Map of life expectancy at birth from Global Education Project.

Sunday, August 28, 2022

Sunday Sermonette: Zzzzzzzzzz

Chronicles is without a doubt that most boring book in the Bible. It is actually the last book of the Tanakh, but in the protestant Old Testament it comes after Kings and that's the order we're using. It is generally thought to be the work of a single individual, presumably a Levite priest. Some believe he was also the author of Ezrah and Nehemiah, but this is disputed. Because it concludes with the ascendance of Cyrus the Great to the throne of Persia, the earliest possible date is 539 B.C., and the latest possible date is the creation of the Septuagint around 350 B.C. 

Chronicles selectively recapitulates the history from Genesis to Kings, with the addition of extensive male genealogies. These consist of nothing but names, with no context and no information about the people named. Why anyone would care about this certainly escapes me, but we have seen that this culture is obsessed with the maintenance of male lineages. Although Chronicles follows the general outline of the Deuteronomist history, it contradicts it in numerous details, some trivial, some substantive. This could mean the Chronicler relied to some extent on different sources than D, or he may have made some changes himself, for whatever reason. Note that D also contradicts himself in several places. For example, there are three versions of the death of Saul in the Deuteronomist history, and yet a fourth version in Chronicles. Chapter One is the most boring of all, nothing but a list of names. Some of this is transcribed from Genesis. As for the rest, there's no telling if he had sources or just made it up. Enjoy!


Adam, Seth, Enosh; Kenan, Mahal′alel, Jared; Enoch, Methu′selah, Lamech; Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ash′kenaz, Diphath, and Togar′mah. The sons of Javan: Eli′shah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Ro′danim.

The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush: Seba, Hav′ilah, Sabta, Ra′ama, and Sab′teca. The sons of Ra′amah: Sheba and Dedan. 10 Cush was the father of Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

11 Egypt was the father of Ludim, An′amim, Leha′bim, Naph-tu′him, 12 Pathru′sim, Caslu′him (whence came the Philistines), and Caph′torim.

13 Canaan was the father of Sidon his first-born, and Heth, 14 and the Jeb′usites, the Amorites, the Gir′gashites, 15 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 16 the Ar′vadites, the Zem′arites, and the Ha′mathites.

17 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpach′shad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. 18 Arpach′shad was the father of Shelah; and Shelah was the father of Eber. 19 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg (for in his days the earth was divided), and the name of his brother Joktan. 20 Joktan was the father of Almo′dad, Sheleph, Hazarma′veth, Jerah, 21 Hador′am, Uzal, Diklah, 22 Ebal, Abim′a-el, Sheba, 23 Ophir, Hav′ilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.

24 Shem, Arpach′shad, Shelah; 25 Eber, Peleg, Re′u; 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah; 27 Abram, that is, Abraham.

From Abraham to Jacob

28 The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ish′mael. 29 These are their genealogies: the first-born of Ish′mael, Neba′ioth; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Ked′emah. These are the sons of Ish′mael. 32 The sons of Ketu′rah, Abraham’s concubine: she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Mid′ian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. 33 The sons of Mid′ian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abi′da, and Elda′ah. All these were the descendants of Ketu′rah.

34 Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. 35 The sons of Esau: Eli′phaz, Reu′el, Je′ush, Jalam, and Korah. 36 The sons of Eli′phaz: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Am′alek. 37 The sons of Reu′el: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

38 The sons of Se′ir: Lotan, Shobal, Zib′eon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. 39 The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna. 40 The sons of Shobal: Al′ian, Man′ahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zib′eon: A′iah and Anah. 41 The sons of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 42 The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Za′avan, and Ja′akan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

43 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites: Bela the son of Be′or, the name of whose city was Din′habah. 44 When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead. 45 When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Te′manites reigned in his stead. 46 When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Mid′ian in the country of Moab, reigned in his stead; and the name of his city was Avith. 47 When Hadad died, Samlah of Masre′kah reigned in his stead. 48 When Samlah died, Shaul of Reho′both on the Euphra′tes reigned in his stead. 49 When Shaul died, Ba′al-ha′nan, the son of Achbor, reigned in his stead. 50 When Ba′al-ha′nan died, Hadad reigned in his stead; and the name of his city was Pa′i, and his wife’s name Mehet′abel the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me′zahab. 51 And Hadad died.

The chiefs of Edom were: chiefs Timna, Al′iah, Jetheth, 52 Oholiba′mah, Elah, Pinon, 53 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 54 Mag′diel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom.

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