Chronicles and Matthew

One of my interests right now is canonical ordering. I am completely convinced that the MT ordering is the correct. Thus, Chronicles is the last book in the OT. The end of 2 Chronicles is a quotation of Cyrus’ decree to build the temple. The last words in 2 Chron are: “Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.”

The last words in the OT is a command for one man (“Let him…”) whom God is with (‘imo) to go up and build the temple. It is Immanuel who will go up and build the temple.

The next thing we read in Scripture is the identity of the one who will go up: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt 1:1). And a genealogy follows. This is not surprising given that the first nine chapters of Chronicles is genealogy. Matthew is the next chapter in the story begun in those nine chapters. Chronicles is concerned to follow the promise line through the exile; Matthew does the same.

Furthermore, both Chronicles and Matthew are very concerned with the Davidide line. And Matthew is the only Gospel that relates the Immanuel promise. Thus, we should connect the quotation from Is 7 in Matt 1:23 not only with Is but with Is through Chron. Biblical scholarship has not given enough attention to the layering of biblical texts.

Chronicles, coming after Isaiah, identifies the Immanuel in Is 7:14 with a temple builder.