phenomena are to be met with separately in other books of the Old Testament, especially the later ones; only their frequent use can be set down as the linguistic peculiarity of one author. But does the mere numbering of the places where a word or a grammatical construction occurs in this or that book really serve as a valid proof for the unity of the authorship? When, for example, the form בּזּה, 2Ch 14:13; 2Ch 28:14, Ezr 9:7, Neh 4:4, occurs elsewhere only in Esther and Daniel, or קבּל in 1Ch 12:18; 1Ch 21:11; 2Ch 29:16, 2Ch 29:22, and Ezr 8:30, is elsewhere found only in Proverbs once, in Job once, and thrice in Esther, does it follow that the Chronicle and the book of Ezra are the work of one author? The greater number of the linguistic phenomena enumerated by Bertheau, such as the use of האלהים for יהוה; the frequent use of ל, partly before the infinitive to express shall or must, partly for subordinating or introducing a word; the multiplication of prepositions, - e.g., in לאין עד, 2Ch 36:16; למאד עד, 2Ch 16:14; למעלה עד ל, 2Ch 16:12; 2Ch 17:12; 2Ch 36:8, - are characteristics not arising from a peculiar use of language by our chronicler, but belonging to the later or post-exilic Hebrew in general. The only words and phrases which are characteristic of and common to the Chronicle and the book of Ezra are: כּפור (bowl), 1Ch 28:17; Ezr 1:10; Ezr 8:27; the infinitive Hophal הוּסד, used of the foundation of the temple, 2Ch 3:3; Ezr 3:11; פּלגּה, of the divisions of the Levites, 2Ch 35:5 and Ezr 6:18; התנדּב, of offerings, 1Ch 29:5-6, 1Ch 29:9,1Ch 29:14, 1Ch 29:17; Ezr 1:6; Ezr 2:68; Ezr 3:5; למרחוק עד (with three prepositions), 2Ch 26:15; Ezr 3:13; and לדרשׁ לבבו הכין, 2Ch 12:14; 2Ch 19:3; 2Ch 30:19, and Ezr 7:10. These few words and constructions would per se not prove much; but in connection with the fact that neither in the language nor in the ideas are any considerable differences or variations to be observed, they may serve to strengthen the probability, arising from the relation of the end of the Chronicle to the beginning of the book of Ezra, that both writings were composed by the priest and scribe Ezra.[1]
- ↑ The opinion first propounded by Ewald, and adopted by Bertheau, Dillmann (art. “Chronik” in Herzog's Realencykl.), and others, that “the author belonged to the guild of musicians settled at the temple in Jerusalem” (Gesch. des. V. Isr. i. p. 235), has no tenable ground for its support, and rests merely on the erroneous assumption that the author has not the same sympathy with the priests as he shows in speaking of the Levites, more especially of the signers and doorkeepers (Berth.). If this assertion were true, the author might have been just as well a Levitical doorkeeper as a musician. But it is quite erroneous, as may be seen on a comparison of the passage adduced supra, p. 386, from Bertheau's commentary. In all the passages in which the musicians and doorkeepers are mentioned the priests are also spoken of, and in such a way that to both priests and Levites that is ascribed which belonged to their respective offices: to the priests, the sacrificial service and the blowing of the trumpets; to the Levites, the external business of the temple, and the execution of the instrumental music and psalm-singing introduced by David. From this it is clear that there is not reason why the priests and scribe Ezra might not have composed the Chronicle. The passages supporting the assertion that where musicians and doorkeepers are spoken of the priests are also mentioned, are: 1Ch 6:34., 1Ch 9:10-13; 1Ch 15:24; 1Ch 16:6, 1Ch 16:39., 1Ch 23:2, 1Ch 23:13, 1Ch 23:28, 1Ch 23:32; 24:1-19; 2Ch 5:7, 2Ch 5:11-14; 2Ch 7:6; 2Ch 8:14., 2Ch 13:9-12; 2Ch 17:8; 2Ch 19:8, 2Ch 19:11; 2Ch 20:28; 2Ch 23:4, 2Ch 23:6, 2Ch 23:18; 2Ch 26:17, 2Ch 26:20; 2Ch 29:4, 2Ch 29:16, 2Ch 29:21-24, 2Ch 29:34; 2Ch 30:3, 2Ch 30:15, 2Ch 30:21, 2Ch 30:25, 2Ch 30:27; 2Ch 31:2, 2Ch 31:17, 2Ch 31:19; 2Ch 34:30; 2Ch 35:2, 2Ch 35:8, 2Ch 35:10, 2Ch 35:14, 2Ch 35:18; Ezr 1:5; Ezr 2:61, Ezr 2:70; Ezr 3:2, Ezr 3:8, Ezr 3:10-12; Ezr 6:16, Ezr 6:18, Ezr 6:20; Ezr 7:7, Ezr 7:24; Ezr 8:15, Ezr 8:24-30, Ezr 8:33; Neh 2:16; Neh 3:1; Neh 7:73; Neh 8:13; Neh 10:1-9, Neh 10:29, Neh 10:35, Neh 10:39., 2Ch 11:3, 2Ch 11:10., 2Ch 12:1., 30, 35, 41, 44, 47, 13:30.
