Books of Chronicles facts for kids
The Books of Chronicles are two history books found in the Old Testament of the Bible. They tell the story of Israel in a different way compared to the Books of Kings.
These books were written by someone often called the "Chronicler." They used other Bible books, like Samuel and Kings, along with other old writings. The main goal was to encourage the Jews who had returned home after being forced to live in Babylon. The books look back at Israel's past to help explain why they faced so many problems. They also show how people can live better lives for a brighter future.
One big difference from earlier stories, like those in 2 Samuel, is that King David is shown as a very good leader in Chronicles.
Originally, the First and Second Chronicles were one long book. Later, they were divided into two separate books.
What the Title Means
The original Hebrew title for these books is dibre hayyamim. This means "what happened in the days" or "events of the years." It's like a diary or a record of important events.
When the Septuagint translators put the Old Testament into Greek, they called the book "the things left out." They thought of it as adding details that weren't in the books of Samuel and Kings.
Later, a scholar named Jerome (who lived from A.D. 347 to 420) translated the Bible into Latin. He suggested a better title would be "chronicle of the whole sacred history." This idea was then used by Martin Luther in his German Bible, and many others have followed since. The Septuagint translators were also the first to split the book into two parts.
Who Wrote Chronicles?
Old Jewish traditions say that a man named Ezra wrote the Books of Chronicles. However, most modern scholars don't believe this is a proven fact.
It is generally thought that the Books of Chronicles were written around the year 400 BC. The exact author remains unknown to scholars today.
Images for kids
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Rehoboam and Jeroboam I, an 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld.
See also
In Spanish: Libros de Crónicas para niños
