Paralipomena

PARALIPOMENA. This Name is given to two Historical Books of the Scripture, which the Hebrews call¹ Dibrejamim, the Words of Days, Diaries or Journals. Others cite these Books by the Name of Chronicles². The Name Paralipomena is taken from the Greek, and signifies Things omitted; as if these Books were a kind of Supplement to inform us what had been omitted, or too much abridged, in the Books of Kings, and the other Books of Scriptures. And indeed we find in them many Particulars which are not to be met with elsewhere. But it must not be thought that these are the Records or Books of the Acts of the Kings of Judah and Israel, so often referred to in the Books of the Kings and of the Chronicles themselves. Those antient Registers were much more extensive than what we have here, and the Books of Chronicles themselves refer to these original Memoirs, and make long Extracts from them.

The Author of these Books is unknown. Some have thought it to be the same as the Author of the Books of Kings; but if this were true, whence is that Variety in the Dates, in the Narratives, in the Genealogies, in the proper Names? Why these Repetitions of the same Things, and very often in the same Words? The Hebrews commonly ascribe the Chronicles to Esdras, who they say composed them after the Return from the Captivity, assisted by Zechariah and Haggai, who were then alive. This Opinion is proved, first from the Similitude of Style, from the Recapitulations and general Reflections which are sometimes made upon a long Series of Events. Secondly, the Author lived after the Captivity, since in the last Chapter of the second Book he recites the Decree of Cyrus, which granted their Liberty to the Jews. Besides he carries the Genealogy of David down to Zerubbabel, who was the Head of those that returned from the Captivity. Thirdly, there are certain Terms and Expressions found in these Books, which they think to be peculiar to the Person and Times of Esdras.

But if these Marks seem to prove for Esdras being the Author of these Books, here are others that seem to prove the contrary. First, the Author continues the Genealogy of Zerubbabel as far down as the Twelfth Generation. But Esdras did not live late enough for that. Secondly, in more Places than one he supposes the Things, of which he makes Mention, to be then in the same Condition as they were, for Example, before Solomon, and before the Captivity³. Thirdly, he that wrote these Books was neither a Contemporary nor Original, but a Compiler and Abridger. He had before him a great Number of antient Memoirs, Genealogies, Annals, Registers, and other Pieces, which he often quotes, and sometimes gives Extracts from, and sometimes only the Substance of them. Sometimes he inserts large Fragments from them, without changing any Thing, and without taking the Trouble to reconcile disagreeing Matters. From hence it is that we sometime find the Genealogy of the same Person given more than once.

It seems to us that his chief Design was exactly to exhibit the Genealogies, the Rank, the Functions, and the Order of the Priests and Levites; that at the Return from the Captivity they might the more easily assume their several Ranks, and re-enter upon their Ministries. He had also in View to shew, how the Lands had been distributed among the Families before the Captivity, that at the Return from Babylon each Tribe, as far as was possible, might obtain the ancient Inheritances of their Fathers. The Author quotes old Records by the Name of ancient Things. He recites four several Rolls or 1 Chron. iv. 22.Numberings of the People, one taken in the Time of David, another in the Time of Jeroboam, the third in the Time of Jotham, and the fourth in the Time of the Captivity of the ten Tribes. He speaks elsewhere of the Numbers taken by Order of King David, and which Joab did not finish. Hence we may see the extreme Accuracy affected by the Jews in their Genealogies and Historical Monuments.

The Commentators have pretty much neglected the Books of Chronicles, induced thereto by a false Persuasion, that they contained few Things but what had been illustrated in the Books of Samuel and the Kings. But true it is, as St. Jerome observes⁴, that these Books contain a very great Number of important Things for the Explication of Scripture, and that all the Scriptural Traditions are contained therein. Omnis traditio scripturarum in hoc continetur; and that it is deceiving our selves to imagine, that we have any Knowledge of the Holy Books, if we are ignorant of these. Absque illo, si quis scientiam scripturarum sibi voluerit arrogare, seipsum irrideat⁵. Finally he advances, that in the Chronicles we may find the Solution of an infinite Number of Questions, that concern the Gospel. Innumerabiles Evangelii explicantur quæstiones.

No body disputes the Authority or Canonicalness of the Chronicles. The ancient Hebrews made but one Book of them⁶; but in the modern Hebrew Bibles they have two Books as well as we. There are a good Number of Variations, as well in Facts as Dates, between the Books of Kings and those of the Chronicles, which may be seen explained and reconciled in the Commentators. The first Book contains a kind of Recapitulation of the sacred History, by Genealogies, from the beginning of the World to the Death of David, which happened in the Year of the World 2289, before Christ 1711, before the vulgar Æra 1715. The second Book contains the History of the Kings of Judah, and Part of those of Israel, from the beginning of Solomon only, in the Year of the World 2290, to the Return from the Captivity of Babylon, in 3468, before Christ 532, before the Vulgar Æra 536. See our Preface to the Books of Chronicles.

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