PART TWO - The Concept of Israel in the Books of Chronicles

Summary

It was seen above (pp. 1–3) that studies of Israel in the books of Chronicles have usually started from an analysis of Ezr.-Neh. We might summarize them by saying that in the view of these books, true Israel is made up alone by those of Judah and Benjamin who had returned from the exile in Babylon, together with ‘every one who had joined them and separated himself from the pollutions of the peoples of the land’ (Ezr. 6: 21). None of the other (northern) tribes is ever mentioned, nor is the possibility conceded that some true Israelites might have continued to inhabit the land during the period of the exile. Von Rad can thus concisely say: ‘Israel ist jetzt Juda und Benjamin.’

Our interest here is in how these conclusions have usually been traced also in Chr. Since von Rad's understanding is typical, and largely formative, of this modern scholarly consensus, we must first outline his position.

He agrees that the first nine chapters of 1 Chr. indeed present the genealogies of the full twelve tribes, but the real centre of interest is in Judah, Benjamin and Levi alone. He acknowledges, however, that sometimes the presentation of the genealogies conflicts rather sharply with the ethnic purity insisted on by Ezr.-Neh.