Contradiction in scripture?

[trumpet152]

Why does 2 Samuel 24:1 read,

And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

While 1 Chronicles 21:1 reads

And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

Who told David, Satan or God?

 

[jpusateri]

Who told David, Satan or God?

NAB footnote

1 [1] A satan: in the parallel passage of 2 Sam 24:1 the Lord’s anger. The change in the term reflects the changed theological outlook of postexilic Israel, when evil could no longer be attributed directly to God. At an earlier period the Hebrew word satan (“adversary,” or, especially in a court of law, “accuser”), when not used of men, designated an angel who accused men before God (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; Zechariah 3:1-2). Here, as in later Judaism (Wisdom 2:24) and in the New Testament, satan, or the “devil” (from the Greek translation of the word), designates an evil spirit who tempts men to wrongdoing.

 

[Genesis315]

bringyou.to/apologetics/bible.htm#101

101. David was tempted by the Lord to number Israel 2 Sam 24:1]
David was tempted by Satan to number the people 1 Chron 21:1]

There are three possible responses here:

(1) Biblical writers often dismissed secondary causes and attributed all things that happened to God, since He is over all things. Thus, God is did not tempt David, He allowed Satan to influence him.

(2) Arthur Hervey believes 2 Sam 24:1 is better translated as, “For one moved David against them.” In this case, the numbering of the people was the cause of God’s anger, not the result. After all, without this interpretation, it is not clear why God was angry with Israel.

(3) The verse in 1 Chron translated as “satan” could also be translated as “adversary.” Strictly speaking, in this situation, God was Israel’s adversary.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Why does 2 Samuel 24:1 read, While 1 Chronicles 21:1 reads

Who told David, Satan or God?

**Both - " X told David" being an anthropomorphic description of the non-human activity involved. **​

**Other texts ascribing evil to God can be understood in the same way - as saying, or taken for granted, that nothing happens without God’s being aware of it, not even temptation. And because He is aware of all things, we can speak of a doctrine of Divine Providence. This does not imply approval of evil - it does imply that all things are under His control. And as it does not imply approval of evil, the moral responsibility of evil-doers, human or otherwise, is untouched: & so too is the Goodness & Righteousness of God. ## **

 

[jbuck919]

There is a huge arc over this entire set of forums involving Catholics who desperately want to meet Protestants, fundamentalists even, on their terms rather than ours. This is a mistake. Of course there are discrpancies in scripture. Judas hanged himself. Judas burst. Jesus died with the words “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Jesus died with the words “It is finished.” Jesus led the life of an itinerant preacher speaking in common terms (the synoptic gospels). Jesus was a sententious theologian in his speaking (Gospel of John). Look your Protestant friend/family member straight in the eye and say in slow, measured terms, like Judge Judy, “Who gives a rat’s behind?”

We are not a scriptolatrous church. For heaven’s sake, stop trying to deal with “them” on “their” turf. Turn around and walk away from arguments like that. Or if you must, say you don’t feel any obligation to explain discrepancies because you belong to the church that had everything knitted together for centuries before someone dreamed up out of the whole cloth the cockamamy idea of sola scriptura. And if you feel unequal to supporting your position, remember that most zealous bibliolators are intractable and trained to think that everyone can be a scripture scholar. Catholics do not believe this either. Tell them to go find a priest if they want to argue the point.

And in the end, give thanks to God that you do not have to expend energy developing rationalizations such as that Judas hanged himself and then the rope broke and when he fell, he burst (the actualy argument fundamentalists use).

 

[Cranch]

There is a huge arc over this entire set of forums involving Catholics who desperately want to meet Protestants, fundamentalists even, on their terms rather than ours. This is a mistake. Of course there are discrpancies in scripture. Judas hanged himself. Judas burst. Jesus died with the words “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Jesus died with the words “It is finished.” Jesus led the life of an itinerant preacher speaking in common terms (the synoptic gospels). Jesus was a sententious theologian in his speaking (Gospel of John). Look your Protestant friend/family member straight in the eye and say in slow, measured terms, like Judge Judy, “Who gives a rat’s behind?”

We are not a scriptolatrous church. For heaven’s sake, stop trying to deal with “them” on “their” turf. Turn around and walk away from arguments like that. Or if you must, say you don’t feel any obligation to explain discrepancies because you belong to the church that had everything knitted together for centuries before someone dreamed up out of the whole cloth the cockamamy idea of sola scriptura. And if you feel unequal to supporting your position, remember that most zealous bibliolators are intractable and trained to think that everyone can be a scripture scholar. Catholics do not believe this either. Tell them to go find a priest if they want to argue the point.

And in the end, give thanks to God that you do not have to expend energy developing rationalizations such as that Judas hanged himself and then the rope broke and when he fell, he burst (the actualy argument fundamentalists use).

(bibliolators…good one!)