A Bible Contradiction?
The following passage was recently discussed by some Seventh-day Adventist ministers as being difficult to understand. It was said one shouldn’t base belief on a passage that was a bit confusing but should go with a passage that was clear. I would agree that one should compare Scripture with Scripture and that some passages explain those that are obscure but that approach can evade the real issue; i.e., does the Bible contradict itself? Here is the passage in question.
2 Samuel 24:1-2
King James Version – “And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.”
New King James Version (NKJV) – “Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah.’ So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army who was with him, ‘Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people.”
Those two passages may appear to mean the same thing but they don’t. Here is a related passage to ponder.
1 Chronicles 21:1 versus 2 Samuel 24:1-2
King James Version – “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.”
Is there a contradiction between 1 Chronicles 21:1 and 2 Samuel 24:1-2? Did the Lord prompt David to number Israel or was it Satan? One little word makes the difference between the fake bible and the real infallible Bible that has no mistakes. Here are some word definitions from Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language.
FOR – “Because; on account of; by reason of.”
SO – “Therefore; thus; for this reason; in consequence of this or that.”
Let’s try substituting “because” for “for” in the King James Bible and “therefore” for “so” in the NKJV.
Modified King James Version – And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. Because the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
Modified NKJV – Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” Therefore the king said to Joab, the commander of the army who was with him, “Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people.”
In the King James Version, God was angry because David ordered Joab to take a census. In other words, God became angry AFTER David gave that order to Joab. In the New King James Version God became angry and then “incited” David to take a census and therefore, because God (not Satan) incited him, David took the census. The NKJV makes it look like God made David sin and then punished him for sinning.
I will agree that for those used to reading fake easier-to-read bibles and/or relying on the Hebrew, the passage in the King James Bible may be confusing. Here is further light on the passage.
“Intercourse with heathen peoples led to a desire to follow their national customs and kindled ambition for worldly greatness. As the people of Jehovah, Israel was to be honored; but as pride and self-confidence increased, the Israelites were not content with this pre-eminence. They cared rather for their standing among other nations. This spirit could not fail to invite temptation. David determined to increase his army by requiring military service from all who were of proper age. To effect this, it became necessary to take a census of the population.” Patriarchs and Prophets page 746-747.
Both David and the people of Israel sinned in having “ambition for worldly greatness” and this is the reason that both David and the people were punished by a plague that killed 70,000 men (see 1 Chronicles 21:14). David’s sin caused the plague but it was Satan and not God that incited David to sin.
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© Martin J. Lohne 2021