Contradictions in the Bible

[Emad]

2 Samuel 24:13 So God came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

1 Chronicles 21:11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee. Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh [thee]; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

---

2 Samuel 10:18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew [the men of] seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

1 Chronicles 19:18 But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand [men which fought in] chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.

 

[exoflare]

Well stop the presses… lol

I told one friend this morning, I can’t go hang out because I’ve got a “million things to do” today.

Someone else later called me up and asked me if I was busy. I said there were about seven places I had to go.

I just contradicted myself!

 

[urquhart]

I believe that many of these ancient texts were memorized and passed down verbally for generations before they were finally committed to writing. When they did appear in written form, copies were made one at a time by hand. Therefore it doesn’t surprise me that there are a number of minor inconsistencies. Does it really matter?

 

[Emad]

exoflare:

Well stop the presses… lol

I told one friend this morning, I can’t go hang out because I’ve got a “million things to do” today.

Someone else later called me up and asked me if I was busy. I said there were about seven places I had to go.

I just contradicted myself!

I would like a better explanation of the verses themselves please.

 

[Monarchy]

urquhart:

I believe that many of these ancient texts were memorized and passed down verbally for generations before they were finally committed to writing. When they did appear in written form, copies were made one at a time by hand. Therefore it doesn’t surprise me that there are a number of minor inconsistencies. Does it really matter?

If a person is claiming that it is ‘the inerant word of god’, yes.

 

[exoflare]

Emad:

I would like a better explanation of the verses themselves please.

Sometimes numbers in the Bible are more symbolic than meant to be taken literally. Sometimes the literal meaning and the symbolic figure coincide better than others.

There was a thread I started about this some time ago in fact. I’ll try to find it.

Just one more reason personal interpretation of scripture is not our guide…

 

[exoflare]

Here it is:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=42619

 

[urquhart]

Monarchy:

If a person is claiming that it is ‘the inerant word of god’, yes.

God does not err, but human beings do, and the Bible is both the inerrant Word of God and the work of human hands.

 

[exoflare]

You Muslims (not the nice ones, just the ones out for sabotaging our beliefs) still don’t even get it. The printed text of the Bible isn’t our pillar of inerrant truth… the church is!

What are you aiming at?

 

[Emad]

exoflare:

You Muslims (not the nice ones, just the ones out for sabotaging our beliefs) still don’t even get it. The printed text of the Bible isn’t our pillar of inerrant truth… the church is!

What are you aiming at?

What?? I never knew that!! I thought all Christians believe that the Bible is the word of God and free from error. Please note that I would usually not start a thread like this. I mean no disrespect to Christians. However this is in response to a thread started by a Catholic member of the forum called “contradictions in the Quran”. He makes it seem as if the Quran is full of contradictions (which its not) and the Bible is free from them. I really hate debating, but I will do it if thats what it takes to remove misconceptions about Islam.

 

[Monarchy]

urquhart:

God does not err, but human beings do, and the Bible is both the inerrant Word of God and the work of human hands.

there are far to many inconcistencies (sp?) and out right contradictions for the bible to be innerant.

 

[iamrefreshed]

Emad:

What?? I never knew that!! I thought all Christians believe that the Bible is the word of God and free from error. Please note that I would usually not start a thread like this. I mean no disrespect to Christians. However this is in response to a thread started by a Catholic member of the forum called “contradictions in the Quran”. He makes it seem as if the Quran is full of contradictions (which its not) and the Bible is free from them. I really hate debating, but I will do it if thats what it takes to remove misconceptions about Islam.

Emad. Please buy a Bible. You will see there are footnotes that explain every passage. Some indicating inconsistencies and questioning the meanings. We are very open about this fact. Don’t feel you are betraying Islam by reading the Bible. After all, you believe most of it to be true. I have a Qur’an. It doesn’t make me less Catholic.

 

[RyanL]

Here’s where it helps to listen to the Catholic Church. The Protestants reject the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament - web search for more info - translation pre-dated Christ) and a couple of books of the Old Testament that are exclusive to the Septuagint. The Catholic Church recognizes the Septuagint as the Bible that Jesus and the Apostles used, and because of this it is looked to as authoritative. Just so you know, these errors aren’t there in the Septuagint. FYI, here are some other errors that aren’t there in the Septuatint:

1. The scripture specifically mentions seven nations that the Israelites were forbidden to enter into covenants with. All seven are listed in Deuteronomy 7:1. But for some reason, when these “seven” nations are repeated in other parts of scripture, the KJV deletes one of them, the Girgashites, whereas the Septuagint retains all seven of them (Exodus 23:23; 34:11). Likewise, Genesis 15:21 lists five nations, but the King James deletes one of them, the “Evites.”

1. In Acts 7:14, Stephen relates the story of the Israelite nation and refers to 75 people who traveled from Canaan to Egypt in the emigration of Jacob’s family. Genesis 46:27 and Exodus 1:5 in the King James falsely state “70.” Genesis 46:27 and Exodus 1:5 in the Septuagint correctly read 75, which agrees with Acts 7:14. The Old Testament books, in most bibles, is translated from a corrupted Masoretic Text, which is why “70” is mistranslated at Genesis 46:27 and Exodus 1:5 in most bibles.

1. In the King James bible, 2 Samuel 24:13 says there would be seven years of famine, but 1 Chronicles 21:12 says three years of famine. In the Septuagint, both verses accurately read three years of famine.

1. In the King James bible, 2 Kings 8:26 says Ahaziah was 22 years old when he began his reign, 2 Chronicles 22:2 says he was 42 years old. The Septuagint accurately reads 22 years old for both.

1. In the King James Bible, 1 Kings 5:16 says there were 3300 overseers, and 2 Chronicles 2:18, speaking of the same thing, says there were 3600 overseers. In the Septuagint, both verses accurately read 3600 (3600 is also confirmed in III Kings, chapter 3, first paragraph, in the Septuagint).

1. Speaking of the same exact event, the King James Bible says there were 700 horsemen in 2 Samuel 8:4, but 7000 horsemen in 1 Chronicles 18:4. In the Septuagint, both verses accurately read 7,000 horsemen.

1. In the King James Bible, 1 Kings 7:26 says there were 2000 baths, and 2 Chronicles 4:5 says there were 3000 baths. In the Septuagint, 1 Kings 7:26 does not exist, so there’s no contradiction.

1. In the King James Bible, 1 Kings 9:23 says there were 550 people that bear rule, and 2 Chronicles 8:10 says that 250 people bear rule. In the Septuagint, 1 Kings 9:23 does not exist, so there’s no contradiction.

1. In Joshua 10:15, where this verse is omitted in the Septuagint, it can easily be seen that this verse, in the King James, does not belong and is out of place. Because the Israelitish army did not return to the camp at Gilgal till after the hanging of the five kings and the destruction of their cities. This is sufficiently evident from the subsequent parts of this chapter. When all this business was done, and not before, is when they returned to the camp to Gilgal (see Joshua 10:43). This verse is omitted by the Septuagint; and it does not appear to have existed in the ancient hexaplar versions; it stands in its proper place in Joshua 10:43, and is not only useless in Joshua 10:15, but appears to be an encumbrance to the narrative. Should it be considered as genuine and in its proper place, I would propose that the camp at Gilgal should be read instead the camp at Makkedah, for we find from Joshua 10:21 that Joshua had a temporary camp there, after which we may suppose that Joshua having secured the cave, sent some detachments to scour the country and cut off all the remaining straggling Canaanites; when this was done they also returned to the camp at Makkedah, as is related Jos 10:21, and when the business was completed they struck the camp at Makkedah, and all returned to their fortified camp at Gilgal (Joshua 10:43).

Errors in translation or by scribes do not constitute contradictions - they constitute human failings.

Better luck next time.

Shalom,
RyanL

 

[RyanL]

Monarchy:

there are far to many inconcistencies (sp?) and out right contradictions for the bible to be innerant.

So our visitors know, this is not the Catholic position:
Dei Verbum, paragraph 11 “We must acknowledge that the books of Scripture, firmly, faithfully, and without error, teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confined to the sacred Scriptures.”
For further information see Pope Leo XIII and the teachings of Trent.

God bless,
RyanL

 

[Emad]

iamrefreshed:

Emad. Please buy a Bible. You will see there are footnotes that explain every passage. Some indicating inconsistencies and questioning the meanings. We are very open about this fact. Don’t feel you are betraying Islam by reading the Bible. After all, you believe most of it to be true. I have a Qur’an. It doesn’t make me less Catholic.

I do have a Bible, but to be truthful I don’t spend much time reading it. Not because it will make me less of a Muslim, becuase personally I don’t have that much free time on my hands. Most of what I learn about Christianity is from Christians themselves.

 

[hlgomez]

I do have a Bible, but to be truthful I don’t spend much time reading it.

Then I recommend that you start reading it but don’t interpret it yourself. If you want some explanation, you must rely on how the Catholic Church interprets it. You cannot interpret the Word of God with your own interpretation.

Most of what I learn about Christianity is from Christians themselves.

Look, it depends on who you are talking to. In the true Christian faith, we do believe that we have the Magisterium (the pope and bishops united with him) of the Catholic Church as the infallible interpreter of Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scriptures. If you just listen to somebody who doesn’t have authority to interpret or share with you authentic Christian teachings, then you are in bigger trouble and might end up confused and start attacking the faith. It’s like talking to a muslim, and then another muslim says otherwise.

So if you want to get the authentic Christian faith, go to the Catholic Church and start searching for what we believe. We have the traditions and teachings that goes back 2000 years ago and hasn’t been change. Anyone apart from the Catholic Church has defective teachings though you may find some truth but many of them compromised with the world. Only the Catholic Church has the fullness of the faith.

Pio

 

[hlgomez]

2 Samuel 24:13 So God came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

1 Chronicles 21:11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee. Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh [thee]; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

Here’s an explanation:

First, it is possible that the duration of the famine was reduced from seven to three years after David prayed for mercy from the Lord. Thought the text does not specifically state this, we can infer it from the differences between the accounts. In 2 Samuel 24:13, David is asked which of the three options that he could take. In 1 Chron 21:11-12, there is no question asked. David is told to make a choice. Therefore, it may be that the Prophet Gad first asked David “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land?” and later told David to make a choice when he said, “take for yourself either three years of famine…”

The second, it is probably a copyist error and the better preserved text renders the famine as three years.

Pio

 

[Emad]

hlgomez thank you very much for your explanation. You also said "Then I recommend that you start reading it but don’t interpret it yourself. If you want some explanation, you must rely on how the Catholic Church interprets it. You cannot interpret the Word of God with your own interpretation. "

I wish that some Christians do the same with the Quran. They read a verse or two out of context and start pounding on their chest claiming to have found contradictions in the Quran. I already knew the explanation to these verse. I read the verses and asked a Christian on the WhyIslam forum and he explained them to me. However I again was just trying to make a point!

 

[Anima_Christi]

I think you all need to understand that Christianity is not as book-centered as Islam. The Bible is important for our faith, but it’s not the heart of our faith. The Quran’s importance in Islam is like Christ’s importance in Christianity. Christians don’t claim that God verbally dictated the entire Bible the way Muslims think with their Quran.

 

[Emad]

Anima Christi:

I think you all need to understand that Christianity is not as book-centered as Islam. The Bible is important for our faith, but it’s not the heart of our faith. The Quran’s importance in Islam is like Christ’s importance in Christianity. Christians don’t claim that God verbally dictated the entire Bible the way Muslims think with their Quran.

Yes I recently learned this. However is this the belief of the majority of Christians? By the way I just want to make it clear that the Quran doesn’t have any contradictions.