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tions of Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. xx. 34. 1 Kings xvi. 1.); and Isaiah the prophet wrote the acts of king Uzziah (2 Chron. xxvi. 22.), and also of Hezekiah (2 Chron. xxxii. 32.), and it is highly probable that he wrote the history of the two intermediate kings Jotham and Ahaz, in whose reigns he lived. (Isa. i. 1.)

It is evident therefore that two descriptions of writers were concerned in the composition of the books of Kings:- First, those original, primitive, and contemporary authors, who wrote the annals, ournals, and memoirs of their own times, from which the authors of our sacred history subsequently derived their materials. These antient memoirs have not descended to us: but they unquestionably were in the hands of those sacred penmen, whose writings are in our possession, since they cite them and refer to them. The second class of writers consists of those, by whom the books of Kings were actually composed in the form in which we now have them. The Jews ascribe them to Jeremiah; and their opinion has been adopted by Grotius and other eminent commentators: others again assign them to the prophet Isaiah. But the most probable opinion is, that these books were digested into their present order by Ezra. The following are the grounds on which this opinion is founded and supported:

1. The general uniformity of style and manner indicates that these books were written by one person.

2. The author evidently lived after the captivity of Babylon: for, at the end of the second book of Kings, he speaks of the return from the captivity. (2 Kings xxv. 22, &c.)

3. He says that in his time the ten tribes were still captive in Assyria, whither they had been carried as a punishment for their sins. (2 Kings xvii. 23.)

4. In the seventeenth chapter of the second book of Kings, he introduces some reflections on the calamities of Judah and Israel, which demonstrate that he wrote after those calamities had taken place. Compare 2 Kings xvii. 6-24.

5. He almost every where refers to the antient memoirs which he had before him, and abridged.

6. There is also every reason to believe, that the author was a PRIEST or a prophet. He studies less to describe acts of heroism, successful battles, conquests, political address, &c. than what regards the temple, religious ceremonies, festivals, the worship of God, the piety of princes, the fidelity of the prophets, the punishment of crimes, the manifestation of God's anger against the wicked, and his regard for the righteous. He every where appears greatly attached to the house of David. He treats on the kings of Israel only incidentally; his principal object being the kingdom of Judah, and its particular affairs. Now, all these marks correspond with Ezra, a learned priest, who lived both during and subsequently to the captivity, and might have collected numerous documents, which, from the lapse of time and the persecutions of the Jews, are now lost to us. Such are the reasons on which Calmet has ascribed the books of Kings to Ezra, and

his opinion is generally received. There are however a few circumstances that seem to militate against this hypothesis, which should be noticed, as not agreeing with the time of Ezra. Thus, in 1 Kings viii. 8. the ark of the covenant is represented as being in the temple "to this day" and in 1 Kings xii. 19. the kingdoms of Israel are mentioned as still subsisting. In 1 Kings vi. 1. 37, 38. the author mentions the months of Zif and Bul, names which were not in use after the captivity. Lastly, the writer expresses himself throughout as a contemporary, and as an author who had been an eye-witnes of what he wrote. But these apparent contradictions admit of an easy solution. Ezra generally transcribes verbatim the memoirs which he had in his possession, without attempting to reconcile them.1 clearly demonstrates his fidelity, exactness, and integrity. In other places some reflections or illustrations are inserted, which naturally arise from his subject; this shows him to have been fully master of the matter he was discussing, and that, being divinely inspired, he was not afraid of intermixing his own words with those of the prophets, whose writings lay before him.

This

The divine authority of these books is attested by the many predictions they contain: they are cited as authentic and canonical by Jesus Christ (Luke iv. 25-27.), and by his apostles (Acts vii. 47. Rom. xi. 2-4. James v. 17, 18.), and they have constantly been received into the sacred canon by the Jewish and Christian churches in every age. Their truth and authenticity also derive additional confirmation from the corresponding testimonies of antient profane writers.2

III. The FIRST BOOK OF KINGs embraces a period of one hundred and twenty six years, from the anointing of Solomon and his admission as a partner in the throne with David, A. M. 2989, to the death of Jehoshaphat, A. M. 3115. It relates the latter part of David's life; his death, and the ascension of Solomon, whose reign. comprehended the most prosperous and glorious period of the Israelitish history; and prefigured the peaceful reign of the Messiah; Solomon's erection and consecration of the temple at Jerusalem (the beauty and perfection of which was a type of the beauty and perfection of the church of God): his awful defection from the true religion the sudden decay of the Jewish nation after his death, when it was divided into two kingdoms, under Rehoboam, who reigned. over the kingdom of Judah, comprising the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and under Jeroboam, who was sovereign of the other ten tribes

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1 The consideration that these books were digested from memoirs, written by different persons who lived in the respective times of which they wrote, will help to reconcile what is said of Hezekiah in 2 Kings xviii. 5. that after him none was like him of all the kings of Judah, with what is said of Josiah in chap. xxiii. 25. that, like unto him was there no king before him; for, what is said of Hezekiah was truc, till the eighteenth year of Josiah, when that pious sovereign began the reformation of which so much is said in the sacred history. Mr. Reeves, Pref. to Books of Kings.

2 Josephus, Antiq. Jud. lib. viii. c. 2. Eusebius, Prep. Evang. lib. x. Grotius de Veritate, lib. iii. c. 16., and Allix, Reflections upon the Books of the Old Testament, chap. ii. have collected several instances of the confirmation of the sacred historians from profane authors. On this subject also consult the testimonies given in Vol. I. pp. 159–188. supra.

49 that revolted from the house of David, and which in the sacred writings are designated as the kingdom of Israel; the reigns of Rehoboam's successors, Abijam, Asa, and Jehoshaphat; and those of Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Žimri, Omri, Tibni, the wicked Ahab, and Abaziah (in part), who succeeded Jeroboam in the throne of Israel. For the particular order of succession of these monarchs, and of the prophets who flourished during their respective reigns, the reader is referred to the chronological table inserted in the Appendix to the third volume of this work. The first book of Kings may be divided into two principal parts, containing, 1. The history of the undivided kingdom under Solomon; and, 2. the history of the divided kingdom under Rehoboam and his successors, and Jeroboam and his

successors.

PART I. The history of Solomon's reign (ch. i.—x.), contains a narrative of,

SECT. 1. The latter days of David; the inauguration of Solomon as his associate in the kingdom, and his designation to be his successor. (i. ii. 1—11.)

SECT. 2. The reign of Solomon from the death of David to his undertaking the erection of the temple. (ii. 12-46. iii. iv.) SECT. 3. The preparations for building the temple. (v.)

SECT. 4. The building of the temple (vi.) and of Solomon's own house, together with the preparation of the vessels and utensils for the temple service (vii.)

SECT. 5. The dedication of the temple, and the sublime prayer of Solomon on that occasion. (viii.)

SECT. 6. Transactions during the remainder of Solomon's reign;

- his commerce; visit from the queen of Sheba; the splendour of his monarchy; his falling into idolatry, and the adversaries by whom he was opposed until his death. (ix. x. xi.)

PART II. The history of the two kingdoms of Israel. (ch. xi.—xxii.) SECT. 1. The accession of Rehoboam, and division of the two kingdoms. (xi.)

SECT. 2. The reigns of Rehoboam king of Judah, and of Jeroboam I. king of Israel. (xii.—xiv.)

SECT. 3. The reigns of Abijam and Asa kings of Judah, and the contemporary reigns of Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and the commencement of Ahab's reign. (xv. xvi.)

SECT. 4. The reign of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and of his contemporaries Ahab and Ahaziah (in part), during which the prophet Elijah flourished. (xvii.-xxii.)

IV. The SECOND BOOK OF KINGS continues the contemporary history of the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah, from the death of Jehoshaphat, A. M. 3115, to the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, A. M. 3416, a period of three hundred years. The three last verses of the preceding book have been improperly disjoined from this. The history of the two kingdoms is interwoven in this book, and presents a long succession of wicked sovereigns in the kingdom of Israel, from Ahaziah to Hosea, in whose reign Samaria was captured by Shalmanezer king of As

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. syria, and the ten tribes were taken captive into that countrythe kingdom of Judah, we find some few pious princes among many who were corrupt. Sixteen sovereigns filled the Jewish throne, from Jehoram to Zedekiah, in whose reign the kingdom of Judah was totally subverted, and the people carried into captivity, to Babylon. During this period numerous prophets flourished, as Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Joel, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Daniel, Ezekiel, &c. The second book of Kings comprises twenty-five chapters, which may be divided into two parts, contain ing, 1. The history of the two monarchies, until the end of the kingdom of Israel; and, 2. The history of Judah alone to its subversion. PART I. The contemporary history of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, to the end of the former. (ch. i.—xvii.)

SECT. 1. The contemporary reigns of Jehoshaphat, and of his associate Jehoram, kings of Judah, and of Ahaziah and Joram, kings of Israel; the translation of Elijah, and designation of Elisha to be his successor in the prophetic office; miracles wrought by him. (i.-viii. 2.)

SECT. 2. The contemporary reigns of Jehoram king of Judah alone, and his successor Ahaziah, and of Jehoram king of Israel. (viii. 3-29.)

SECT. 3. Jehu appointed king over Israel; Jehoram put to death by him; the reign of Jehu; death of Ahaziah king of Judah, and the usurpation of Athaliah. (ix. x. xi. 1—3.)

SECT. 4. The reign of Jehoash king of Judah, and the contemporary reigns of Jehoahaz and his son Jehoash kings of Israel; the death of the prophet Elisha; and the miracle performed at his grave. (xi. 4—21. xii. xiii.)

SECT. 5. The reigns of Amaziah, Azariah, or Uzziah, and Jotham, kings of Judah, and the contemporary reigns of Jehoash, or Joash, Jeroboam II., Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, and Pekah. (xiv. xv.)

SECT. 6. The reign of Ahaz king of Judah; interregnum in the kingdom of Israel after the death of Pekah terminated by Hoshea the last sovereign, in the ninth year of whose reign Samaria his capital was taken by the king of Assyria, whither the ten tribes were taken into captivity; the subversion of the kingdom of Israel; and the mixture of religion introduced by the Cuthites who were transplanted to Samaria. (xvi. xvii.)

PART II. The history of the decline and fall of the kingdom of Judah. (ch. xviii.-xxv.)

SECT. 1. The reign of Hezekiah; his war with the Assyrians;
their army destroyed by a plague; the recovery of Hezekiah
from a mortal disease; the Babylonish captivity foretold; his
death. (xviii. xix. xx.)

SECT. 2. The reigns of Amon and Manasseh. (xxi.)
SECT. 3. The reign of Josiah. (xxii. xxiii. 1-30.)

SECT. 4. The reigns of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and
Zedekiah the last king of Judah; Jerusalem taken; the tem-
ple burnt; and the Jews carried into captivity to Babylon.
(xxiii. 31-37. xxiv. xxv.)

V. The two books of Kings, particularly the second, abound with impressive and lively narrations; and the strict impartiality, with which the author of each book has related events and circumstances dishonourable to his nation, affords a convincing evidence of his fidelity and integrity. They delineate the long-suffering of God towards his people, and his severe chastisements for their iniquitous abuse of his mercy at the same time they mark most clearly the veracity of God, both in his promises and in his threatenings, and show the utter vanity of trusting in an arm of flesh, and the instability of human kingdoms, from which piety and justice are banished.1

SECTION VII.

ON THE BOOKS OF CHRONICLES.

I. Title.II. Author and date. III. Scope and analysis of the two books of Chronicles.—IV. Observations on them.

I. THE Jews comprise the two books of Chronicles in one book which they call 7, DiBREY HаJaMIM, that is, The words of the day, i. e. The Journals; probably from the circumstance of their being compiled out of diaries or annals, in which were recorded the various events related in these books. In the Septuagint version they are termed ПAPAAЕIOMENON (Paraleipomenon), of the things that were left or omitted; because many things which were omitted in the former part of the sacred history are here not only supplied, but some narrations also are enlarged, while others are added. The Greek translators of that version seem to have considered these books as a supplement, either to Samuel and to the Books of Kings, or to the whole Bible; by observing that, in their time, these books closed the sacred canon, as they still do in the most correct editions of the Hebrew Bible. The appellation of Chronicles was given to these books by Jerome, because they contain an abstract, in order of time, of the whole of the sacred history, to the time when they were written.

II. These books were evidently compiled from others, which were written at different times, some before and others after the Babylonish captivity: it is most certain that the books of Chronicles are not the original records or memorials of the transactions of the sovereigns of Israel and Judah, which are so often referred to in the books of Kings. Those antient registers were much more copious than the books of Chronicles, which contain ample extracts from original documents, to which they very frequently refer.

Concerning the author of these books we have no distinct infor

1 In the first volume of Bishop Watson's Collection of Tracts (pp. 134—138), there are some admirable reflections on the moral causes of the Babylonish captivity, and the propriety of that dispensation, which will amply repay the trouble of perusal.

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