The Second Book of Chronicles Purpose To give readers hope for a restored kingdom of Israel characterized by proper worship Author Unknown Date Likely written around 400 BC, recording events that occurred around 971–538 BC Setting Postexilic Judea during Persian rule; the account begins with the reign of Solomon and ends with Cyrus’s proclamation allowing the people to return to Judea

Second Chronicles gives purpose and hope to a people with an uncertain future. God had promised that David’s descendants would have an everlasting kingdom, but the people of Judah had been exiled to Babylon. Even after returning to Jerusalem, they now lived as Persian subjects. Judah had no king descended from David and no hope of becoming a kingdom. Yet God’s promises are certain, so the Chronicler encouraged the Judeans to hope for the future. The words of King Jehoshaphat capture the spirit of the book: “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed” (2 Chr 20:20). Setting The Babylonian conquest of Judah occurred in 605–586 BC, about two centuries before Chronicles was written (around 400 BC; see 1 Chronicles Book Introduction, “Authorship and Date”). To address questions about God’s purposes and promises, the Chronicler narrated the past of the Israelites from the earliest times until the destruction of the kingdom of Judah. By carefully selecting his material and reworking it to suit his own purposes, he did not intend to replace or supplement earlie...

1:1 David had asked that the Lord be with Solomon (1 Chr 22:11) and that Solomon be strong and of good courage (1 Chr 28:20). David also declared that God would make Solomon great, giving strength to all Israel (1 Chr 29:12). Three points about Solomon echo David’s blessings: Solomon took firm control of his kingdom, . . . God was with him, and God made him very powerful.