What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Date of composition of the books of Samuel and Chronicles"
Answer
The books of Samuel were written as a history of the kingdom of God, which is not strictly chronological but arranged according to a spiritual plan. They conclude with the final establishment of David's monarchy, with the last four chapters serving as a thematic appendix.
The books of Chronicles, on the other hand, were written from a priestly perspective and often served to supplement other historical accounts such as the books of Samuel with specific details, especially concerning the building of the temple. Internal evidence suggests that biblical authors frequently relied on contemporary sources and older documents to compile their reports.
Purpose and Structure of the Books of Samuel
»This also explains why the books that record this part of holy history bear the name Samuel and why they do not end with the death of David, as one would expect in a biography or a history of his reign, but with the final consolidation of his kingdom. At the end of 2 Samuel, four chapters are added as a kind of appendix, in which various events are arranged not chronologically but in accordance with the overall plan and purpose of the book, which is to present Israel as the kingdom of God and under the guidance of the spirit of prophecy.«
Sources and Compilation of Historical Books
»The authors of the books of Kings and Chronicles evidently used sources that they often referenced. In fact, the authors sometimes quoted from other Old Testament books without citing their sources... Old Testament writers often depended on oral reports or earlier documents when preparing their messages.«
The Priestly Perspective of Chronicles
»In 2 Chronicles – written, as we can say, from the priestly perspective – the new king is always called Uzziah, while in the book of Kings during the first part of his reign he is referred to as Azariah... This suggests that the writers of the two books [Kings and Chronicles] copied information from the same historical record.«
Supplementation of the Samuel Books by Chronicles
»And here the first book of Chronicles adds the most valuable clues that are not recorded in any other part of Scripture. From these we learn what David did and commanded in his kingdom with regard to the building of the temple and the arrangement of its future services.«
- Difference between Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles
- Sources of biblical historiography
- Priestly perspective in the book of Chronicles
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
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