דברי הימים א, פרק ט׳, פסוק א׳

After tracing the family lines of various tribes, a pause is taken to clarify the true scope of the nation's records. While earlier accounts skipped entire tribes, such as Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali, or provided only partial family trees, the Israelites actually maintained highly organized, authoritative, and comprehensive genealogical records [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that these complete family registries, which did not focus on historical events, were preserved in a separate, dedicated text known as the Book of the Kings of Israel [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The gathering and recording of these names likely took place during the reigns of King Jeroboam and King Jotham [רלב״ג].

Scholars offer different explanations for why these complete lists were not fully copied into the current biblical record. Some suggest that the Book of the Kings of Israel was taken into exile along with the nation, leaving the author without access to it [מצודת דוד]. Others believe the book was lost entirely to the passage of time, sharing the fate of other ancient, missing texts like the Book of Jasher or the Book of the Wars of the Lord [רד״ק]. Conversely, another perspective argues that the author, Ezra the Scribe, lived among the exiles in Babylon and actually had these genealogical books in his possession, but simply chose to copy only the portions he deemed necessary [רש״י, מלבי״ם].

The narrative then shifts to the exile of the tribe of Judah and its surrounding settlements, an event brought upon them as a consequence of their sins [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This displacement did not happen overnight. While the vast majority of the people were exiled during the reign of King Zedekiah, smaller groups were taken earlier during the days of King Jehoiakim and King Jeconiah [רלב״ג].

Highlighting Judah's exile serves a specific purpose: to distinguish it from the earlier banishment of the Ten Tribes. The northern tribes of Israel had been exiled much earlier by the kings of Assyria, and the majority of them did not return to the land during the Second Temple era. However, a small fraction of individuals from northern tribes, such as Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had remained attached to the Kingdom of Judah. This specific group was exiled to Babylon alongside Judah, and they were the ones who ultimately returned to Jerusalem with them, setting the stage for the detailed lists of returnees that follow [רד״ק].