Channels, Spring 2019

Page 2 Shields • Chronicles different positions on the subject), but I will argue that this conclusion best represents the evidence. The Composition of the Hebrew Bible To develop a case for the importance of this study, it is necessary that one understands the Hebrew Bible. Placing Chronicles at the end of the Writings (Ketuvim) is not only significant for one’s understanding of the book itself, but the entirety of the Hebrew Bible as well (Tanak). 3 The Hebrew Bible is a theological book; it is not merely a collection of books or a history of religion, but is a collection of books that have been put together to form a cohesive unit. The author’s theological message drives the selection of material, making this more than a record of historical events. It is an interpretation of history that reveals a “messianic, eschatological, and faith oriented” theology. 4 In his book, Daniel in the Context of the Hebrew Bible, Michael Shepherd explains that the Hebrew Bible was composed in a timeless manner. It is designed to instruct future generations of readers in their faith. Thus, the task of interpretation is not limited to “what the text meant,” as if the authors only intended their message for their generation. Nor does interpretation require an artificial process of updating (“what the text means”). Rather, the biblical authors encourage an approach that focuses on what the text has always meant. That is, the biblical compositions have been put together in such a way that their original meaning remains their relevant meaning. 5 The meaning of each composition is also affected by intertextuality and compositional seams within the canon as a whole. 6 Therefore, establishing the book of Chronicles as the conclusion to the Hebrew Bible has theological significance. As the conclusion to the Hebrew Bible, the book serves as a summary of the theological message that carries through the entire composition of the collection. With this in mind, it is important to explore why there are different orders for the Hebrew Bible. 7 It is also important to define what is meant by the term “canon”. A presentation and defense for the tripartite structure of the Hebrew canon will also be helpful. Julius Steinberg and Timothy Stone have developed a resource that introduces this discussion well: their book, The Shape of the Writings. 8 Their definition of ‘canon’ states that it “… is a fixed or delimited collection of texts received and recognized as sacred (authoritative) by a faith community.” 9 Steinberg and Stone also reference the work of Lee McDonald 10 for a summary of scholarly approaches to the terms “canon”, “canonical process”, and “canonical consciousness”. 11 One of the ways that scholars have 3 The Tanak is an acronym for the Hebrew Bible that describes its tripartite structure. The Torah (Law), the Nevi’im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings). 4 Michael B. Shepherd, Daniel in the context of the Hebrew Bible (New York: Peter Lang, 2009), 2. 5 Ibid. 6 The book of the Twelve (The Minor Prophets is to be considered as one composition) is an example of this. The book is ordered, grouped, and textually linked intentionally to give the book an eschatological significance that affects modern readers. This is what makes the meaning of the text timeless. 7 Within textual witnesses, there are different traditions that present the Hebrew Bible with different orderings for each book within the collection. 8 Julius Steinberg and Timothy J. Stone. “The Historical Formation of the Writings in Antiquity”, The Shape of the Writings . (Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 2015), 1-51. 9 Ibid., 8. 10 Lee M. McDonald, The Biblical Canon (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2007) 11 Steinberg and Stone, “The Historical Formation of the Writings in Antiquity”, 4.