Unicity of God and idolatry: is it still a problem for the Chronicler?

2026-09-06T18:40:38+02:00

One of the central themes of the so-called “Deuteronomistic History” is idolatry, the quintessential sin of the Israelite people and the root cause of the accusations levelled by the prophets who feature in these narratives. Is this also the case in the Book of Chronicles? This article aims to highlight the distinctive perspective from which the Chronicler addresses the question of God and the nature of his relationship with the chosen people, with variations compared to Samuel and Kings that reflect the different historical contexts in which the two literary works were composed and the changing needs of the Jewish people, particularly regarding the definition of their identity. The different presentation and interpretation of events yields a partially different conception of the relationship with YHWH and, consequently, a different understanding of the characteristics of faithfulness proposed to the Chronicler’s audience: the focus of interest is the temple in Jerusalem, around which the life of the people revolves and which is a defining element of Israel’s very identity.

Ruch Biblijny i Liturgiczny

Unicity of God and idolatry: is it still a problem for the Chronicler?