The First Book of Paralipomenon (1 Chronicles)

The First Book of Paralipomenon begins with a single word, "Adam," and ends with the death of David "in a good age, full of days, and riches, and glory." Its nine chapters of names and twenty of history show how God chose the house of David and how David prepared the house of God. The Vulgate calls it Liber I Paralipomenon; most English Bibles call it 1 Chronicles. On this page you can read all twenty-nine chapters, with the Vulgate beside the Douay-Rheims, beginning with chapter 1.

Why is it called Paralipomenon?

The Hebrew title, Dibre hayyamim, means "the acts of the days"; the Septuagint's Paraleipomena, "things passed over," came into the Vulgate. In his preface to the Books of Kings, St Jerome renders the Hebrew title as Verba dierum and suggests it might better be called a "chronicle of the whole divine history." That remark gave the book its English name, Chronicles.

Writing to St Paulinus (Letter 53), Jerome calls it the "epitome of the old dispensation" and says it is so important "that without it any one who should claim to himself a knowledge of the scriptures would make himself a laughing stock in his own eyes." The two books are one work in Hebrew; 2 Paralipomenon continues from Solomon to the decree of Cyrus. The other Douay names are explained in What Bible Do Catholics Use? and our guide to the Douay-Rheims Bible.

Authorship: Esdras the priest and scribe

The book names no author, but the older Catholic writers generally attributed it to Esdras, the priest and "ready scribe in the law of Moses" who led a return from Babylon. The Talmud (Baba Bathra 15a) gives the same tradition: Esdras wrote his own book and the genealogies of Chronicles down to his own time.

The internal evidence agrees: Paralipomenon and Esdras share the same style, the same love for the Temple and the Levites, and the same care for genealogies, and the last verses of 2 Paralipomenon are repeated and completed at the start of 1 Esdras. The Catholic Encyclopedia (1911) concludes that "the position and character of Esdras would point him out as its author," and that "most Catholic authors still adhere to Esdrine authorship."

The writer cites his sources: "the book of Samuel the seer, and... the book of Nathan the prophet, and... the book of Gad the seer" (29:29). Where his account runs parallel to 2 Kings (2 Samuel), the two agree in substance and often word for word.

Most modern scholars ascribe it to an unknown "Chronicler." The Pontifical Biblical Commission (23 June 1905) taught that the historical books are to be received as true history unless solid proof shows otherwise, and the Church has always read Paralipomenon that way.

Date: after the return from Babylon

It was written after the return from the Babylonian Captivity. The genealogy of David's house runs past Zorobabel, who led the first return (chapter 3). Chapter 9 lists the priests, Levites and families of Juda and Benjamin who dwelt again in Jerusalem, "the first that dwelt in their possessions, and in their cities" (9:2). The Hebrew counts the Temple gold in Persian darics (29:7, the Douay's "solids"). The Catholic Encyclopedia therefore places the book at the end of the fifth or the beginning of the fourth century before Christ, in the age of Esdras and Nehemias. Many modern scholars date the work to the fourth or third century B.C.

The book was written for the small community back from Babylon, without a king or wealth, to tell them they were still the people of the promise and would be blessed through faithful worship in God's house, as Israel was under David.

What is 1 Chronicles about? A summary

1 Chronicles is not a mere recap of the Books of Kings but the same history told from the Temple. It passes over David's sin with Bethsabee and Absalom's revolt, and it adds a great deal about the Ark, the Levites and the singers that is found nowhere else. The book has two parts.

The genealogies: from Adam to the return (chapters 1–9)

Chapters 1–9 run from Adam to Noe, then through the nations, Abraham and Esau. Chapter 2 begins the sons of Israel with Juda and follows his line through Booz and Isai to David, "the seventh." Chapter 4 includes the prayer of Jabes. Chapter 6 traces Levi, with the high priests and the singers Heman and Asaph, and chapter 9 reaches the resettlement of Jerusalem.

Saul's end and David made king (chapters 10–12)

Of Saul it records only his death on Gelboe and its cause: "So Saul died for his iniquities... and moreover consulted also a witch... therefore he slew him, and transferred his kingdom to David the son of Isai" (10:13–14). In chapter 11 all Israel anoints David at Hebron and he takes the castle of Sion. His mighty men and the warriors of every tribe rally to him "with no double heart."

The Ark brought to Jerusalem (chapters 13–16)

David's first concern is the Ark: "let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we sought it not in the days of Saul" (13:3). Oza is struck dead for touching it. In chapter 15 David restores the order of the Law, "No one ought to carry the ark of God, but the Levites" (15:2), and in chapter 16 the Ark is set in its tent and David appoints Asaph and his brethren to praise the Lord continually.

The promise to David (chapter 17)

David wishes to build the Lord a house; God answers through Nathan that He will build a house for David: "I will raise up thy seed after thee... and I will establish his throne for ever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son" (17:11–13).

Wars and the census (chapters 18–21)

Chapters 18–20 briefly record David's victories. In chapter 21 Satan moves David to number Israel. The destroying angel stops at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, where David builds an altar and the Lord answers "by sending fire from heaven upon the altar of the holocaust." This is where the Temple will stand.

David prepares the Temple and its worship (chapters 22–29)

David gathers stone, cedar and gold and charges Solomon to build, since David himself has "shed much blood" while his son "shall be called Peaceable" (chapter 22). Chapter 23 orders the Levites. Chapter 24 divides the priests into twenty-four courses by lot. Chapter 25 appoints the 288 masters of sacred song. Chapters 26–27 list porters and officers. In a solemn assembly David gives Solomon the pattern of the Temple, "written by the hand of the Lord" (chapter 28). In chapter 29 the people give freely, David blesses God, Solomon is anointed a second time, and David dies after reigning forty years.

The Catholic reading: the Son of David and the house of God

Christ, the son of David. Nathan's oracle looks past Solomon to a throne "most firm for ever" (17:14). Hebrews applies "I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son" to Christ (Hebrews 1:5). The Angel tells Our Lady that "the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father" (Luke 1:32). St Augustine titles a chapter of The City of God (XVII, 8): "Of the promises made to David in his son, which are in no wise fulfilled in Solomon, but most fully in Christ." So the answer to "Is 1 Chronicles 17 about Jesus?" is yes, in its fullest sense. The same promise underlies the feast of Christ the King.

The genealogies and the Gospels. The opening chapters prepare for Our Lord's genealogies in St Matthew, which follows the same line through Juda, Phares, Booz and Isai, and in St Luke, which goes back, like the Chronicler, to Adam. This is the sense in which St Jerome says the book throws light "upon questions suggested by the gospel."

Priesthood and sacred song. David builds nothing, yet orders everything: these chapters teach that public worship is to be ordered, served by a consecrated priesthood and adorned with sacred music. The courses were still serving in the Gospel: St Zachary, father of the Baptist, was a priest "of the course of Abia" (Luke 1:5), the eighth lot drawn under David. The Levites "prophesying with harps" (25:1) stand at the head of the tradition the Church carries on in Gregorian chant.

The threshing floor of Ornan. David offers himself for his people: "It is I that have sinned... but as for this flock, what hath it deserved?" (21:17). His sacrifice stays the angel's sword. On that ground the Temple was built (2 Paralipomenon 3:1), where for centuries the sacrifices prefigured the one Sacrifice of Calvary. David also refuses to offer the Lord "holocausts free cost" (21:24).

Satan and the census. 2 Kings 24:1 says the Lord's anger "stirred up David"; 1 Paralipomenon 21:1 says "Satan rose up against Israel: and moved David to number Israel." Challoner explains the first text by the second: the stirring up "was not the doing of God, but of Satan."

Famous verses and chapters of 1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:9–10, the prayer of Jabez. "And Jabes was more honourable than any of his brethren, and his mother called his name Jabes, saying: Because I bore him with sorrow. And Jabes called upon the God of Israel, saying: If blessing thou wilt bless me, and wilt enlarge my borders, and thy hand be with me, and thou save me from being oppressed by evil. And God granted him the things he prayed for." Challoner notes that the name means "sorrowful" (chapter 4).

1 Chronicles 12:32. "Also of the sons of Issachar men of understanding, that knew all times to order what Israel should do" (chapter 12).

1 Chronicles 16. David's psalm for the Ark (16:8–36) is also in the Psalter. Verses 8–22 are Psalm 104 (105):1–15, verses 23–33 are Psalm 95 (96), and verses 34–36 echo Psalm 105 (106). Its most searched lines are these: "Seek ye the Lord, and his power: seek ye his face evermore" (16:11); "Touch not my anointed: and do no evil to my prophets" (16:22); "Declare his glory among the Gentiles: his wonders among all people" (16:24); "Praise and magnificence are before him: strength and joy in his place" (16:27); and "Give ye glory to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever" (16:34), which is a whole prayer of thanksgiving in one line (chapter 16).

1 Chronicles 28:9 and 28:20. "Serve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts... If thou seek him, thou shalt find him." And David's charge to Solomon: "Act like a man, and take courage, and do: fear not, and be not dismayed: for the Lord my God will be with thee, and will not leave thee, nor forsake thee, till thou hast finished all the work" (chapter 28).

1 Chronicles 29:11–14. "Thine, O Lord, is magnificence, and power, and glory, and victory: and to thee is praise: for all that is in heaven, and in earth, is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art above all princes... Now therefore our God we give thanks to thee, and we praise thy glorious name. Who am I, and what is my people...? all things are thine: and we have given thee what we received of thy hand." The doxology that some Greek manuscripts and Protestant usage add to the Lord's Prayer, "for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory," echoes these words; it is not part of the Our Father in the Vulgate or the Roman rite.

"1 Chronicles 7:14." The verse searched under this reference is 2 Paralipomenon 7:14: "And my people, upon whom my name is called, being converted, shall make supplication to me, and seek out my face, and do penance for their most wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and will heal their land." 1 Paralipomenon 7 holds tribal genealogies.

Its place in the canon and the liturgy

1 Paralipomenon is an Old Testament historical book, and it is protocanonical: Jews, Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants all receive it. It runs parallel to the end of 1 Kings and to 2 Kings, and it leads into 3 Kings. The Council of Trent (Sess. IV, 1546) named "the two of Paralipomenon" among the canonical books and declared the Vulgate authentic. The history of that text is told in The Latin Vulgate Bible and in our life of St Jerome.

The traditional liturgy prays David's blessing from chapter 29 week after week. In the Roman Breviary of St Pius X, kept in 1962, the Old Testament canticle at Monday Lauds (the first scheme, used outside penitential days) is the Canticum David (29:10–13), "Benedictus es, Domine, Deus Israel patris nostri," with the antiphon "Laudamus nomen tuum inclitum, Deus noster." Our guide to the Roman Breviary of 1962 explains that Office, which you can pray in the Iter Fidei breviary. In the Missal, the Introit of the Epiphany joins Malachias 3:1 to 29:12: "the kingdom is in His hand, and power, and dominion." The Offertory of the Mass of the Dedication of a Church, "Domine Deus, in simplicitate cordis mei laetus obtuli universa," is taken from 29:17–18.

How to read 1 Chronicles

Follow the line from Adam to David in chapters 1–3, then skim to chapter 10, pausing at Jabes and the singers. Keep 2 Kings open beside chapters 11–21 to see what the Chronicler adds and omits, pray chapter 16 with Psalms 95 and 104, and read chapters 28–29 as a meditation on generosity toward God. Then go straight on into 2 Paralipomenon: the two books form one work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Authorship: Esdras the priest and scribe

The book does not name its author, but tradition attributes it to Esdras (Ezra), the priest and scribe of the return from Babylon. The Talmud (Baba Bathra 15a) gives the same tradition, and the book's style and purpose closely match the Books of Esdras. Most Catholic authors have held this view; many modern scholars instead ascribe the book to an unknown "Chronicler."

Date: after the return from Babylon

It was written after the Babylonian Captivity. It carries David's line past Zorobabel, lists the families who resettled Jerusalem and counts gold in Persian darics. Catholic authors traditionally date it to the end of the fifth or the beginning of the fourth century before Christ, in the time of Esdras.

What is the Book of 1 Chronicles about?

It retells sacred history from Adam to the death of David with the Temple at its center. Chapters 1–9 are genealogies from Adam to the return from exile. Chapters 10–29 cover David's reign: the Ark brought to Jerusalem, God's promise of an everlasting throne, and David's preparation of the Temple and its priests, Levites and singers.

How many chapters are in 1 Chronicles?

1 Chronicles has 29 chapters in the Douay-Rheims, where it is called 1 Paralipomenon, in the Vulgate and in Protestant Bibles. Chapters 1–9 are genealogies and chapters 10–29 narrate the reign of David. You can open any of them from the grid on this page, starting with chapter 1.

Is 1 Chronicles in the Old or New Testament?

It is in the Old Testament, among the historical books, after the four Books of Kings and before Esdras. The Hebrew Bible places it at the end of the Writings.

Is 1 Chronicles just a recap of Samuel and Kings?

No. It covers the same period as the Books of Kings, but it omits much of what they contain, such as David's sin with Bethsabee. It adds a great deal on the Ark, the Temple and the Levites that is found nowhere else. St Jerome called it the epitome of the Old Testament, without which no one can claim a knowledge of the Scriptures.

What does 1 Chronicles 16:11 mean?

"Seek ye the Lord, and his power: seek ye his face evermore" comes from the psalm sung when the Ark entered Jerusalem. To seek God's face is to seek His presence. Israel sought it before the Ark; the Christian seeks it in prayer and above all in the Holy Eucharist. "Evermore" makes it a call to persevere, not to a single act of devotion.

Read the whole First Book of Paralipomenon verse by verse, in Latin and English, in the Iter Fidei Catholic Bible app.

Sources. The Holy Bible, Douay-Rheims version with Bishop Challoner's notes; the Latin Vulgate; St Jerome, Letter 53 to Paulinus and the preface to the Books of Kings (Prologus Galeatus); St Augustine, The City of God XVII, 8; the Talmud, Baba Bathra 15a; Council of Trent, Sess. IV (1546); Pontifical Biblical Commission, response of 23 June 1905 on the historical narratives of Scripture; the Roman Breviary (Psalter of St Pius X, 1911) and the Roman Missal of 1962; F. Bechtel, "The Books of Paralipomenon (Chronicles)," Catholic Encyclopedia (1911).