Overview

In the Old Testament, the Levites stand as key ministry leaders for the worship of the people of God, from their origins with Moses and the tabernacle, to their service at the Jerusalem temple, to their roles in the postexilic period. This study proposes a multidimensional reading of the texts centered on the Levites in the Davidic narratives of 1 Chronicles 10-29. From a literary point of view, the notion that the Levites are closely associated with the symbol of God's presence is explored. From a historical perspective, the roles of the Levites in expanding the service to God and his people is examined. And from a theological perspective, the means by which the Levites facilitate the song of God's people is studied. Overall, this work seeks to defend the idea that these texts contribute significantly to the rhetorical argumentation, the historiographic method, and the biblical-theological meaning of the canonical books of Chronicles generally, and of the Davidic narratives of 1 Chronicles 10-29 specifically, as they emphasize the central role played by proper Levitical worship leadership at the time of David and during the challenging situation of the Chronicler's Yehudite postexilic audience.

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9781532686771

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This is an important book. Clayton combines careful analysis of the literary, historical, and theological dimensions of 1 Chronicles to analyze David's assignment of duties to the Levites in the anticipated Solomonic temple as recorded there. . . . He shows that there is good reason to believe that 1 Chronicles is historically credible from a preexilic Davidic perspective and, in fact, would have been especially relevant to postexilic Israel as they organized the priestly and Levitical ministry in the second temple. --Richard E. Averbeck, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Expertly handling a discerning range of interpretive tools, Clayton reveals the enduring value of Chronicles. Incisively applying a range of methodologies to the data found in key texts, he opens the second-temple world of Chronicles for the present day. The result is truly multidimensional and deeply canonical. --James K. Bruckner, North Park Theological Seminary

Author Information

J. Nathan Clayton is Assistant Professor of Old Testament at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. Before his teaching ministry, he pastored in Chicago and in New York City. James K. Bruckner is Professor of Old Testament at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. He is the author of commentaries on Exodus (2008) and on Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (2004) as well as of Implied Law in the Abraham Narrative (2001).

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