In my post titled “I and II Chronicles: Introduction to Literary Structure,” I proposed the overall organization shown in Figure 1; defended the pictured parallelism between the same numbered paired sections; and stated that “each of the six sections in Figure 1 is found to possess its own literary symmetry, often even extending down to the next level of organization. In this post, I would like to flesh out that last statement in a little more detail with some concrete examples from the first half of the combined book.
Figure 1: Structure of I and II Chronicles
I. The Patriarchs (I Chronicles 1:1-2:2)
II. The Twelve Tribes (I Chronicles 2:3-9:44)
III. David (I Chronicles 10:1-29:22)
III'. Solomon (I Chronicles 29:23-II Chronicles 9:31)
II'. The Divided Kingdom (II Chronicles 10:1-36:21)
I'. Return from Exile (II Chronicles 36:22-23)
Section I: The Patriarchs (I Chronicles 1:1-2:2)
The genealogies are usually subdivided into those of the Patriarchal Era and those of the Twelve Tribes. By starting with Adam rather than Abraham or Jacob, these genealogies “define the people of God in broad terms,” quoting from Allen. If the first part is treated as a discrete section, it can be seen to possess the symmetrical organization shown below and serves an important role in the overall structure of the book.
A. Thirteen Patriarchs (1:1-4)
B. Founders of Gentile Nations (1:5-16)
C. The Line of Abraham (1:17-42)
B'. The Kings of Edom (1:43-54)
A'. Thirteen Patriarchs (2:1-2)
DeVries argues that the last two verses more properly belong to the following section although he recognizes that it is a much debated point. The chiastic arrangement above, with thirteen names in both A and A', lends credence to including these verses with the patriarchal genealogies instead. Williamson agrees with this division point for another reason: an entirely different principle of ordering the generations begins with the next verses.
Section II: The Twelve Tribes (I Chronicles 2:3-9:44)
This section may be cast into another chiastic (i.e. mirror-image) architecture:
A. Judah/David (I Chron. 2:1-4:23)
B. Minor Tribes (I Chron. 4:24-5:26)
C. Levites (I Chron. 6:1-81)
B'. Minor Tribes (I Chron. 7:1-40)
A'. Benjamin/Saul (I Chron. 8:1-9:44)
Sections A and A' set forth the principle that God punishes the unfaithful (at 2:3 and 9:1).
DeVries agrees with this arrangement in which “Benjamin at the end (8:1-40) counterbalances Judah at the beginning and Levi in the middle.” Williamson also concurs that Levi is intended to occupy the central position in the listing of the tribes. Genealogical sources are given for only two of the tribes in each of the units B and B', lending a further example of symmetry to this section.
Each of the sub-units of Section II has, in turn, its own symmetrical structure:
Section IIA: Judah/David (I Chronicles 2:3-4:23)
This unit, despite its apparent haphazard arrangement, also takes the form of a chiasm:
1. “The sons of Judah...” (2:3-12)
2. David and his siblings (2:13-17)
3. Caleb's sons (2:18-20)
4. Judah (2:21-41)
3'. Caleb's sons (2:42-55)
2'. David's sons (3:1-24)
1'. “The sons of Judah...” (4:1-23)
Williamson presents a slight variation on this structure in which (a) the break between units 1 and 2 occurs after 2:9 and (b) unit 4 is divided into two parallel units: 2:25-33 and 2:34-41.
Section IIB: Minor Tribes (I Chronicles 4:24-5:26)
This unit concerning tribes neighboring the land of Judah is characterized by its large narrative component concerning various military encounters.
1. Simeon (4:24-43)
2. Reuben – war against the Hagrites (5:1-10)
3. Gad (5:11-17)
2'. combined war against the Hagrites (5:18-22)
1'. Manasseh (5:23-26)
Williamson feels that unit 1' is awkward in its present place, but it balances unit 1 in that both end with the phrase “to this day,” and there is a deliberate contrast in tone between the two. Whereas the Simeonites are successful in driving out their enemies and living in peace, the tribe of Manasseh is punished for its idolatry by being carried away into captivity by the Assyrians.
Section IIC: Levites (I Chronicles 6:1-81)
The two-fold topical division of this center unit is fairly obvious. In addition, each half takes a chiastic form:
1. The tribe of Levi (6:1-53)
a. Aaron's sons (6:1-15)
b. other Levites and their function (6:16-48)
a'. Aaron's sons (6:49-53)
2. The land of the Levites (6:54-81)
a. Aaron's sons (6:54-60)
b. “the rest of the Kohathites” (6:61-70)
a'. Gershomites and the rest of the Merarites (6:71-81)
Myers and others have noted the parallel nature of the lists in units 1a and a'. Cultic concerns figure in each of the center units of these chiasms: the ministry of song in 1b and the cities of refuge in 2b, a section whose boundaries in turn are defined by the inclusio “the rest of...the Kohathites.”
Section IIB': Minor Tribes (I Chronicles 7:1-40)
Six tribes are dealt with in this unit. The whole section is constructed as a sort of chiasm, with the paired sections identified by their closing phrases:
1. Issachar (vv. 1-5) – “mighty warriors, enrolled by genealogy”
2. Benjamin (vv. 6-12) – “the sons of... the sons of”
3. Naphtali (v. 13) – “The sons of...”
3'. Manasseh (vv. 14-19) – “The sons of...”
2'. Ephraim (vv. 20-29) – “the sons of...the son of”
1'. Asher (vv. 30-40) – “mighty warriors...enrolled by genealogy”
DeVries also notes that Issachar and Asher are purposely placed in the present order as part of a chiastic pattern, which he, however, defines in a much looser sense than shown above.
Section IIA': Benjamin/Saul (I Chronicles 8:1-9:44)
This final unit of Section II takes an ABA form:
1. Benjamin/Saul (8:1-40)
2. Levites and their function (9:1-34)
1'. Benjamin/Saul (9:35-44)
Unit 1' covers much of the same genealogical territory as do verses 8:29-40: Saul's direct ancestors and descendants. Not surprisingly, the center unit of attention here is again devoted to the Temple cult.
Section III: King David (I Chronicles 10:1-29:22)
Several themes are prevalent in this section. The alternation between them forms the basis of the overall structure given below.
Figure 2: The Structure of Section III
A. Transition of Power (ch.10)
B. Warriors and Battles (chs.11-12)
C. The Ark is Moved (ch.13)
PART 1 D. David's House Established (ch.14)
C'. The Ark is Moved (chs.15-16)
D'. David's House Established (ch.17)
B'. Warriors and Battles (chs.18-20)
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B''. Numbering the People (ch. 21)
D''. Building the LORD's House (ch. 22)
PART 2 C''. Duties of the Levites (chs. 23-26)
B'''. Numbering the People (ch. 27)
D'''. Building the LORD's House (28:1-29:22)
A'. Transition of Power (29:23-30)
(a) Armies are said to “gather for battle” in Chronicles only in B (11:13) and B' (19:7,17).
(b) Those directed to be in charge of the music are listed in C' (I Chron. 15:16-24) and C'' (I Chron. 25:1-7).
(c) The two major prayers of David recorded in the book appear at the conclusion of D' (17:16-27) and D'' (29:10-19).
The bookends for this major portion of Chronicles are units IIIA and A' which describe, respectively, the transfer of the throne to and from David. The boundaries of the material within this framework are also defined by the inclusio “anoint,” which appears at I Chronicles 11:3 and 29:22. In addition, Williamson notes that the Chronicler's “doctrine of immediate retribution” is spelled out near the start (10:13-14) and end (28:9) of this section.
The preponderance of Section III is divided into two parts. In the first (I Chron. 11:1-20:8), the process is described by which Yahweh establishes a house for King David. In the second (I Chron. 21:1-29:22), the emphasis is on King David settling the preliminaries by which the House of Yahweh will be built and established through David's son, Solomon. The four D sections specifically deal with these reciprocal issues, underscored by the phrase “establish his throne forever” occurring in the last D unit of Part 1 (at 17:12-14) and the first D unit of Part 2 (at 22:10). Units D'' and D''' contain encouragements to “be strong” (22:13; 28:10) as well as explanations for why David was not allowed to build the temple (22:8; 28:3). The last D section of each part describes a king occupying Yahweh's throne and contains a prayer of David (at 17:16-27 and 29:10-19). Sections D', D'' and D''' allude to the father-son relationship between God and David's son (see I Chron. 17:13; 22:10; 28:6).
The person of Aseph is quite prominent in parts 1 and 2, but all the references are concentrated in units C' (six appearances) and C'' (seven appearances), as are the gatekeeper lists. Obededom similarly appears only in the C sections (at 13:13-14; 15:18-25; 16:5, 38; and 26:4-15). There are two regulatory passages each in units C' (15:4-14; 16:4-43) and C'' (23:2-32; chs. 24-26).
Part 1
The boundaries of Section IIIB are fairly clearly marked by the similar Hebron passages occurring at the start (I Chron. 11:1-3) and near the end (I Chron. 12:23). Williamson even sees these parallels as part of a chiastic arrangement to all the geographical references in this unit:
a. Hebron (11:1)
b. Ziklag (12:1)
c. The Stronghold (12:8)
c'. The Stronghold (12:16)
b'. Ziklag (12:20)
a'. Hebron (12:23)
A variation on this chiasm has also been proposed in The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery:
a. Anointing at Hebron (11:1-9)
b. Military support at Hebron (11:10-47)
c. Military support at Ziglag (12:1-7)
d. Military support at Stronghold (12:8-19)
c'. More military support at Ziglag (12:20-22)
b'. More military support at Hebron (12:23-37)
a'. More on anointing at Hebron (12:38-40)
The theme of this unit, according to Allen, is the aid that David receives from others, underscored by the use of “help” five times in the passage. The chapters comprising Section IIIB' relate to a single theme and have as their framework two wars with the Philistines (I Chron. 18:1 and 20:4-8). Sections B and B' describe those military heroes who accompanied David and the key battles that consolidated his power. In each of these parallel sections, the action first revolves around David and Joab and their close companions. The end of each section is mainly a compendium of names and numbers of those in his army. Some of the “mighty men” figuring in both these sections are Abishai, Benaiah, and Sibbecai the Hushathite. Also tying both these units together are similar stories of the slaying of “a man of great stature” with a “spear like a weaver's beam” (I Chron. 11:23 and 20:5-8). These incidents act as the approximate borders of their respective sections between stories of specific heroes and the lists of warriors.
There is an obvious similarity between IIIC and C', not only in their common subject, the two-stage movement of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, but also in the identical phrase “David assembled all Israel” found in I Chron. 13:5 and 15:3, at the start of each respective unit. The parallelism between sections IIID and D' is marked by similar opening words (“house,” “cedar”), the repeated phrase “establish..his kingdom,” and conversations between David and Yahweh.
Part 2
De Vries lists ten places in I and II Chronicles in which divine descriptions of a comforting nature occur: half of them are in Part 2 of this section and none in Part 1. Sections IIIB'' and B''' of Part 2 (see Figure 2) are clearly meant to be read together. In the first unit, David sends Joab to number the people. The final total is given, but there is no detailed breakdown by tribes until Section B''' due to the intervening account of God's punishment. The two passages are specifically coupled by a rehearsal in I Chron. 27:23-24 of the events earlier described in the start of ch. 21. In fact, De Vries treats 27:23-24 as a midrash (i.e. commentary) on I Chron. 21:2-6. (23)
Sections IIID'' and D''' form extremely close parallels, as demonstrated below:
Subject Section D'' Section D'''
Assemblies I Chron. 22:1-5 I Chron. 28:1
Solomon charged to build Temple I Chron. 22:6-10 I Chron. 28:2-6
Solomon charged to be faithful and strong I Chron. 22:11-13 I Chron. 28:7-10, 20
David describes resources to Solomon I Chron. 22:14-16 I Chron. 28:11-21
The people asked to help in the building I Chron. 22:17-19 I Chron. 29:1-22
David Howard, Jr. has noted echoes in these two chapters connecting David's successor, Solomon, with Joshua's successor. In addition, Solomon is described as “young and inexperienced” in both 22:5 and 29:1.
The center of the literary structure, IIIC'', is synchronized with the first and last sections of Part 2 through strategically placed parallel passages. The beginning of C'' hearkens back to the beginning of B'' in that both refer to the numbering of the Levites (see I Chron. 21:6 and 23:3). At the same time, the opening of C'' anticipates the end of B''' by recounting the coronation of Solomon as king over Israel (see I Chron. 23:1 and 29:22b). Section C'' itself possesses a mirror image symmetry in that musicians are listed before the gatekeepers at the start of the unit (23:3-5) and the reverse order is followed at the end. (Myers)
Implications of Figure 2
The wrath of Yahweh is a prominent theme in both halves of Section III. It first appears during the moving of the ark in ch. 13. This passage foreshadows the more ominous story of Yahweh's reaction to the census in ch. 21. The earlier passage, not coincidentally, also occurs right after an account of a military census (I Chron. 12:24-40). The nature of David's sin, reliance on his own military might rather than on God's protection, is thus underscored. The other “B” passages in Section III stress this military theme. They alternate (see Fig. 2) with units showing David's paradoxical interest in cultic matters (sections C, C' and C''). These two themes collide when David wishes to be the one chosen to build the House of God. The end result is God's ruling, spelled out in sections D and D', that He will instead build a house for David, although David still sets the stage for the Temple construction in D'' and D'''.
This interesting reversal of expectations is mirrored in the way Part 1 differs from Part 2 in structure. As seen in Fig. 2, each basically follows a three-part pattern. However, David is the main actor in the center block of Part 1 (sections C/D/C'/D') whereas the Levites stand alone in the prominent Section C'' of Part 2. The same point is made if one looks at the progression occurring from Section C to C' to C''. The role of the Levites increases in importance from bystander, to one of limited but vital importance, and culminates in an elaborate division of labor orchestrating every aspect of Israel's cultic affairs.
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