2Sam 24:9 vs 1Chr 21:5: Bible Contradictions?

MUSLIM DETRACTORS of the BIBLE and CHRISTIANITY cite 2Samuel 24:9 and 1Chronicles 21:5 to show supposed "contradictions" in the Bible.

One such MUSLIM DETRACTOR is BEN LANCUYAN who posed to me the question below:

How many fighting men were found in Judah?
Five hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9)
Four hundred and seventy thousand (I Chronicles 21:5)

LIKE MOST Muslim detractors, BEN LANCUYAN, SIMPLY DOES NOT UNDERSTAND what he is asking about.


THERE are NO CONTRADICTIONS between 2Samuel 24:9 and 1Chronicles 21:5. We will see that with a simple reading and study of the two verses.

2Samuel 24:9 (NRSV)
Joab reported to the king the number of those who had been recorded: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand soldiers able to draw the sword, and those of Judah were five hundred thousand.

1Chronicles 21:5 (NRSV)
Joab gave the total count of the people to David. In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and in Judah four hundred seventy thousand who drew the sword.

A careful reading of the two verses will show CLEAR DIFFERENCES in WHO WERE COUNTED.

In 2Sam 24:9, we can see that the 800,000 counted were "SOLDIERS." In Hebrew, the word used was "IS HA-YIL," which refers to members of the ARMY or as SOLDIERS.


Now, WHO WERE the ONE MILLION (1,000,000) COUNTED or REFERRED TO in 1Chr 21:5? Were they also "SOLDIERS"?


NO.


1Chronicles 21:5 REFERRED to MEN "IN ALL ISRAEL" "WHO DREW THE SWORD." Meaning, the 1,000,000 did not only include SOLDIERS but even those who were NOT SOLDIERS--ALL MEN who COULD USE a SWORD.


So, that clearly explains the difference between the NUMBERS given by 2Sam 24:9 and 1Chr 21:5.


2Sam 24:9 = 800,000 SOLDIERS
1Chr 21:5 = 800,000 SOLDIERS + 200,000 NON-SOLDIERS




In short, CLEARLY THERE ARE NO CONTRADICTIONS BETWEEN 2Sam 24:9 and 1Chr 21:5.


If only MUSLIM DETRACTORS would study the verses well--and IF ONLY THEY STUDY ALL the SUPPOSED CONTRADICTIONS IN THE BIBLE--THEY WILL SEE that THERE ARE REALLY NO CONTRADICTIONS.

We pray and hope that MUSLIM DETRACTORS would LOOK FOR the TRUTH and NOT LOOK for WAY to DISTORT WHAT is TRUE.


SALAMAT po.