Does the author spend more time with the good kings or the bad ones? Why?
The author gives a slightly different picture of some people and events than we saw in Kings. Compare the two stories of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28, 2 Kings 16), and Hezekiah and the invasion of Assyria (2 Chronicles 32, 2 Kings 18-20).
The story of Manasseh is quite different. Read 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 and 2 Kings 21. Why do you suppose there is a different view of him here?
As in all literature, it’s important to consider the audience for the text. How would a group of exiles be approached as far as their country’s history? Does Chronicles follow this idea?
Does Chronicles give a more or less positive view of David than we saw in Samuel?
Does Chronicles give a more or less positive view of Solomon than we saw in Kings?
Why would the author approach the lives of these two men differently than the other books did?
The plot appears to be organized around the kings of the nation rather than strict chronology. Why? What does that seem to say about how the author feels about kingship?
Why is there a focus on Judah rather than the northern tribes of Israel?
The author uses an interesting plot device in which parts of a story are put next to other parts to form a parallel structure. For example, look at the narrative of Asa’s reign in 2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14. How does one half of the entire story (14:1-15:19) parallel the second half of material (16:1-14)? Notice that the parallel is one of exact opposites—explain.
