The Basis, Function and Significance of Choral Music in Chronicles
John W. Kleinig
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
Supplement Series 156
Copyright © 1993 Sheffield Academic Press
Published by JSOT Press
JSOT Press is an imprint of
Sheffield Academic Press Ltd
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Sheffield S10 3BP
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 1-85075-394-6
The Nature and Purpose of this Study
The Ritual Institution of the Lord’s Song
The Foundational Charter for Sacred Song
The Divine Institution of Sacred Song
David’s Organization of Sacred Song
The Implementation and Development of Sacred Song
The Ritual Components of the Lord’s Song
The Ritual function of Sacred Song
The Sacrificial System in Chronicles
The Ritual Setting of Sacred Song
The Theological Significance of the Lord’s Song
Sacred Song as Proclamation in 1 Chronicles 16:7–36
Sacred Song as Prophecy in 1 Chronicles 25:1–6
The Proclamation and Celebration of the Lord’s Presence through Sacred Song in 2 Chronicles 5:2–7:11
The Proclamation and Celebration of Deliverance in Sacred Song in 2 Chronicles 20:1–30
Matters for Further Consideration
This book began more by accident than design. In preparing a course on worship in the Old Testament for the students at Luther Seminary, I made two discoveries. First, Chronicles is the only set of books in the Old Testament which explains in some detail how liturgical music was arranged in the temple at Jerusalem and why it was arranged as it was. Secondly, even though much work had been done on the identification and nature of the musical instruments used in Israel’s worship, no scholar had considered the ritual function and theological significance of sacred song within the sacrificial ritual as described in Chronicles. These two discoveries led in due course to a dissertation on this topic for the University of Cambridge which was successfully defended in January, 1991. That dissertation has been abbreviated and lightly revised for publication in this book.
Many people have given me personal, material and financial support for my year of research at Cambridge in 1989. First, there are my colleagues at Luther Seminary in Adelaide. They not only supported my application for study leave and encouraged me to work towards a doctorate, but they also filled in for me in 1989 and gave me time to complete the work for it in 1990. Secondly, the President of the Lutheran Church of Australia, Dr L.G. Steicke, its First Vice-President, Dr J.G. Strelan, and its Secretary, Revd K.J. Schmidt, ...
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About The Lord’s Song: The Basis, Function and Significance of Choral Music in ChroniclesWhy do the books of Chronicles regard the performance of choral music as an integral part of the sacrificial ritual at the temple, despite the lack of sanction for it in the Pentateuch? And why do they stress that it must be synchronized with the presentation of the regular public burnt offering at the temple? These and other questions are answered in this challenging new volume. After an introductory chapter defining the scope of the study as an analysis of the ritual function and theological significance of sacred song, the author examines the divine institution and royal establishment of the Levitical choir in Jerusalem. This is followed by an examination of the components of the Lord's song in terms of its contents, location, times, instruments and performers. A chapter on the function of sacred song as determined by its place within the sacrificial ritual follows, and the fifth chapter deals with its theological significance as the proclamation of the Lord's presence with his people. |
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