Old Testament

2 Chronicles

AuthorEzra, according to Jewish tradition
Central themeThe kings of Judah
About the book

After recounting David’s reign in 1 Chronicles, the book of 2 Chronicles continues the story of God’s people from the reign of Solomon to the fall of Jerusalem.

Unlike 2 Kings, which narrates the kings of the North and the South side by side, 2 Chronicles looks only at the kings of Judah, the line of David, and at the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem.

The book begins by showing Solomon asking God for wisdom and then building the temple, the place where the Lord promised to dwell among his people.

Chapter after chapter, kings succeed one another on the throne of Judah. Some seek God with all their heart, such as Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah, and the Lord blesses them with victories and reforms.

Others turn away from the covenant, worship idols and suffer the consequences, from military defeats to captivity. The pattern repeats itself: seeking God brings life, forsaking the covenant brings ruin.

Even in the face of the kings’ constant unfaithfulness, God remains patient, sending prophets to call the people back before any judgment.

The promise made to Solomon right after the dedication of the temple sums up the heart of the book: if God’s people humble themselves, pray and seek the Lord’s face, he will hear from heaven and heal the land.

The book ends with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, but not in despair. Its final lines record Cyrus’s decree, allowing the people to return to their land and rebuild the house of the Lord.

2 Chronicles invites the reader to look back and see a faithful God even when his people are not. May this reading awaken the desire to seek God with all your heart, as the best kings of Judah did.

Book overview

Purpose

To show that the faithfulness of the kings of Judah to God and to the temple brought blessing, and that idolatry brought judgment

Audience

The Jews returning from the Babylonian exile

Date written

Probably between 450 and 400 BC

Place of writing

Jerusalem, according to tradition

Geographic setting

Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah

Historical setting

After the return from the Babylonian exile, under Persian rule

The only biblical book that follows only the kings of Judah, with a focus on the temple and worship

Key verses

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.'"

2 Chronicles 20:15

This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you, may the LORD their God be with them, and let them go up."

2 Chronicles 36:23

Timeline
about 970 BC

Solomon becomes king of Israel and asks God for wisdom (2 Chronicles 1)

about 966 BC

Beginning of the construction of the temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 3)

about 959 BC

Dedication of the temple by Solomon (2 Chronicles 5 to 7)

about 931 BC

Death of Solomon and division of the kingdom under Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 10)

about 850 BC

Jehoshaphat defeats a great enemy army without fighting, in the Valley of Beracah (2 Chronicles 20)

701 BC

Hezekiah withstands the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrian king Sennacherib (2 Chronicles 32)

about 622 BC

Josiah finds the Book of the Law and promotes a great religious reform (2 Chronicles 34 and 35)

586 BC

Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the temple, and the people are taken into exile in Babylon (2 Chronicles 36)

539 BC

Cyrus conquers Babylon and decrees the return of the Jews to their land (2 Chronicles 36:22-23)

Book outline
1
1:1-9:31

The reign of Solomon

Solomon asks God for wisdom instead of riches, builds the temple in Jerusalem and dedicates it in a great ceremony. The Lord promises to dwell there and hear the prayers of his people. Solomon's fame and wealth attract even the queen of Sheba. The text teaches that seeking God's wisdom before anything else brings lasting blessing.

2
10:1-20:37

Faithful kings and unfaithful kings

After Solomon's death, the kingdom divides and Chronicles goes on to follow only the kings of Judah. Kings such as Asa and Jehoshaphat seek God, promote reforms and receive victories, including a battle won without fighting. The book shows that faithfulness to the Lord, more than armies or alliances, is what secures the safety of the people.

3
21:1-26:23

Decline and instability on the throne

Jehoram, Athaliah and other kings turn away from God and bring instability to the throne, until the priest Jehoiada rescues the young Joash and restores worship in the temple. Later, Uzziah begins well, but pride leads him to invade duties reserved for the priests. The account warns that neither success nor position guarantees continued faithfulness to God.

4
27:1-32:33

Idolatry and Hezekiah's reform

Jotham follows the ways of the Lord, but Ahaz plunges the kingdom into idolatry and seeks help from foreign nations instead of from God. Hezekiah reverses this course, reopens the temple, restores the Passover and trusts the Lord when the Assyrian army besieges Jerusalem. God answers with an extraordinary deliverance, showing that he still hears those who seek him with a sincere heart.

5
33:1-35:27

Repentance and Josiah's reform

Manasseh commits the worst sins in the history of Judah, but humbles himself before God in captivity and is restored, a vivid portrait of repentance. His son Amon does not follow the same path, but his grandson Josiah begins the greatest religious reform in the book and celebrates the Passover. The account shows that no past is too far gone for repentance to reach.

6
36:1-36:23

Exile and the decree of Cyrus

After Josiah, four weak kings govern Judah in rapid succession, ignoring the prophets' warnings, until Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed by the Babylonians. The book ends, however, on a note of hope: the decree of King Cyrus, allowing the people to return to the land and rebuild the house of the Lord.

Major themes

The temple of God

The book devotes great space to the construction, dedication and restoration of the temple, the place God chose to dwell with his people. Caring for worship and the temple appears as a sign of faithfulness to God.

Seeking God brings blessing

Every faithful king who seeks the Lord with all his heart receives victories, reforms and prosperity, while those who turn away suffer defeat. The pattern repeats reign after reign as an invitation to examine one's own heart.

God's patience

Even in the face of unfaithful kings, God repeatedly sends prophets before any judgment, showing that he prefers repentance to punishment. Manasseh is the greatest example: even after committing the worst sins, he repents and is restored.

The battle belongs to the Lord

In the reign of Jehoshaphat, Judah faces a huge army without fighting, simply trusting the promise that victory comes from God. The episode teaches that trust in the Lord is more powerful than any military force.

National reform and repentance

Kings such as Hezekiah and Josiah lead great reforms, reopening the temple, destroying idols and restoring the celebration of the Passover. Their stories show that an entire people can turn back to God when their leaders take the lead.

Hope beyond judgment

Even after the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile, the book ends with the decree of Cyrus, opening the way for the people's return and the rebuilding of the temple. The last word of 2 Chronicles is not defeat, but hope.

Key people
S

Solomon

King who built the temple

R

Rehoboam

King during the division of the kingdom

A

Asa

King who destroyed idols

J

Jehoshaphat

King who trusted God in war

J

Joash

King crowned while still a child

U

Uzziah

Prosperous king who fell through pride

H

Hezekiah

King who withstood the Assyrian siege

M

Manasseh

King who repented in captivity

J

Josiah

King who promoted a great reform

C

Cyrus

Persian king who freed the Jews

Key places

Jerusalem

2 Chronicles 3:1

Sheba

2 Chronicles 9:1

Ramoth Gilead

2 Chronicles 18:2

Valley of Beracah

2 Chronicles 20:26

Lachish

2 Chronicles 25:27

Babylon

2 Chronicles 36:20

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