Book Review: 1 & 2 Chronicles Volume 1 (Adam to David) and Volume 2 (Solomon to Cyrus) by Philip H. Eveson

As I was recently preparing to study through 1 and 2 Chronicles, I asked a pastor friend of mine (who serves at a large, nationally known church), “What are some good commentaries on 1 and 2 Chronicles?” I regularly go to him for this kind of advice on various books of the Bible, to make sure I invest my time and money well, so this was nothing new.

But this time around, his answer certainly was: “I don’t know that I’ve ever had anyone ask that question.”

Although it’s terribly disappointing that of the thousands of members in his expositionally-minded church, no one had asked him about resources for these books of the Bible, in some sense I understand why. For many students of Scripture, including pastors, these books are among the more difficult: they’re loaded with genealogies, historical locations, census data, textual variants, harmonization questions, Masoretic Text and Septuagint discrepancies, and on and on it goes. Search your favorite sermon-hosting website for messages on Romans, and you’ll find dozens. But look for sermons on 1 and 2 Chronicles, and you’ll be looking for awhile. If there’s a famine in evangelicalism for the hearing of the Word of God—which there is—1 and 2 Chronicles are near the epicenter.

But that’s actually all the more reason why quality commentaries should be diligently sought. Unfortunately, they’re just not easy to find.

Nevertheless, in God’s good providence, it was just a few weeks ago that Christian Focus Publications released a two-volume work by Philip Eveson on these books of the Bible: 1 & 2 Chronicles, Volume 1 (Adam to David) and 1 & 2 Chronicles, Volume 2 (Solomon to Cyrus). Since I was already knee-deep in study prior to their launch (and still looking for good resources!), I reached out to Christian Focus, and the good folks over there were incredibly gracious to provide me with a pre-release copy of each. Having now worked through both volumes, it would be a major understatement to say that they are invaluable entries.

Expected Layout

The overall look and feel of these two volumes is in step with what you’d come to expect from the Focus on the Bible commentary series. With a dark blue cover, cream-colored spine, and a slightly-less-than-6x9 dimension, they slot in perfectly with other series volumes on your bookshelf.

The first volume, covering 1 Chronicles, clocks in at a hefty 392 pages. The second follows suit at 368 pages. With little white space between sections, you can trust that each is jam-packed with information. In fact, one of the reasons for the page-count difference between Volumes 1 and 2 is that the first volume includes a notable 30+ pages of introductory matters!

In terms of the breakdown of the books, major sections of 1 & 2 Chronicles are given their own chapter, and then subdivided from there. For example, Volume 1 Chapter 1 is titled, “Adam to Israel,” and covers 1 Chronicles 1:1-2:2. It is further sub-divided as follows:

  • Adam to Noah (1:1-4a)

  • Noah’s descendants (1:4b-23)

  • Shem to Abram (1:24-27)

  • Abraham’s descendants (1:28-34a)

  • Isaac’s descendants (1:34b-54)

  • Israel’s sons (2:1-2)

Whereas some commentaries are in block format, with individual comments on a per-verse basis, this layout follows the standard series layout in which a section begins with a range of verses (based on Eveson’s own word-for-word English translation from the Hebrew Masoretic Text) followed by prose commentary that interacts with the passage. As you might expect, such a layout has pros and cons depending on what the student is looking for. On the one hand, the reader can’t open the book and quickly locate comments on an exact verse if there is a particular point of interest in mind. On the other hand, paragraphs of narrative covering a section allow for a more enjoyable read and walk-through of the text. Either way, though this format is less like a reference book, don’t think for a moment that it deals with the text in a superficial way. On the contrary, even with fluid prose, it works through the technical aspects of each passage at hand.

Sample of the fluid prose layout in Philip Eveson’s 1 & 2 Chronicles Volume 1 (Adam to David), page 54.

Finally, the appendices of each volume contain excellent additional material. First, several study Group Study Questions are included. Again, since this commentary is written in paragraph format, reading like a traditional book, it lends itself far better to a group study than one might initially guess. The questions are nice touch, uncommon to many commentaries. Secondly, there’s a Bibliography with additional supplementary works cited. This is helpful for those of us looking for 1 & 2 Chronicles commentaries like weary desert-travelers searching for an oasis. Next, a robust Subject Index gives quick look-up information for a topic, person, or concept of interest. Since this commentary is on a book of the Bible with an exceptional amount of name and place data, this index is a welcome addition. Finally, a Scripture Index provides the page numbers for other passages, helping to locate cross-references quickly.

Exceptional Content

There is much that could be said about the content provided in over 700 pages of material, but there are three aspects in particular that I want to highlight: these volumes are biblically faithful, textually honest, and redemptively focused.

First, Eveson makes sure his readers understand that 1 & 2 Chronicles are not to be treated as fodder upon which liberal scholars can build their doctoral credentials. With so many lists of names, places, and numbers (some of which contain transmission discrepancies that rely on textual criticism to identify), those who deny the inspiration of Scripture see these books of the Bible as nothing more than a playground for academic mischief. Not so with Eveson:

“It is important to stress that God’s Word is true whatever scholars might say and though there are some references in Chronicles that at present cannot be substantiated by external means or that seem to contradict what is known from elsewhere, we must admit our ignorance and await further light. Fresh archaeological finds have often confirmed the text of Scripture and silenced the sceptics, although this is rarely admitted in print.” (Volume 1, page 27)

In his own personal studies, he remembers encountering commentaries that said such things as, “…the Chronicler is utterly devoid of historical sense and even of a genuine curiosity about the actual events” (Volume 1, page 12). In contrast, he unwaveringly affirms that men like Adam and Noah are “all real people,” that the introductory genealogy goes “back to the very beginnings of human history,” and that only Noah’s family “escaped the universal Flood” (Volume 1, pages 53-54).

Secondly, as alluded to in his defense of 1 & 2 Chronicle’s inspiration, Eveson is honest about textual difficulties that require further investigation. For example, the genealogy stemming from Hezron in 1 Chronicles 2:24 says, “After the death of Hezron in Caleb-ephrathah, Abijah, Hezron’s wife, bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.” Eveson points out the following:

“There are uncertainties over the original text in verse 24 so that Ashhur the father of Tekoa (see 1 Chron. 4:5) is either the son of Hezron and Abijah as the Hebrew text suggests or of Caleb and Ephrath, as supported by the Septuagint… …Until further light is forthcoming, it is better to stay with the more difficult Masoretic Text.” (Volume 1, page 75)

By mentioning the issue without giving a dogmatic, and perhaps unfounded, assertion, he’s able to lead the reader without misleading the reader.

In other cases, however, Eveson comments on an apparent textual difficulty, but gives a more satisfying rationale from the perspective of reasonable faith, rather than impulsive skepticism. For example, when commenting on three of David’s “mighty men” in 1 Chronicles 11:11-13 (a passage which lists only two of them), he says,

“Many scholars assume that a piece about Shammah has been omitted due to haplography (se e2 Sam. 23:9-11). It is more likely, however, that the Chronicler has purposefully headed his list of worthies with just two named heroes rather than the three in the Samuel text. This balances the two named heroes in verses 20-25. The reference to the three heroes is retained in verse 12.” (Volume 1, page 181)

Finally, Eveson’s work is redemptively focused. The opening words in his first volume’s “Introductory matters” make this abundantly clear:

“Chronicles is God-breathed Scripture and meant to make us wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3:15-17). Speaking particularly of the Old Testament, our Lord insisted to His Jewish opponents that these Scriptures ‘testify about me’ (John 5:39). The whole Bible, Chronicles included, was given for teaching gospel truth relating to the triune God, humanity, the person and work of God’s Son, as well as informing us about the church of Christ and the end of all things.” (Volume 1, page 15)

Refreshing! This isn’t a moralistic commentary bent on nothing but character studies and exemplary preaching from the Old Testament. Certainly, righteous thoughts, words, and behaviors, when and where exhibited by the Israelites, are identified and esteemed, but Eveson ultimately wants the reader to look to Christ. For that reason, each section ends with a wonderful “Application” section that extracts redemptive principles to provide timeless truths for the modern reader.

To give an example, after describing the dimensions and furnishings of Solomon’s temple in 2 Chronicles chapter 4, the Application gets to the heart of the matter, saying,

“The new Jerusalem, a perfect cube, needs no temple for it is itself the holy of holies where God dwells with His people. It is to this Mount Zion associated with Mount Moriah that Christians already come (Heb. 12:22-24). The awesome beauty of Solomon’s temple pales into insignificance in the light of the reality associated with Jesus’s achievement through His atoning death. By the blood of Jesus, God’s people enter into the real holy of holies (Heb. 9:24; 10:19-20).” (Volume 2, page 35)

Undoubtedly, the technical nature of 1 & 2 Chronicles demands that even the most devotionally-minded commentator interact with the text in a very granular way. Eveson navigates this incredibly well, by giving the passage-by-passage assessment, followed by an application section that includes a Christotelic note.

Expositor’s Endorsement

With all that said, you don’t have to take my word on just how helpful this set is. Dale Ralph Davis, who is not only an excellent expositor in his own right but also penned the Christian Focus commentaries on the corresponding books of 1 & 2 Kings, gives his recommendation as well:

“One’s head hurts to think of all the labour Philip Eveson poured into this study of Chronicles—he does the indispensable ‘dirty work’ and beavers us through the details we need to understand the text. And yet all along his applications keep the kingship of Jesus in clear view. Makes me want to go back and study through 1-2 Chronicles all over again.”

This two-volume commentary by Philip Eveson is excellent. I’ll have to let my pastor friend know.

Book ReviewsJosh NiemiComment