Answer
First Chronicles tells the story of an important era in Israel’s history, highlighting God’s faithfulness to the nation during the reigns of David and Solomon. For the original recipients of the book—the remnant of the southern kingdom of Judah—it was critical to recommit to the covenant God made with their ancestors. The genealogies in the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles indicate that the author wrote the book after 450 BC. The narrative in the rest of the book suggests that it was completed in the time of Nehemiah, around 430 BC.
The composition of 1 Chronicles is directly tied to the timeframe of Judah’s exile. Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, completed his conquest of the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 BC, taking many of its inhabitants into exile. The exile lasted 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11–12; 29:10), beginning with the first wave of captives taken in 605 BC. It ended when Persia conquered Babylon. The Persian King Cyrus permitted the Jews to return home in 538 BC. Many of those initially taken into exile died in captivity, so it was their children who eventually returned to Judah.
Given the importance of the genealogical records in 1 Chronicles and their historical context, the question of authorship is significant. Jewish tradition attributes the book to Ezra the scribe and priest. This view is based on the likelihood that Ezra lived around the time 1 Chronicles was written and on his description as “a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses” (Ezra 7:6, ESV; cf. Nehemiah 8:1, 4). However, there are no direct statements in the Old or New Testament that identify Ezra as the author of 1 Chronicles.
The first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles list genealogical records from Adam through the Israelites’ return after the exile. References to Israel’s return indicate that the book was written after 450 BC. This is evident in the genealogical section, which refers to those who returned: “And Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith. Now the first to dwell again in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants. And some of the people of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem” (1 Chronicles 9:1–3, ESV). These details confirm that 1 Chronicles was completed after the exile when the children of those taken into captivity returned home and began to resettle the land God had given their ancestors (Genesis 12:1–3).
Furthermore, 1 and 2 Chronicles were originally a single book known as “Chronicles,” written as a unified composition by a single author. Thus, the timeframe for its composition extends to the final narratives of 2 Chronicles. The book’s last words record the decree of King Cyrus of Persia, who permitted the Jews to return home. The decree states, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up” (2 Chronicles 36:23, ESV; cf. Ezra 1:1–4). Ezra returned in 458 BC (Ezra 7:7–8), and Nehemiah followed in 445 BC (Nehemiah 2:1).
First Chronicles is a significant book because the Jews who returned home were born in exile and needed to reconnect with their ancestral roots, including worshiping Yahweh and living according to the Law of Moses. Through genealogies and historical narratives, God encouraged this new generation of Israelites to stay faithful to Him.
