Contradictions within the Bible

[Janice]

I won't put all of this into quotes, as it would be too hard to read. Everything below the dotted line is a quote from: The Bible and Contradictions Within

Much has been said lately about contradictions between the Bible and Book of Mormon, the implication being that the Book of Mormon must not be inspired or there would be no contractions.

Given this same logic, we must also assume that the Bible is also not inspired.

But personally, I choose to reject this logic, and I still accept both as the Word of God. I understand that both books are a collection of the writings of inspired prophets, and even if a few things don't seem to mesh 100%, such inconsistencies do not change the fact God commanded these men to write, and they did. They wrote both for the benefit of the people of their times as well as for us today.

We will all benefit if we read these writings, pray and ponder over them, and then incorporate their teachings into our lives.

Everything below is quoted:

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Scholars have estimated that the Bible contains over two thousand explicit or implicit contradictions. Some are major, some trivial: this list is only a small selection. Through history, attmpts to resolve these contradictions have produced thousands of volumes, few of which agree. And in the process, men have spilled thousands of gallons of blood. Yet, the contradictions remain. What do you make of them?

Perhaps the best answer is the simplest: that the Bible is not all the perfect, infallable word of God. Interestingly, the Bible itself confirms this. It tells us that all scripture is by inspiration of God (II Timothy 3:16), but also tells us that some of its parts are not from divine inspiration (I Corinthians 7:6. 5:12: II Corinthians 11:17). What could be clearer?

Please understand the purpose of this booklet. It is not to make believers into non-believers, but simply to make some non-questioners into questioners.

CONTRADICTIONS

(This first item is apparent in the KJ version. but much clearer in other translations, such as the New American Bible.)

1

At least two Creation stories appear in the Bible, and they disagree. The first is in Genesis 1:1 to 2:3, the second in the remainder of Chapter 2.

In the first version, God (Elohim in the manuscripts) created men & women on the same day (1:27). subsequent to the creation of all animals (1:25). In the second version, God (Jehovah) created Adam first (2:7). then animals & birds (2:19). then Eve (2:22). In the first version. trees appeared before man (1:11): in the second. the world was barren of vegetation at the time of man's creation (2:5). and plantlife was created later (2:8-9).

Compare these with Genesis 5:1-2, a third creation story, which strongly suggests the simultaneous creation of man & woman. It states that at the time of the creation of men and women. God blessed them and called them "man" (in the Hebrew text, adam).

Most translators and Bible scholars candidly admit the differences in the Creation stories. and call the first two the Priestly and the Yahwehist versions. (In particular, see the New American Bible and its fine commentary.) The versions differ strongly in texture and language as #ell as content. ln some translations, however, verb tenses are subtly altered to conceal the problems.

(This item is clearest in the New International Bible and the Revised KJ Bible.)

2

Genesis 6:4 The Nephilim (Giants) lived on earth prior to the Flood.

Genesis 7:23 Only Noah and his family, and the animals on the Ark, survived the Flood.

Numbers 13:33 Long after the Flood, the Nephilim (Giants) still lived.

3

Genesis 9:3-4 God makes a covenant with Noah: Mankind will be permitted to eat the flesh of any living creature, as long as the blood is drained.

Deuteronomy 14:7-20 God goes back on his word.

4

Genesis 11:1,6-9 In the days of Babel, generations after the Flood, the world had one common language. God "confused the tongues" to create many.

Genesis 10:5 Prior to this. the Bible speaks of many "nations", each with its own language.

Some apologists suggest the Babel story was a "flashback"; the events in Genesis 11:1-9 actually occured prior to those in Genesis 10:5. It's possible, but nothing in the source manuscripts support it. The narrative link at the beginning of Chapter 11 is the same which elsewhere is translated as "and", and invaribly implies a normal sucession of events.

5

Exodus 4:11 God admitted He is the cause of blindness. deafness. dumbness.

Isaiah 53:2 It is sometimes God's will to crush people or to cause them to suffer.

Lamentations 3:33 Yet, God does not willingly cause grief or affliction.

(In the KJ version:)

6

Genesis 15:13.16 God fortold the enslavement of the descendants of Abram (Abraham). but said they would return in the "fourth generation".

The return actually occured in the fifth generation--or the sixth. if you wish to count Abraham. The generations were: 1. Abraham: 2. Isaac (Gen 21:3): 3. Levi (Ex 1:3); 4. Kohath (Ex 6:16); 5. Aram (Ex 6:18): 6. Moses (Ex 6:20).

Genesis 11:26.32 Terah lived 135 years after begetting Abraham. Acts 7:4

Abraham departed Haran when his father (Terah) was dead. Genesis 12:4

Abraham was 75 years old when he departed Haran. Thus, after living 135 years. Abraham was only 75 years old!

(In the KJ version:)

7

Genesis 23:1 God tempted Abraham.

James 1:13 God tempts no one.

8

Who brought Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the courtier of Pharaoh?

Genesis 37:38,36 The Midianites.

Geneis 39:1 The Ishmaelites.

9

Exodus 3:10. 4:19-23 God sent Moses to Egypt to speak to Pharaoh.

Exodus 4:24-26 God immediately and arbitrarily attempted to kill Moses before Moses could carry out the mission. No explanation provided.

10

Exodus 9:3-6 God killed all the cattle (field animals) of the Egyptians with a grevious murrain. including the horses. asses, camels, oxen and sheep. None survived the plague.

Exodus 9:19-21,25 Later. at least some of the Egyptian field animals were mysteriously alive again, to suffer a plague of hail.

11

Exodus 6:2-3 God informed Moses that previousiy His name (Jehovah) had been unknown even to the patriarchs. such as Abraham. Isaac and Jacob.

Genesis 4:26 long before this. men began to call on the name of the Lord, "Jehovah".

Genesis 22:14 Abraham named a place Jehovah-jireh. "The Lord will provide."

Note: In each passage in the Pentateuch manuscripts. the name given is Yod-He-Vau-He, YHVH. generally interpreted as "Yahweh", "Yehovah" or "Jehovah".

12

Exodus 20:4 Image-making forbidden.

Exodus 25:18 Commanded.

13

Exodus 20:13 Murder forbidden.

Exodus 23:27 Commanded.

14

Exodus 20:15 Stealing forbidden.

Exodus 3:21-22 Commanded.

15

Exodus 20:16 Lying forbidden.

I Kings 22:20 Commanded.

16

Leviticus 11:6 The Bible maintains that hares chew cud, like cows. They do not.

17

leviticus 11:21-23 Also, that locusts. beetles and grasshoppers have four legs.

18

Leviticus 3:17, 11:1-47 God gave many rules about what may be eaten or handled.

Colossians 2:21-22 Such rules come from man, not God.

19

Leviticus 19:15 You must judge your neighbor.

Matthew 7:1 Judge not.

(In the KJ version:)

20

Numbers 23:19; I Samuel 15:29 God does not repent.

Genesis 6:6; Exodus 32:14: I Samuel 15:11.35: Psalms 42:10: Jonah 3:10 God does repent.

21

Numbers 23:19: Titus 1:2 God cannot lie.

I Kings 22:20-30: II Chronicles 18:19-22 God deliberately sent a "lying spirit" into the mouth of Ahab's prophets.

II Thessalonians 2:11-12 God sends delusions on people to make them believe false things and be damned.

Ezekiel 13:9. 14:9 The Lord deceives prophets (puts false words into their mouths) in order to get rid of them.

22

Numbers 31:7.9,15-18 The Israelites slew all the Midianites. except some of the female children.

Judges 6:1.5 Later. the Midianites invaded the Israelites.

23

Numbers 33:37-42 Aaron died on Mount Hor, on the border of Edom. Immediately thereafter. the Israelites went to Zalmonah and Punon.

Deuteronomy 10:6-7 Aaron died in Moserah. Right after that, the Israelites traveled to Gudgodah and Jotbathah. (See also Deut 32:50.)

24

Deuteronomy 6:5: Matthew 22:37 We must love God.

Deuteronomy 6:13: I Peter 2:17 We must fear God.

I John 4:18 Perfect love cannot be mingled with fear.

25

Who inscribed the Ten Commandments on the second set of stone tablets?

Deuteronomy 10:1-2.4 God inscribed them.

Exodus 34:27-28 God dictated whiie Moses inscribed them.

26

Joshua 8:28 Joshua burnt the city of Ai, making it an ash heap forever.

Nehemiah 7:32 Ai still exists as a city.

27

Joshua 10:38-39 Joshua utterly destroyed the inhabitants of Debir; he did not leave a living soul.

Joshua 15:15,17; Judges 1:1,11,13 Othniel the son of Kenaz conquored Debar. It's evident that this was after Joshua's death.

28

Judges 4:21 Jael killed Sisera by driving a tent stake through his head while he slept, fastening his head to the ground.

Judges 5:26-27 When Jael killed Sisera. he sank to the ground at her feet. and died.

29

I Samuel 15:7-8,20 Saul completely destroyed the Amalekites.

I Samuel 27:8-9 Then David completely destroyed the Amalekites.

I Samuel 30:1-2,17 Later, David destroyed a raiding party of Amalekites. Only 400 men escaped.

I Chronicles 4:42-43 Finally the Simeonites killed all the Amalekites.

30

I Samuel 16:10.11 Jesse had seven sons besides his youngest, David.

I Chronicles 2:13-15 David was the seventh son.

31

How did King Saul become acquainted with David? Two contradictory accounts:

I Samuel 16:18-23 Saul met David when David entered Saul's servce as a royal harper. David was a warrior. A servant informed Saul of the identity of David's father. Thereafter David remained in Saul's service as both harper and armor bearer.

I Samuel 17:14-15,26,31-32,55-56, 18:1-2 David was a shepherd, and unlike his brothers did not follow Saul to war. Saul sent for him. having heard that David was asking about the reward for killing Goliath. Saul did not know the identity of David's father, and had to ask. Thereafter David remained in Saul's service and did not return home.

32

I Samuel 28:6 Saul attempted to consult the Lord.

I Chronicles 10:13-14 Saul did no such thing.

33

How did King Saul die?

I Samuel 31:4-6: I Chronicles 10:4-5 He committed suicide. II Samuel 1:8-10 An Amalekite slew him.

II Samuel 21:12 The Philistines slew him.

34

How many horsemen did David take from Hadadezer?

II Samuel 8:4 Seven hundred.

I Chronicles 18:4 Seven thousand.

35

II Samuel 10:18 David slew 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 horsemen.

I Chronicles 19:18 He slew 7000 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 footmen.

36

II Samuel 24:9 & I Chronicles 21:5 Contrary census totals for Israel.

37

I Kings 6:2: II Chronicles 3:3 The size of Solomon's temple was about ninety feet by thirty feet by fourty-five feet high.

I Chronicles 23:4 And yet, managing it required 23.000 servants.

38

How many chiefs or officers did Solomon have to oversee the people?

I Kings 9:23 Five hundred fifty.

II Chronicles 8:10 Two hundred fifty.

39

I Kings 16:6,8 Baasha, King of Israel. died in the 26th year of Asa's reign over Judah.

II Chronicles 16:1 In the 36th year of Asa's reign, Baasha built a city.

40

I Chronicles 21:1 Satan "rose up" against Israel and incited King David to take a census.

II Samuel 24:1 It was God who directly incited the census (apparently seeking an excuse to vent anger on Israel).

In both versions, God responded by killing thousands of Israelites (I Chron 21:7 onward & II Samuel 24:15 onward). In both versions, David criticised God for slaughtering so many innocents (I Chron 21:17, II Samuel 24:17).

41

II Samuel 24:24 King David paid 50 shekels of silver for the threshing floor, oxen, wheat, etc.. which he appropriated for ceremonial purposes.

I Chronicles 21:1 He paid 600 shekels of gold.

(Most explicit in the New American Bible and the International Bible:)

42

I Samuel 17:23.50-51 David slew the Philistine, Goliath of Gath.

II Samuel 21:19 Elhanan son of Jair slew Goliath of Gath. Note: In the standard KJ translation, the story is altered in the second instance, so that Elhanan slays the cousin of Goliath; the prevarication is disclosed by the italics in most editions. The contradiction stands in the source texts. See any good Bible commentary.

(Clearest in the Revised KJ version:)

43

II Samuel 6:23 Michal. the daughter of Saul, was childless.

II Samuel 21:8 She bore five sons.

Note: The Authorized (standard) KJ version says Michal "brought up" the five sons. but the more honest Revised KJ version makes it clear that these were her sons by birth. Some other translations substitute "Merab" or "Merob" for Michal in the same passage, but translators and commentators admit that in the majority of Septuagint sources, the name is Michal.

44

(In the New International Bible:)

II Kings 1:17 Joram became King of Israel in the second year that Jehoram son of Jehosaphat reigned over Judah.

11 Kings 8:16 Jehoram son of Jehosaphat became King of Judah in the fifth year of Joram's reign over Israel. Note: Joram (son of Ahab). the King of Israel. was also sometimes called Jehoram. Do not confuse him with the other Jehoram (son of Jehosaphat). the King of Judah. Again. see any good commentary.

45

II Kings 9:6-9, 10:11,30 The Lord commanded Jehu to destroy the house of Ahab. Jehu obeyed. destroying everyone in the city of #ezreei who was of the house of Ahab, including friends and priests. God commended him for these actions.

Hosea 1:4 God promises to punish the House of Jehu for the massacre.

46

(In the KJ and Revised KJ versions only:)

How old was King Ahaziah when he began to reign?

II Kings 8:26 22 years old.

II Chronicles 22:2 42 years old.

47

II Kings 16:5 King Ahaz of Judah (Jerusalem) was not conquered by the kings of Israel and Syria. (See also Isaiah 7:1-7. in which God prophesied that Israel and Syria will fail to conquor Jerusalem.)

II Chronicles 28:5-6 The kings of Israel and Syria did conquer him.

48

II Kings 23:29-30 King Josiah was slain at Magiddo. Servants brought his dead body to Jerusalem.

II Chronicles 35:22-24 He was wounded at Magiddo. Servants brought him alive to Jerusalem, where he died.

49

II Kings 25:19-20 Nebuzaradan, commander of the invading Babylonian army, took five royal advisors as prisoners.

Jeremiah 52:25-26 He took seven advisors as prisoners.

50

Compare Ezra 2:1-67 with Nehemiah 7:6-68 to find a number of contradictions. Each passage purports to be a comprehensive list, by family unit, of the inhabitants of Jerusalem who returned from Babylonian captivity. Compare numbers for each family: fourteen of them disagree. Moreover the addition is wrong. Both Ezra and Nehemiah put the total at 42,360 plus 2,337 servants. but simple addition shows it to be 29,818 in Ezra, and 31.089 in Nehemiah.

[Janice]

Because of the length of the quote, I could only post the first 50 offered from this source. For many more: The Bible and Contradictions Within

[Janice]

Ah! I see Dymmesdale beat me to it! Sorry everyone!

Dymmesdale, Please don't respond to all 50 instances (or the 200+ on the linked site). I am not interested in an itemized response. My point is only to show that contradictions exist in both. You seem to have no problem offering explanations for contradictions in the Bible, but yet at the same time you also seem to reject our explanations for those in the Book of Mormon.

Janice