people, without thereby violating the Divine law, which commanded sacrifices to be made on the altar in front of the tabernacle; on the contrary, because of the punishment that befell the people, he hastened to appease God. History has confirmed this. It is said: “And the tabernacle of the Lord which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering at the time it was in Beam, which was in Gibeon. And David was not able to go before him to inquire of God, for he was quickly terrified by the sword of the angel of the Lord” (1 Chronicles 21:29-30). Then David consecrated this place, on which, having made a sacrifice, he propitiated God, in order to build a divine church on it. It is said: “David said: Behold, this is the house of God, and this is an altar for burnt offerings to Israel” (1 Chronicles 22:1). And that he was not condemned for making this sacrifice far from the tabernacle, this history shows, because the sacrifice was consumed not by fire made by hands, but by fire sent down from heaven. It is said: “And David cried to the Lord, and the Lord heard him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering” (1 Chronicles 21:26). He ordered that all the newcomers be counted and designated some as stone cutters, and ordered others to carry hewn stones. He gave the order to clean and trim the stones in the quarries themselves and then move them. And this “thou hast not built the house of my name, for thou hast shed much blood on the earth before me” (1 Chronicles 22:8), I think, is said so that those who commit murder will take advantage of this. For He who called the truthful murder of Phinehas a sacrifice would not have reproached the king for a truthful murder. Moreover, Phinehas was a priest who was awarded praise. It is said: “Phinhas the son of Eleazar satisfy my wrath, when he was jealous of my jealousy” (Numbers 25:11). And the prophet David himself, after many generations, said: “And the hundred Phinehas and propitiated, and stopped flogging; and it will be credited to him in righteousness, for generations and generations forever” (Ps. 105:30-31). And Moses the lawgiver, using the Levites for assistance, put to death three thousand who had dedicated themselves to the calf. And the great Samuel killed Agag with his own hand. And the great Elijah slew eight hundred and fifty prophets and priests of Baal. So, for another reason, it was not David himself, but his son who created the church of God. Since Christ, the son of David in the flesh, and as God and Lord and Master of David, had to erect churches throughout the entire universe, he did not allow David to create a Jewish church, but commanded his son to do this, whose name prefigured the world of our Savior, because the name Solomon in translation means “peaceful” and our Lord is called peace. Blessed Paul is a witness to this, who cries: “This is our peace, making both one, and destroying the middle of the fence” (Eph. 2:14). Meanwhile, history shows the number of Levites and how many thousands of them were commanded to be in charge of the economy, and how many were commanded to judge and teach the law, and how many were commanded to be doorkeepers and guard the entrances to the church, and how many were also commanded to sing praises and hymns to the Lord of all (1 Chronicles 23:3-5). He says that the descendants of Moses are also numbered among the Levites. For it is said: “Moses the man of God and his sons are numbered among the tribe of Levi” (1 Chronicles 23:14). He also lets us know that the high priest Zadok was a descendant of Eleazar, and Abimelech was a descendant of Ithamar, and that since there were more descendants of Eleazar, David in daily cycles divided two parts to the descendants of Eleazar and one part to the Ithamars. It is said: “David, the son of Eleazar, divided them into rulers according to the house of their fatherland, and divided them by lot” (1 Chronicles 24:4-5). Blessed Luke mentions these cycles at the very beginning of the Gospel, for he said that “Zechariah was from the days of Abiani” (Luke 1:5). The book we are considering shows that this Abijah received the seventh 7 lot. About Asaph, Heman and Idithum, the leaders of the psalmists, others argued that they were called prophets, not of God, but of David, because they sang the hymns received from him while playing on the organs. But I think that they also received part of the prophetic grace. For history also shows this; it is said: “And David the king and the princes of power set over the works of the sons of Asaph and Heman and Jedithum, who preached the harp and psaltery and cymbal” (1 Chronicles 25:1), and after a few words: “the sons of Asaph, who kept Asaph the prophet near the king” (1 Chronicles 25:2), and again: “Idithum the sons of Idithumli, holding fast to their father Idithum, who with the harp proclaimed the confession and praise of the Lord” (1 Chronicles 25:3), and soon after this: “all these sons of Heman jingled unto the king in the words of God, let the horn be exalted. And God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters; All these with their father sang in the house of God with cymbals and psalms and harp, to serve the house of God near the king, and Asaph, and Jedithum, and Heman” (1 Chronicles 25:5-6). And David designated the descendants of the great Moses as the guardians of the sacred treasures. The treasuries contained both military spoils and gifts brought to God. It is said: “Everything that David the king and the rulers of the fatherland, the thousand and the hundred and the leaders of the power, sanctified, even taking from enemies and from selfish gain, and I consecrated for the benefit of the building of the house of the Lord. And over all the holy treasures of God, which sanctified Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Serui, and everyone who sanctified by the hand of Salomoth, and his brethren” (1 Chronicles 26:26-28). Let no one consider it a disagreement that in the book of Kings Benaiah is called the ruler of the court and the king’s nephew (2 Samuel 8:18), but here he is called a priest (1 Chronicles 27:5). Both of them had the same name. But the one mentioned here belonged to the priestly, and not to the royal tribe. The admonition that David gave to his son is worthy of surprise: “let your fathers know God and serve Him with a perfect heart and spiritual will, for the Lord searches all the hearts and understands all the thoughts” (1 Chronicles 28:9), - i.e. does not accept forced service, but praises voluntary service and loves perfect zeal. “If you seek Him, you will find Him; If you forsake Him, He will forsake you to the end” (ibid.). The gospel is a promise. For it is said: “Seek and you will find; press, and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). “See, I chose you” instead of me, i.e. God preferred to me, “that you may build for Him a house for sanctification, be strong and complete it” (1 Chronicles 28:10). I intended to create a church, and God left it to you. Why do what you are commanded with all diligence? And then, as if he were young and ignorant, he gave him the outline of the measure and type for this building. For it is said: “David gave to his son Solomon the mark of the church, and its houses, and its chambers, and its upper chambers, and its inner places, and the house of atonement” (1 Chron. 28:11). And, teaching that this was ordained not by human reason, but by the grace of the Spirit, he added: “the likeness of everything that the Spirit has thought within you, the courts of the house of the Lord, and all the stones around in treasures to the house of the Lord” (1 Chronicles 28:12). He also taught him how much weight the golden lamps should have and how much the meal should weigh, as well as censers, udits, libation bowls, and vials. And by the word “caffore” 8 the writer means certain gold and silver vessels in which wheat flour was mixed with oil. Having listed everything else, the writer added: “Everything written by the hand of the Lord was given to David to Solomon, according to the understanding that was in him, understanding the works of the image” (1 Chronicles 28:19). It is worthy of note that, according to what was said above, knowledge was given to him by the Spirit, but here the writer says: “by the hand of the Lord.” Consequently, the Most Holy Spirit is Lord, although this is displeasing to those who are hostile to the Spirit. But with limitations, David promised Solomon God’s care for him. For he says: “He will not depart from you, but will leave you below, until you have finished all the work for the house of the Lord” (1 Chronicles 28:20). For while he was creating, he was pious and took advantage of Divine providence for him, but after the completion of the building he deviated into wickedness and was deprived of God’s care for him. And history also shows that the church was covered with marbles. For it is said: “onyx stones, and many stones, stones of great value and variety, and every kind of honest stone, and many Parian stones” (1 Chronicles 29:2). Having shown how many thousands of talents of gold and silver he had collected and what amount of copper and iron, surpassing any human calculation, David convinces the leaders to willingly bring gifts to the Lord God. For he said this: “Whoever is pleased to fulfill his hand this day to the Lord” (1 Chronicles 29:5). And when he saw the zeal of the people, he chanted a hymn to the great-gifted Lord God. For he says: “Who am I, and who are my people, that it is possible for me to voluntarily promise this to You? For everything is Yours, and from Yours we give to You; For we are strangers and foreigners before You, like all our fathers; our days are like the shadow of the earth" (1 Chronicles 29:14-15). Thus, having confessed the weakness of human nature, he asked both the people and the king to acquire piety. For he says: “Give him a good heart, to do Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your commandments” (1 Chronicles 29:19). Then he commands all the people to participate in the chant, to all kneel together and offer worship. And after this, having offered a thousand burnt offerings and made other sacrifices, in the presence of the people he installed his son as king. What is said, “Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king, instead of his father David” (1 Chronicles 29:23), means: “sat on the throne given to him by God.” The conclusion of this first book makes it clear that Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer left behind them the books they wrote. According to the correct reading of the text: to the daughter of Amilov. This place in the Complutensian Polyglot, the Aldenian Bible [and in the edition of A. Ralphs] reads like Theodoret. The Slavic translation is different from this reading. In LXX: from the sons of the priests (Ed.). In the Slavic Bible, the word “geddur” is translated in the book of Kings as “horde”, and in the book of Chronicles – “horde of geddur”. According to the conjecture proposed in the PG note, for greater consistency with the Hebrew text, one should read “χέχαρ” (Ed.). In the two Old Testament passages mentioned, the Hebrew text is completely identical except for the words for “bread.” This difference is conveyed both in the LXX (κολλυρίδα άρτου in 2 Kings and άρτον ενα in 1 Chron.), and in the Slavic Bible, but it is not reflected in the Synodal Russian translation (Ed.). More correctly: the eighth (1 Chronicles 24:10). More correctly: kefure, according to the Slavic translation: censers (1 Chronicles 28:17).