This is the first series of 25 rejected SAB Bible Contradictions. Among them are famous problems as: Was Abraham justified by faith or by works? How should adultery be punished? Did God ordain genocide? Does God want some to go to hell? Still intriguing questions and many others.<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>How many men did the chief of David’s captains kill?<\/strong><\/span><\/a> 300<\/span> (1 Chronicles 11:11) 2. <\/strong><\/span>Was Abraham justified by faith or by works?<\/strong><\/span><\/a> He was justified<\/span> by works.<\/span> (James 2:21) 3. <\/strong><\/span>How many sons did Abraham have?<\/strong><\/span><\/a> Abraham had more than one son.<\/span> (Genesis 16:5 etc.) 4. <\/strong><\/span>Was Abiathar the father or the son of Ahimelech?<\/strong><\/span><\/a> Abiathar was the father of Ahimelech.<\/span> (2 Samuel 8:17) 5. <\/strong><\/span>Who was Abijam’s mother?<\/strong><\/span><\/a> Michaiah the daughter of Uriel<\/span> (2 Chronicles 13:1-2) 6. <\/strong><\/span>How were Abijam and Asa related?<\/strong><\/span><\/a> Abijam was Asa’s brother.<\/span> Both are said to have Maacha as mother (1 Kings 15:2, 10) 7. <\/strong><\/span>How long was the ark of the covenant at Abinadab’s house?<\/strong><\/span><\/a> More than 40 years<\/span> (1 Samuel 6:2-3) 8. <\/strong><\/span>How old was Abram when Ishmael was born?<\/strong><\/span><\/a> More than 135 years old<\/span> (Genesis 11:32, Acts 7:2-4) 9. <\/strong><\/span>How many sons did Absalom have?<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span> Absalom had no sons.<\/span> (2 Samuel 18:18) 10. <\/strong><\/span>When did Absalom rebel against David?<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong> Much less than forty years since David only ruled for a total of forty years.<\/span> (2 Samuel 5:4) 11. <\/strong><\/span>The two contradictory creation accounts<\/strong><\/span><\/a> – First Account (Genesis 1:1-2:3) 12. <\/span>Who was Achan’s father?<\/span><\/a><\/strong> Achan’s father is Zerah<\/span>. ( Joshua 7:24 and 22:20) 13. <\/strong><\/span>How many of Adin’s offspring returned from Babylon?<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong> 655<\/span> (Nehemiah 7:20) 14. <\/strong><\/span>How many of Adonikam’s offspring returned from Babylon?<\/strong><\/span><\/a> 667<\/span> (Nehemiah 7:18) 15. <\/strong><\/span>How should adultery be punished?<\/strong><\/span><\/a> They should not be punished<\/span>. (John 8:3-8) 16. <\/strong><\/span>Is it wrong to commit adultery?<\/strong><\/span><\/a> No<\/span> (Hosea 1:2, Hosea 3:1) 17. <\/strong><\/span>Was Haman an Agagite?<\/strong><\/span><\/a> No, Agag and all Amalekites were killed in a God-ordained genocide.<\/span> (1 Samuel 15:2-3, 7-8, 32-33) 18. <\/strong><\/span>Was Ahaz buried with his fathers?<\/strong><\/span><\/a>
\n800<\/span> (2 Samuel 23:8)
\nWrong<\/strong>. Josheb-Basshebeth slew 800 enemies at one time. He was \u201cChief of the Three (Adjutants)\u201d.<\/p>\n
\nWrong<\/strong>. Jashobeam slew 300 enemies at one time. He was \u201cChief of the Thirty (Commanders)\u201d.
\nNote. Two individuals are sometimes taken as one person due to the KJV which mistakenly calls them \u201cChief of the Captains\u201d. No contradiction at all.
\nSee the article<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHe was justified<\/span> by faith.<\/span> (Romans 4:2)
\nRight<\/strong>. He was justified unto God<\/strong> by faith.
\nRead about justification the article<\/span><\/a>: The four spiritual laws explained for Skeptics.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nRight<\/strong>. He was justified unto men<\/strong> by works (as people don\u2019t recognize faith).
\nNote. People don\u2019t accept faith as a convincing argument. However the works unto men are in need of God\u2019s ongoing justification as they are never perfect. The offering of Isaac should convince the world later on that Abraham and Isaac were the rightly chosen patriarchs of Israel.
\nSee the article<\/span>.<\/a>
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\nAbraham had only one son.<\/span> (Genesis 22:2)
\nRight<\/strong>. Abram had got the new name Abraham; thereafter Isaac was born. And so Isaac was the only begotten son of Abraham at that time.<\/p>\n
\nWrong<\/strong>. Ishmael was the son of Abram, who had not yet received the new name Abraham. So Ishmael was at that moment the only begotten son of Abram.
\nSee the article<\/span><\/a>: What about the “only begotten son” of Abraham?<\/span>
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\nAbiathar was the son of Ahimelech.<\/span> (1 Samuel 23:6)
\nRight<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nRight<\/strong>. Abiathar apparently named a son of his Ahimelech, who also worked as priest during David’s reign.
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\nMaachah, the daughter of Abishalom<\/span> (1 Kings 15:1-2)
\nRight.<\/strong> Maachah (or Michaiah) was the granddaughter of Abishalom. According to the rule: \u201ca daughter of a daughter is a daughter\u201d, she is named as his \u201cdaughter\u201d. Tamar was the biological daughter of Abishalom (2 Samuel 14:27).
\nNote. This move was only accepted when the accurate genealogical status of an individual was clear from the book(s)context.<\/p>\n
\nRight.<\/strong> Uriel<\/strong> was the biological father and Tamar<\/strong> was the biological mother of Michaiah (or Maachah).
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\nAbijam was Asa\u2019s father.<\/span> (1 Kings 15:8)
\nRight<\/strong>. Asa was heir to the throne after his father Abijam.<\/p>\n
\nWrong<\/strong>. Maachah was the biological mother of Abijam and the grandmother of Asa. According to the rule \u201ca mother of a son is a mother of his son\u201d, there is no contradiction.
\nNote. This move was only accepted when the accurate genealogical status of an individual was clear from\u00a0the book(s)context.
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\n20 years<\/span> (1 Samuel 7:1-2, 10:24)
\nRight<\/strong>. This was the first period previous to Saul\u2019s reign.<\/p>\n
\nRight<\/strong>. This was the first and the second period together: the period previous to Saul\u2019s reign and the period of Saul\u2019s reign (40 years), at least 60 years.
\nI don\u2019t see a problem.
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\n86 years old<\/span> (Genesis 16:16)
\nRight<\/strong>. This is clear from the text; 11 years after his entering in Canaan (age 75).<\/p>\n
\nWrong. <\/strong>Sometimes it is supposed that Abram entered into Canaan at the age of 135 instead of 75 years. This is based only on a clear misinterpretation of Genesis 11:26-27.<\/em>
\nSee the article<\/span><\/a> and also<\/span><\/a>: How old was Abram when he left Haran?<\/span>
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\nAbsalom had three sons.<\/span> (2 Samuel 14:27)
\nRight<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nWrong<\/strong>. They died \u2013 certainly due to an accident or deadly illness – and Absalom built a monument for them and for himself with the remark \u201cI have no son to\u00a0keep my name in remembrance\u201d.
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\nAfter forty years.<\/span> (2 Samuel 15:7)
\nRight<\/strong>. Shortly after the festivities of David\u2019s forty year jubilee.<\/p>\n
\nWrong<\/strong>. David reigned 40 and a half years (2 Samuel 5:5). Immediately after the festivities, Absalom\u00a0initiated the revolt and within a month the fight was done.
\nSee the article<\/span><\/a>.
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\n– First Account (Genesis 1:1-2:3)
\nHumans were created after<\/em> the ‘other animals’.<\/span> (Genesis 1:25-27)
\nWrong. <\/strong>They were created after the animals?<\/em> Humans are not simply \u201cother animals\u201d. We don\u2019t eat humans, do we?
\n– Second Account (Genesis 2:4-25)
\nHumans were created before<\/em> the ‘other animals’.<\/span> (Genesis 2:18-19)
\nWrong<\/strong>. The second account gives many flashbacks and doesn\u2019t present a historical sequence of events.<\/p>\n
\nThe first man and woman were created simultaneously.<\/span> (Genesis 1:27)
\nWrong<\/strong>. There is no mentioning here of a simultaneous creation.
\n– Second Account (Genesis 2:4-25)
\nThe man was created first, then the animals, then the woman from the man’s rib<\/span>. (Genesis 2:18-22)
\nWrong<\/strong>. The animals were created first, then the man and then the woman from the man\u2019s rib.
\nNote. 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. It is quite amusing that the critic himself does the same. He gives the SAB Contradictions in at random sequence<\/em>. Does he want to suggest that his proposed contradictions are wrong?
\nNo Contradictions<\/span><\/p>\n
\nAchan’s father was Carmi.<\/span> (Joshua 7:1)
\nRight<\/strong>. Carmi was the biological father of Achan.<\/p>\n
\nWrong<\/strong>. Zerah was Achan\u2019s great-grandfather, but according to the rule \u201ca father of a father is a father etc.\u201d Achan can be named \u201cthe son of Zerah\u201d.
\nNote. This move was accepted when the accurate genealogical status of an individual was clear from the context of the book(s); which is the case here.
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\n454<\/span> (Ezra 2:15)
\nRight<\/strong>. This is a quotation from the list that Ezra recorded in Babylon at the meeting place of departure.<\/p>\n
\nRight<\/strong>. This is a quotation from the list that was made up after the journey to Jerusalem. It shows that after the departure many of Adin\u2019s offspring who came up later, joined the stream of immigrants.
\nSee the article<\/span><\/a>: Contradictory lists about Israelites that returned from Babel?<\/span>
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\n666<\/span> (Ezra 2:13)
\nRight<\/strong>. This is a quotation from the list that Ezra recorded in Babylon at the meeting place of departure.<\/p>\n
\nRight<\/strong>. This is a quotation from the list that was made up after the journey to Jerusalem. It seems that a birth during the journey took place.
\nSee the article<\/span><\/a>: Contradicting\u00a0lists about Israelites that returned from Babel?
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\nThey should be executed<\/span>. (Leviticus 20:10)
\nWrong<\/strong>. The aggrieved person had to lodge a complaint against the guilty party. That was not always possible. Uriah could not complain anymore. David and Bathsheba stayed alive. The aggrieved was free to not complain and could remain silent. No complainant, no case. Joseph didn\u2019t want to accuse Mary, but tried to leave her. The death penalty for adultery was only meant as an ultimate possibility to protect the status of matrimony<\/em>. Generally the complainant accepted a large amount of compensation.<\/p>\n
\nWrong<\/strong>. Jesus accepted fully the Law of Moses. In this story there was only the guilty woman and so according to the law there was no case as the adultery man was missing. No case, no condemnation.
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\nYes<\/span> (Exodus 20:14, Deuteronomy 5:18, Hebrews 13:4)
\nRight<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nWrong<\/strong>. (Hosea 1:2) The prophet Hosea married a converted woman who had lived in adultery in her former life. She had abandoned her former life as is clear from the fact that she became a faithful wife of Hosea who bore him three children. As the apostle Paul said \u201cWhat they were, makes no difference to me.\u201d (Galatians 2:6)
\n(Hosea 3:1 \u201clove\u201d has the meaning of \u201cchoose\u201d here and is not related to marriage or sexual intercourse as is clear from the context.)
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n
\nYes<\/span> (Esther 3:1)
\nRight<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nVery wrong<\/strong>. Not all Amalekites had been killed, only the guilty ones.<\/em> There is no question of a God-ordained genocide in the referred texts. Compare: Moses proclaimed in the desert the conquest of Canaan; only the cities that attacked the Israelites<\/em> were taken (Joshua 11:19-20). Only the Amalekites that had cruelly oppressed the Israelites, were attacked. Those who didn\u2019t want to flee were slain with the ban, the general rule of war at that time; as the Amalekites had applied in Israel for years and worse.\u00a0<\/em>
\nNo Contradiction<\/span><\/p>\n