Overview of 1 Chronicles 9:35–2 Chronicles 9:31
The importance of the united monarchy is unmistakable: the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon make up just over half of the narrative that follows the genealogies. This period provides the criteria used to evaluate the following four hundred years. Throughout the account David is pivotal, with major content (about 60 percent) relating to the ark and temple and to the organization of the related worship.
The beginning of the account of the monarchy highlights the importance of David’s reign for the Chronicler. All we are told of the period of Saul’s reign are details of his family lineage and his death, as well as the reason why “the Lord . . . turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse” (1 Chron. 9:35–10:14; contrast 24 chapters in 1 Samuel). The same language of the Lord’s action in a “turn” of the kingdom is seen again after Solomon’s death, as Rehoboam is left with the southern tribes (2 Chron. 10:15); thus momentous changes bracket the reigns of David and Solomon.
The account of David’s reign (1 Chronicles 11–29) intertwines details of his political and military successes with his actions and plans relating to the ark and then the temple. While around half of the material has similar content to parts of 2 Samuel 5–1 Kings 2, unique to Chronicles are David’s arrangements for the temple, Levitical organization, and worship. On the other hand, Chronicles does not describe the seven-year struggle leading to David’s becoming king of all Israel and Judah (2 Samuel 1–4), nor later internal conflict and moral failures (2 Sam. 11:2–12:25; 13:1–21:14). Rearrangement of material also provides different emphases (e.g., 1 Chronicles 11–15 parallels in order 2 Sam. 5:1–10; 23:8–39; 6:1–11; 5:11–25; 6:12–19; cf. Overview of 1 Chron. 11:1–29:30).
The narrating of Solomon’s reign is tied closely to that of David. David charges Solomon at length concerning the temple and its arrangements (1 Chron. 22:6–16; 28:9–21). David may not have been able himself to build the temple (22:8–10), but Chronicles ascribes to him all of the arrangements (plans and personnel) and also provision of much of the resources. Solomon’s temple dedicatory prayer (2 Chron. 6:1–42) includes the many mentions of David found also in 1 Kings 8:12–53; to these are added in 2 Chronicles 1–9 several unique references to what David had commanded or provided (2 Chron. 1:4, 9; 2:3, 7, 14, 17; 3:1 [2x]; 6:42; 7:6; 8:11, 14). Solomon may have built the temple, but he was faithfully implementing what David had arranged and prepared.
The narrative of the united monarchy brings together in Jerusalem various components of national life and worship. Saul’s family is associated with Gibeon (1 Chron. 9:35), the major cultic center with the tabernacle (16:39–40), but David begins the move to Jerusalem by making it the political center (11:4–9), where some of Saul’s relatives also settle (9:38). The ark, however, is initially not in the tabernacle but neglected in Kiriath-jearim, so David brings it to Jerusalem (chs. 13; 15–16). Finally, under Solomon, the temple is built, containing both ark and tabernacle (2 Chronicles 5; cf. 1:3–6). The narrative begins with Saul’s defeat by the Philistines (1 Chronicles 10), but unification in Jerusalem, culminating in the temple under royal patronage, is made possible by David’s military victories (1 Chron. 11:4–9; 14:8–17; 18:1–20:8; cf. 22:7–10). Near the end of his life, David can say, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever” (23:25).
A king in the ancient Near East had many responsibilities. In addition to political and military leadership of the nation, the ruler was responsible as patron of the temple of the nation’s god, ensuring the building and maintenance of the temple and provision of resources. David fulfills all of these roles successfully, with the most significant being his preparations for the temple, its personnel, and its ritual. In the postexilic period, there is no Davidic king giving political and military leadership, but the ongoing temple worship comes with David’s authority, in accord with what he himself received “from the hand of the Lord” (1 Chron. 28:19).