For many of us, the opening chapters of 1 Chronicles can be a bit of a pain--I mean, honestly, just genealogies? Boring! Of course, that was, in part, my attitude towards these chapters; in fact, I would usually skip over them when I would read the Bible cover-to-cover (which I do every 9 months or so). To remedy this, however, I decided to bone up on these chapters to get a better appreciation of their importance. With that as background, here is a really helpful volume on these chapters:
James T. Sparks, The Chronicler's Genealogies: Towards an Understanding of 1 Chronicles 1-9 (SBL, 2008)
Here is the note from the back cover:
James T. Sparks, The Chronicler's Genealogies: Towards an Understanding of 1 Chronicles 1-9 (SBL, 2008)
Here is the note from the back cover:
The genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1-9 have typically been seen to have no internal consistency or purpose and little relation to the narrative portions of Chronicles. In contrast, this study shows that the genealogical section of the Chronicler's work is an ordered, well-structured, unified whole. The Chronicler presents his genealogies chiastically, with the aim of the chiasm to uphold the cult and cultic officials as the center of the nation's life. The genealogies indicate that society is sent into exile because of the unfaithfulness of the people and their leaders. Only through the proper attention to the cult and its elements can atonement be made and the people possess their land.
