I And II Chronicles: A Commentary (The Old Testament Library)

by Sara Japhet

All this, which at first glance seems so un-Chronistic, is really deeply rooted in the Chronicler’s view of the history of worship in Israel. In Hebron, the scene of the enthronement, according to the Chronicler’s view there was no sanctuary, and no ritual could have taken place there. Therefore the religious element is intentionally and consciously omitted from the picture. Another result of the same sensitivity is the inclusion of the conquest of Jerusalem as synchronous to the enthronement, and the description of the transfer of the ark to Jerusalem as the first act of David the king (I Chron. 13. 1ff.). The omission of the religious context of the celebrations at Hebron is very soon compensated for in the description of the transfer of the ark, which is a direct continuation of the enthronement. There, the religious and ritual aspects are by far the dominant factors, and are abundantly elaborated.