226. Were humans created before or after the other animals?
At first the nonsense perception: Humans are not simply “other animals”. We don’t eat humans, do we?
After the other animals (Genesis 1:25-27)
Right. The animals were created first, then the man and then the woman from the man’s rib (First Creation Account).
Before the other animals (Genesis 2:18-19)
Wrong. The second Creation Account gives many flashbacks and doesn’t present a historical sequence of events. The critic tries to wrong-foot the reader with the argument that the sequence of events should always correspond with the given information in the biblical narratives. This is not to the point as flashbacks in a narrative will always obstruct the historical sequence of events.
No Contradiction
227. If a husband believes, is his wife saved also?
Yes, his whole family is saved by his belief. (1 Corinthians 7:14, Acts 16:31)
Wrong. The critic has found only one text in the entire Bible to sustain his interpretation. I little bit meagre, isn’t it? What about “… the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband …”? This (sanctified) doesn’t refer to being born again of the unbelieving wife, but to live in the position of being set apart through her love for her husband and she is experiencing the blessings connected with that.
Who knows? (1 Corinthians 7:16)
Wrong.
See the article.
No Contradiction
228. Which tribe was Hyram from?
The tribe of Naphtali (1 Kings 7:13-14)
Right. “He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali.”
The tribe of Dan (2 Chronicles 2:13-14)
Wrong. “the son of a Danite woman” (literal: the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan). The city of Dan is mentioned and not the tribe of Dan as in the parallel book of 1 Kings is clearly stated that his mother was of the tribe Naphtali. (The books of Kings and Chronicles refer constantly to each other as they are complementary. The critic, overlooking the rule, is overstepping the mark.)
No Contradiction
229. Was Zechariah Iddo’s son or grandson?
Zechariah was Iddo’s son. (Ezra 5:1, 6:14)
Partly right. “…Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah …” According to the biblical rule “The son of a son is a son,” Zechariah can be called correctly “Iddo’s son”, as being the grandson of Iddo (not his biological father).
Zechariah was Iddo’s grandson. (Zechariah 1:1)
Right.“In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying …” Berechiah was his biological father.
No Contradiction
230. What should you do if you sin through ignorance?
Kill a young female goat. (Numbers 15:27-28)
Right. If it is a sin not described in the commandments of Moses.
Kill an unblemished young sheep. (Leviticus 5:17-18)
Right. If it is a sin certainly described in the commandments of Moses ("any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done.")
No Contradiction
231. Is it OK to make images?
No (Exodus 20:4, Deuteronomy 4:16-18, 23, 27:15, 2 Kings 18:3-4)
Wrong. It is not OK to make images for idolatry. We know of many images in the tabernacle, the temple, palaces without any problem. If they became subject of idolatrous worship one didn’t hesitate to break them off. So did Hezekiah with the serpent that was made by Moses in the desert for the people to look at if they were infected by the snakes of the desert.
Yes (Exodus 25:18,20, Numbers 21:8)
Partly right. It was OK if they were not appointed for idolatry.
No Contradiction
232. Which was first: Peter’s and Andrew’s calling or the imprisonment of John the Baptist?
Note. There is confusion here between two types of callings: (a) discipleship and (b) apostleship.
The imprisonment of John the Baptist was first. (Matthew 4:12,18-19, Mark 1:14-17)
Right. Matthew 4:12, “Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; …” Later on he called there Peter and Andrew with the words: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (4:19) Here we have the calling to their apostleship; not only to follow, but also to fulfil a specific task.This calling was after the imprisonment of John the Baptist.
Firstly Peter and Andrew were called. (John 1:40-42, 3:22-24)
Wrong. John 1:40-42 is their first acquaintance with Jesus, before the imprisonment of John the Baptist. From the outset there is a strong relationship with Jesus (Andrew refers to Jesus as the Messiah; Jesus calls Simon “Peter”: rock) which makes it plausible that they considered themselves as Jesus’ disciples (John 3:22). This was not a calling to their apostleship, only to discipleship. This calling was before John’s imprisonment.
No Contradiction
233. Is incest forbidden?
Remark. The critic uses the term ‘incestuous marriage’, which is a contradiction in terms. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary about incest: “sexual intercourse between persons so closely related that they are forbidden by law to marry.” If there is a marriage between two persons, there is no incest; and incest can only be if there is no marriage.
Incestuous marriage condemned (Leviticus 18:9,12, 20:17,19, Deuteronomy 27:22)
(Incest no marriage)
Wrong. In the referred instances it is forbidden to develop extramarital sexual relationships within the family (incest). Incest is described in the Bible as it is still today: a secret sexual crime of a dominant individual against a vulnerable member in the family (often for a longer period of time).
Incestuous marriage approved (Genesis 20:12, 17:16, Exodus 6:20)
(Marriage no incest)
Wrong. Abram was married with Sarai his half-sister (Genesis). This type of marriage has always been an honorable state in Israel, as Tamar, daughter of king David said to her half-brother Amnon: “Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” (2 Samuel 13:13) She gave Amnon the advise to go to their father David to ask for her hand and she advised to do what was appropriate in Israel (13:12).
Moses’ mother was the aunt of his father (Exodus 6:20). Only full blood relationships were prohibited in marriage (full brother/sister Genesis 20:5; full daughter/father Genesis 19:30-38).
No Contradiction
234. Are we punished for the sins of others?
Yes (many references)
Wrong.
The given references are all failing examples.
– The “punishments to the children” are often consequences of bad behavior of parents, or they are the natural consequences of the mistakes of children. Yes, frequently The Lord announces the severe consequences of people’s actions and we may read them as punishments, but that is only a matter of interpretation. Apparently everyone is responsible for his own actions. That is the biblical rule.
– Many occasions of “punishments” have nothing to do with God; as they are clearly punishments by man.
– What about the expression: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, …” (Exodus 20:5) Already Ezekiel had to oppose the wrong interpretation of this in the clearly false saying (18:2): “The fathers eat the sour grapes, but the children’s teeth are set on edge.” That was never the intention of Exodus 20:5. The right and all over followed biblical principle is that God is visiting people with his warnings long before they are punished BY LIFE ITSELF for their mistakes.
No (Deuteronomy 24:16, 2 Kings 14:6, Jeremiah 31:29-30, Ezekiel 18:20)
Right.
See the article.
No Contradiction
235. Did Saul inquire of the Lord?
Saul inquired the Lord. (1 Samuel 28:6)
Wrong. He did not, this has to do with a mistranslation. (KJV) “And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.” The verb of the first clause is sja’al = ask (and not darasj = inquire, seek with care). We can translate more accurately: “And when Saul asked (in prayer) the Lord …” The clause “the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets,” doesn’t mean that the Lord didn’t want to answer through these possibilities, but simply that these faculties were not to Saul's disposition anymore. For example, the Urim, part of the efod, was in the possession of Abjathar, who joined David’s men. Instead of dreams he probably got nightmares.
Saul didn’t inquire the Lord. (1 Chronicles 10:13-14)
Right. The verb darasj = enquire, seek with care is used. Indeed Saul didn’t contact prophets nor priests, but he went to a woman who could predict the future through spirits of the dead (1 Samuel 28).
See the article.
No Contradiction
236. Were men or angles inside or outside the tomb when the women arrived?
Outside (Matthew 28:2)
Wrong. There were no men or angels inside or outside the tomb when the women arrived at the garden!
Inside (Mark 16:5, Luke 24:3-4, John 20:11-12)
Wrong. There were no men or angels inside or outside the tomb when the women arrived at the garden!
See the article.
No Contradiction
237. Will God destroy those that intermarry?
Yes (Exodus 34:15-16, Deuteronomy 7:3-4, 1 Kings 11:1-2)
Partly right. Intermarriage without change of religion was forbidden and punishable. Intermarriage was a serious threat for Israel. The entire nation could be destroyed through the abominations of the other religions, especially intersex with al the sexual diseases connected with them. Therefore the commandment was “… you shall not intermarry with them, …”
No (Genesis 46:20, Numbers 12:1, 9-10 )
“Now to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him.”
Right. As soon as the foreign spouse had converted to Jahwè and the way of life of a true Israelite, a marriage was not seen as intermarriage, but as an honorable state of life.
See the article.
No Contradiction
238. Can God stop iron chariots?
Sure, he can do anything. (Judges 4:13-16)
Right. “The Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak;…”
No, iron chariots are too hard for him. (Judges 1:19)
“… but they [he KJV] could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots.”
Wrong. Judah was not able to stop iron chariots. That’s what the text says, not that God was unable.
See the article.
No Contradiction
239. How old was Ishmael when he was abandoned by Abraham?
He was an infant. (Genesis 21:14)
Wrong. In this passage 21:12 he is called na’ar, meaning: young man (male of marrying age as long as he is a bachelor).
He was a young man. (Genesis 17:25)
Right.
See the article.
No Contradiction
240. When was King Jabin killed?
Remark: There have been several kings of Hazor called Jabin
He was killed by Joshua.
Right. The first Jabin of Hazor.
He was killed 120 years after Joshua’s death.
Right. Another Jabin of Hazor who lived much later.
See the article.
No Contradiction
241. Who bought the sepulchre in Sechem from the sons of Hamor?
Remark: The critic suggest that there was only one sepulchre in Shechem bought by the patriarchs, which is wrong.
Abraham (Genesis 50:13, Acts 7:16)
Right. Abraham bought a burial place, near Shechem, which became the resting place for the bodies of Jacob’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, but not Joseph.
Jacob (Genesis 33:19, Joshua 24:32)
Right. Jacob also bought a piece of land near Shechem and that became the burial place for Joseph.
See the article.
No Contradiction
242. Where was Jacob buried?
Jacob was buried at Machpelah. (Genesis 50:13)
Right. No doubt.
Jacob was buried at Shechem. (Acts 7:15-16)
Wrong. A classical mistranslation in Acts suggests that he was buried in Shechem, but that were his sons (and Ephraim and Manasse).
See the article.
No Contradiction
243. How many were in Jacob's family when they came into Egypt?
70 (Genesis 46:27, Exodus 1:5)
Wrong. Jacob's house (õikos Iakõb); included his twelve sons, their sons and his daughter Dinah (pure descendants of a man).
75 (Acts 7:14)
Right. Jacob's family (suggéneia Iakõb); included his sons, their sons and his daughter Dinah and her (5) children. (Dinah’s husband and children belonged to the house of Dinah's husband and not to Jacob’s house.)
See the article.
No Contradiction
244. Was Jairus' daughter alive when Jesus was approached?
She was already dead. (Matthew 9:18)
Wrong. Matthew 9:18 translates “My daughter has just died, …” This is a mistranslation. The Greek has: "A moment ago my daughter was dying." (The aorist form of the verb excludes the result of the action of the verb, it only presents the action of the verb (here dying) in the past as a fact, not necessarily the result.) A classic mistranslation due to the Vulgate that has: ‘defuncta est’ (has died).
She was still alive. (Mark 5:22-23, Luke 8:41-42)
Right. Mark 5:23 translates correctly: "My little daughter is at the point of death."
No Contradiction
245. Did the Israelites take Jerusalem from the Jebusites?
Yes (Judges 1:8)
Right. The tribe of Judah took the city and burnt it down (1:8). This was not according to the law of Moses. He had given the order to not destroy cities of the Canaanites, but to live in them. Anyway it seems that now the city became only an old ruin not worth tolive in and shortly hereafter the Jebusites could return in the city without any problems.
No (Judges 1:21, 19:11, 2 Samuel 5:8)
Right. When the Jebusites had settled down again in the city, they did it so well that the town became a real fortress which could only be taken later by David.
No Contradiction
246. Did Jeconiah have any sons?
Jeconiah had no sons. (Jeremiah 22:28-30)
Wrong. Thus says the Lord, “Write this man down childless, … For no man of his descendants will prosper, sitting on the throne of David …”
The critic failed to see that “childless” in Jeremiah 22:30 is figurative language. A simile is used without “as”, which is an absolutely correct grammatical move: “Write this man down [as] childless”. No one of his descendants (sons!) would sit on the throne of David.
Jeconiah had several sons; one was an ancestor of Jesus. (1 Chronicles 3:17-18, Matthew 1:12)
Right.
See the article.
No Contradiction
247. Was Jechoniah the son or the grandson of Josiah?
He was Josiah’s son. (Matthew 1:11)
Right. According to the rule: The grandfather is a father (of course not the biological father).
“Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, …” (Matthew 1:11)
Jehoiakim (I Chronicles 3:16)
Right. Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, was his biological father.
No Contradiction
248. When did Jehoash become king of Israel?
At least forty years after Joash became king of Judah. (2 Kings 13:1)
Wrong. A couple of years earlier than the 39th year of Joash, when his father Jehoahaz died.
In the thirty seventh year of Joash’s reign. (2 Kings 13:10)
Right. A couple of years before his father Jehoahaz died, he was already installed as king. Apparently his father was not able to reign anymore due to bodily defects.
See the article.
No Contradiction
249. How long did Jehoash reign?
Remark. The critic fails to see the difference between J(eh)oash of Jerusalem and Jehoash of Samaria; he makes the assumption that they are identical, instead of two individuals.
40 years (2 Kings 12:1)
Right. Joash or Jehoash of Jerusalem did reign forty years in the southern part of the country: Judah.
16 years (2 Kings 13:10)
Right. Jehoash of Samaria reigned only sixteen years in the Northern part of the country: North Israel.
See the article.
No Contradiction
250. How old was Jehoachin when he began to reign?
He was 18 years old and he reigned for 3 months. (2 Kings 24:8)
Yes, he became actually a king at the age of eighteen, upon his father's death.
He was 8 years old and he reigned for 3 months and 10 days. (2 Chronicles 36:9)
Yes, he got the title of King at the age of 8 without the duties to assure his royal position against his older but extramarital brother Zedekiah and the position of Jehoachin’s mother as: Mother of the King (2 Kings 24:15).
See the article.
No Contradiction
No Bible Contradictions