Clear contradictions in the Old Testament

Clear contradictions in the Old Testament


Factual/Historical Contradictions

TopicPassage 1Passage 2Contradiction
David's census punishment2 Samuel 24:13 - Seven years of famine1 Chronicles 21:12 - Three years of famineDifferent duration
Who incited David's census2 Samuel 24:1 - God1 Chronicles 21:1 - SatanDifferent entity
Ahaziah's age at reign2 Kings 8:26 - 22 years old2 Chronicles 22:2 - 42 years old20-year difference
Jehoiachin's age2 Kings 24:8 - 18 years old2 Chronicles 36:9 - 8 years old10-year difference
Solomon's horses1 Kings 4:26 - 40,000 stalls2 Chronicles 9:25 - 4,000 stalls10x difference

Creation Account Differences

AspectGenesis 1Genesis 2Difference
OrderPlants → Animals → HumansAdam → Plants → Animals → EveDifferent sequence
TimelineSix daysOne day ("in the day")Different duration
Human creationMale/female togetherAdam first, Eve laterDifferent process

Legal/Moral Contradictions

IssuePassage 1Passage 2Contradiction
Punishment for parents' sinsExodus 20:5 - Children punished to 3rd/4th generationDeuteronomy 24:16 - Children not punished for parentsOpposite principles
Seeing GodExodus 33:20 - No one can see God and liveGenesis 32:30, Exodus 24:9-11 - People saw GodDirect contradiction
God's repentanceNumbers 23:19 - God doesn't repentGenesis 6:6, 1 Samuel 15:11 - God repentedOpposite claims

Genealogical Discrepancies

PersonIssueReferencesProblem
Moses' father-in-lawNamed Reuel, Jethro, and HobabExodus 2:18, 3:1, Numbers 10:29Multiple names/persons?
Benjamin's sonsDifferent numbersGenesis 46:21 vs 1 Chronicles 7:6Count mismatch

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