Chronicles vs Kings

f you are reading through the Bible with me, it is time to start 1 Chronicles. If you are like me, you may have assumed the books of 1st and 2nd Chronicles were basically the same as the books of 1st and 2nd Kings, especially since 50% of the book of Chronicles is covered in other parts of the Old Testament. Well, there definitely are some similarities. They both were originally written as one book but were separated into two when that book was being translated into Greek, they are both written to give a history of the same general timeframe, they both detail some of the same events, and they were both written by a prophet.

There are more differences than similarities though. Tradition tells us the book of Kings was written by the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was in exile at the time he wrote it. He was suffering and depressed. His chronological accounts focused on Israel’s sin and the trouble it got them into. The book of Chronicles, on the other hand, was most likely written by Ezra. It was written after the Israelites were released from captivity and allowed to return to Jerusalem. It is an encouraging book meant to bring hope to those who were still hurting. It focuses on a time when Israel was united and prosperous, telling many stories of David and Solomon. It speaks of the divided kingdom but concentrates more on the kingdom of Judah and the obedient, faithful kings. Ezra’s goal is to point the people back to God and remind them of all He’s done.