Chronicles, THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF THE

Chronicles, THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF THE, an historical work standing in the third part of the Hebrew canon, and recapitulating the history of 2d Samuel and the Books of Kings, with many omissions, and many additions, genealogical and other. The Hebrew name means 'events of the days; the Septuagint entitles it Paraleipomena ('things passed over'); Eusebius called it a 'Chronicon of the whole divine history'—whence its present name. First and Second Chronicles are one book, of which Ezra and Nehemiah are continuations. The last three verses of 2d Chronicles are the first three of Ezra, only the last verse of Chronicles ends in the middle of a sentence, which is completed in Ezra, i. 3. In contrast to the older histories, which were written from the prophetic standpoint, Chronicles shows a strongly Levitical tendency. Most modern scholars hold its date to be about 330 B.C. or later, at the beginning of the Greek supremacy in Asia. The most useful commentaries are by Bertheau (2d ed. 1873) and Keil (1870). See BIBLE.