Interpretation
62
(2008) 328-330.
1
Chronicles: A Commentary
by Ralph W. Klein
Hermeneia. Fortress,
This
volume, the first of a two-part contribution to the Hermeneia series, is the
product of a distinguished career devoted to the complexities of 1 and 2
Chronicles. Ralph Klein provides a systematic analysis of I Chr 1-29, and his
prodigious commentary merits attention from biblical scholars and ministers
alike. A lengthy introduction identifies major issues in the study of the book
and where Klein stands on them. Translations of each chapter and a thorough
treatment of textual variants are included, and the author returns to
significant text-critical matters in his more detailed discussion. Hundreds of
charts and outlines clarify the genealogical information in I Chronicles,
including the detailed lists of priestly officials. Readers who have been
perplexed by these genealogies, particularly in I Chr 1-9, will be grateful for
such a lucid presentation.
Klein also navigates the secondary literature on
Chronicles. As he considers possible solutions to interpretive cruxes, he
engages the important work of such commentators as Sara Japhet, H.G.M. Williamson,
and Thomas Willi. Klein confirms the positions of these scholars at multiple
points, but he also provides a number of original contributions to our
understanding of Chronicles and the perspective of its postexilic author.
According to Klein, the book is first and foremost "a work of
historiography and of theology" (p. 19). Especially important within this
framework are the Chronicler's persistent efforts to affirm the Davidic dynasty
and to legitimate the
In exploring the theological message of 1 Chronicles,
Klein argues that a retribution theme lies at the heart of the book. When human
beings act in the narrative, God adjudicates reward or punishment within each
person's lifetime. For example, Saul's failure to keep the word of the Lord and
his consultation of a medium (I Chr 10:13-14) are unfaithful decisions that
require swift punishment. The killing of Saul and elevation of David are
retributive actions by God and major turning points in the narrative.
Subsequent actions to consolidate and organize under the new king "were merely a carrying out on the human plane what Yahweh
had already accomplished (11:3, 12:23)" (p. 291). Klein effectively
demonstrates the centrality of this retribution theme throughout 1 Chronicles.
The theology of the Chronicler is a topic that Klein promises to address in
even greater detail with his next installment.
With regard to source material, the Chronicler
clearly works from a version of 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings. Klein argues that the
Vorlage available to this ancient author, while finalized, was often different
from the Masoretic Text (M'T). In many instances, Chronicles more closely
resembles the content of 4Qsama (from the corpus of the Dead Sea
Scrolls) and the various Greek translations of Samuel-Kings. The careful critic
cannot immediately assume that the Chronicler has omitted or altered source
material to suit his theological agenda; one must always consult the other
translations of Samuel-Kings, particularly the LXX. Klein asks repeatedly
whether the reason for the Chronicler's variation from the MT of Samuel-Kings
is textual (different Vorlage, scribal error) or ideological (contrary to the
specific interests of the Chronicler).
On the debated relationship between
Ezra-Nehemiah and 1-2 Chronicles, Klein takes the position that the latter is a
distinctive work. Unlike Ezra-Nehemiah, the Chronicler maintains an openness to mixed marriages-such unions are described without
explicit rebuke (e.g., 1 Chr 2:3; contrast Ezra 9:1-2). In addition, Chronicles
displays an interest in the patriarch Jacob (
In
his analysis of the genealogical material in I Chr 1-9, Klein breaks down the
various units and explains the rationale behind their organization. His
outlines elucidate the extensive lists in this section, how they relate to
antecedent material, and their larger purpose in the Chronicler's work. The
chart of high priests is particularly helpful (p. 178). According to Klein, the
Chronicler places genealogies relating to the clergy at the center of these
chapters (1 Ch 1- 5:27-6:66, 6:1-81 in English), underscoring his profound
interest in the
David is clearly the pivotal human figure in I
Chronicles. The biblical author famously omits some of the more unsavory
aspects of David's reign, such as his affair with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah
the Hittite (2 Sam 11:2-12:25). The absence of these stories leads to a more
favorable portrait of this ruler, although Klein argues that "an effort to
clean up the image of David is not the sole or perhaps even the primary reason
for these omissions from 2 Samuel" (p. 389). In support of a more nuanced
depiction of David by the Chronicler, Klein cites the fact that this first and
most famous monarch is not allowed to rebuild the temple. According to Klein,
David's punishment does not result from his conduct as a "man of
war," since his military actions are specifically blessed by God.
Moreover, the divine pronouncement concerning David and the temple (1 Chr 22:8)
should not be linked to an unnamed episode by the Chronicler (e g., the death
of Uriah). Klein argues that the truly deplorable action is the royal census
that results in 70,000 plague victims ( I Chr 21:14).
This is what prevents the king from building a house for the Lord, the source
for the charge that David has "shed much blood."
Another debated issue is exactly who the figure
of Satan represents in I Chr 21:1. The basic interpretive question is whether
the figure mentioned here should be seen as a human adversary or a proper name
for the supernatural being. According to Klein, the title without a definite
article seems to function as a personal name rather than a nameless human
enemy. Klein opts for the interpretation that this is the same heavenly accuser
who appears in the prologue to Job (chs. 1-2) and in the postexilic prophet
Zechariah (3:1). The terminology that I Chr 21:1 shares with these books,
particularly the legal usage of the verbs "stand" and
"incite," is compelling. Klein also points to the book of Jubilees,
where Mastema (equivalent to Satan) replaces Yahweh as the tester of Abraham in
the episode with Isaac (Job. 17:15-18). This reading is convincing and provides
another Persian period attestation of the supernatural Satan figure.
The books of Chronicles are a window into the
landscape of the
Samuel
L. Adams
UNION-PSCE