1 Chronicles 9 Explained - 5 Minute Bible Study

1 Chronicles 9 Short Summary:

1 Chronicles 9 documents the names and offices of the Jews who returned from the Babylonian captivity (607-537 B.C.). The priests, Levites, and Temple servants were some of the first to return with the goal of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. The final section of chapter 9 repeats the genealogy of King Saul. This section acts as a bridge between the author’s genealogical section (chapters 1-9) and historical section ( chapters 10-29).

What is 1 Chronicles 9 About?

WHEN:

• David became king of Judah in approximately 1055 B.C.

• 1 Chronicles is primarily a record of David’s reign. 1 Chronicles 10 records the death of King Saul (David’s predecessor). The last chapter of the book records the death of David.

• Keep in mind, the book of 1 Chronicles was written several hundred years after David. This chapter mentions Judah’s Babylonian captivity, which took place between the years 607-537 B.C.

CHARACTERS:

• Returning Exiles – After being held captive in Babylon for 70 years, some of the people of Judah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple.

• Saul – The first king of Israel. He was chosen by God and anointed by Samuel the prophet.

WHERE:

• When the people of Judah were conquered, they were sent to Babylon in Mesopotamia, which was hundreds of miles east, across the desert.

• Saul was originally from Gibeah.

OUTLINE:

• A RECORD OF THE FIRST EXILES TO RETURN FROM BABYLON (9:1-34):

  • About 400 years after the death of David, God punished the people of Judah, because they refused to obey Him.

  • He allowed the Babylonians to conquer them and exile them from their land.

  • They were under the control of the Babylonians for 70 years before God allowed them to return to their homeland.

  • This chapter records the names and offices of the priests, Levities, and Temple servants who were first to return to Judah.

• THE FAMILY OF KING SAUL, REPEATED (9:35-44):

  • The descendants of Benjamin and the family of Saul were recorded in 1 Chronicles 8, but they are repeated at the end in 1 Chronicles 9.

  • This repetition acts as a bridge between the genealogies found in the first 9 chapters of the book and the historical record the author is about to embark on in 1 Chronicles 10.

  • The historical portion of the book begins with an account of the death of King Saul.

APPLICATION:

• These genealogies make it clear the Bible was meant to be read as an actual historical document.

• These records span hundreds of years and could have easily been fact checked by the Jews. These are not made-up names

• from a fairytale nation, these are real names of real people, and they should be respected as historical records.

• We shouldn’t accept the hypocrisy of many modern historians who want to discount the extensive biblical record as “faux history,” while being willing to accept as genuine every scrap of semi-reliable evidence that seems to fit their worldview.