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The Contradiction Desk

Claimed Bible contradictions, stated the way they circulate, each with one diagnosis and the evidence for it: the Hebrew, the Greek, the manuscripts.

God tempted Abraham, and God tempts no one The King James says God did tempt Abraham. James says God tempts no one. One English verb is doing two different jobs.
God repented, and God does not repent Genesis 6:6 says it repented the Lord. Numbers 23:19 says God is not a man, that he should repent. The Hebrew verb is the same, and the English word has moved.
Thou shalt not kill, and slay every man his brother The commandment in the King James forbids killing. Twelve chapters later Moses tells the Levites to kill. The Hebrew verb in the commandment is narrower than English kill.
I make peace, and create evil In the King James, God says he makes peace and creates evil. The Hebrew word ra covers disaster as well as wickedness, and most modern versions read calamity or disaster.
Did the men with Paul hear the voice? Acts 9:7 says the men travelling with Saul heard the voice. Acts 22:9 has Paul say they did not. The Greek verb for hear also means understand, and many versions read it that way in chapter 22.
Bear one another's burdens, and bear your own Galatians 6:2 says carry each other's burdens. Three verses later each one carries his own. Paul used two different Greek nouns.
Whosoever is born of God cannot sin 1 John 1:8 says anyone who claims to have no sin deceives himself. 1 John 3:9 says whoever is born of God cannot sin. The Greek verbs are present tense, and many versions read keep on sinning.
In the day you eat of it you will die God tells Adam that in the day he eats he will surely die. Adam lives to 930. The ESV footnotes the phrase as when you eat.
Animals before Adam, or after? Genesis 1 has the animals made before the first humans. Genesis 2:19 in many versions reads as if God formed them after Adam. Some versions read had formed.
A great fish, or a whale? Jonah says a great fish swallowed him. In the King James, Jesus says Jonah was in the whale's belly. Matthew's Greek word does not name a whale.
Ears, or a body? Psalm 40:6 says God dug open the psalmist's ears. Hebrews 10:5 quotes it as a body prepared. Hebrews is quoting the old Greek translation of the psalm, not the Hebrew.
In Isaiah the prophet, or in the prophets? Mark opens with a quotation he credits to Isaiah, but the first line of it is from Malachi. The King James reads in the prophets, which removes the problem. The critical editions read Isaiah.
Angry without a cause In the King James, Jesus condemns anger without a cause. Without those three words he condemns anger, and then is angry himself in Mark 3:5. The words are in some Greek texts and not others.
I go not up yet Jesus tells his brothers he is not going up to the feast, and then goes. The King James has not yet, and so do many manuscripts. Others read only not.
Joseph and his mother, or his father and his mother? Luke 1 says Jesus was conceived without a human father. Luke 2:33 in most modern versions calls Joseph his father. The King James reads Joseph and his mother.
Why callest thou me good? In Mark, Jesus asks why he is called good. In the critical text of Matthew he asks why he is asked about what is good. The King James reads Matthew the way Mark reads.
Leaning on his bed, or on his staff? Genesis 47:31 has Jacob bow at the head of his bed. Hebrews 11:21 has him worship leaning on the top of his staff. The two Hebrew words have the same consonants.
Seventy, or seventy-five? Genesis counts seventy of Jacob's family going down to Egypt. Stephen in Acts says seventy-five. Stephen's number is in the Septuagint and in two Hebrew copies from Qumran.
Four hundred and thirty years from when? Exodus says Israel lived in Egypt 430 years. Paul says the law came 430 years after the promise to Abraham. The Greek and Samaritan texts of Exodus count Canaan too.
Cainan, son of Arphaxad Luke's genealogy puts a Cainan between Arphaxad and Shelah. Genesis does not. The Septuagint of Genesis does.
Who killed Goliath? 1 Samuel 17 says David killed Goliath. The Hebrew of 2 Samuel 21:19 says Elhanan did. 1 Chronicles 20:5 says Elhanan killed Goliath's brother, and the King James carries that reading into 2 Samuel.
Twenty-two or forty-two? 2 Kings 8:26 says Ahaziah was twenty-two when he became king. The Hebrew of 2 Chronicles 22:2 says forty-two. Most modern versions print twenty-two in both places.
Seven hundred chariots, or seven thousand? 2 Samuel 10:18 says David killed the men of 700 chariots and 40,000 horsemen. 1 Chronicles 19:18 says 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers. A number and a noun disagree.
Forty thousand stalls, or four thousand? 1 Kings 4:26 gives Solomon forty thousand stalls for his chariot horses. 2 Chronicles 9:25 gives him four thousand. One Hebrew manuscript of Kings reads four thousand too.
Seven years of famine, or three? After David's census, the prophet Gad offers him seven years of famine in 2 Samuel and three years in 1 Chronicles. The Septuagint of Samuel reads three.
Eighteen or eight? 2 Kings 24:8 says Jehoiachin was eighteen when he became king. Most Hebrew manuscripts of 2 Chronicles 36:9 say eight. Some Hebrew manuscripts and the Septuagint read eighteen there too.
Two thousand baths, or three thousand? 1 Kings 7:26 says Solomon's bronze Sea held two thousand baths. 2 Chronicles 4:5 says three thousand. The CSB emends Chronicles to match Kings.
Seventeen hundred horsemen, or seven thousand? The Hebrew of 2 Samuel 8:4 says David took 1,700 horsemen. 1 Chronicles 18:4 says 1,000 chariots and 7,000 horsemen. The Septuagint and a Dead Sea Scroll of Samuel read with Chronicles.
Baasha's war after Baasha's death 2 Chronicles 16:1 has Baasha of Israel attack Judah in Asa's thirty-sixth year. By the dates in 1 Kings, Baasha died in Asa's twenty-sixth.
Saul was one year old The Hebrew of 1 Samuel 13:1 says Saul was a year old when he became king and reigned two years. Paul says he reigned forty. The numbers in the Hebrew appear to be damaged.