Logos has a short article from Michael Heiser in which Heiser wonders, “Did the Write of Chronicles Try to Scrub Away David’s Dirty Past?” In his brief article, Heiser does a great job showing how to compare parallel stories (such as Chronicles and Samuel) to understand the author’s agenda. Heiser also explains the historical circumstances for the audience of 1-2 Chronicles, which circumstances warranted a high, though not deceptive, view of King David.

I’m not going to answer the question from my title. As you compare the passages and consider the background Heiser explains, see if you can figure it out for yourself.

Check it out!