THE ARGUMENT
PARALIPOMENON, that is, A supplement of things omitted, called by the Hebrews Dibre haiamim, The words of the days, or Chronicle, is an Abridgement, briefly showing, besides divers other genealogies, from the beginning of the world, the faith and religion both of the progenitors, and offspring of the Patriarch Jacob, whose progeny God chose and made his peculiar people; and in that nation more particularly recounting the Acts of King David, and other Kings of his line, till they were led captive into Babylon. A book of such and so great importance (sayth S. Hierome) as whosoever without it arrogateth the knowledge of Scriptures, may mock himself. [Epist. ad Paulin.] The author is uncertain, but probably it seemeth to be gathered by Esdras, out of other books and traditions, for the perfecting of the old Testament: and is undoubtedly canonical Scripture. In hebrew it is all one book, but being large, is with the Greeks and Latins parted into two. And the first book may be divided into three principal parts. The first nine chapters contain divers genealogies, first by the only right line from Adam to Noe, then by divers lines of Noe’s progeny, but most specially of Jacob’s twelve sons. In the tenth chapter the rejection, and death of King Saul is repeated. The other nineteen chapters are all of David, to wit, of his election to be King, and inunction, his virtues, his faults also, and his special acts, concerning God’s service, government of the people, and provision made for building God’s Temple.