1 Kings 7:29 Contradictions and Paradoxes

According to the writer of 1 Kings, the design of the decorations described includes animals like lions and oxen, as well as cherubim, which are special angel-like creatures. This shows how carefully and beautifully people made things a long time ago.

Contradiction with 1 Kings 6:31

1 Kings 6:31 describes a doorway for the inner sanctuary made of olive wood, while 1 Kings 7:29 mentions intricate decorations on the bases without reference to any doorways.

1 Kings 6:31: And for the entering of the oracle he made doors [of] olive tree: the lintel [and] side posts [were] a fifth part [of the wall]. [a fifth...: or, fivesquare]

Contradiction with 1 Kings 7:23

1 Kings 7:23 describes the making of the molten sea, a large basin, without mentioning the intricate decorations detailed in 1 Kings 7:29, highlighting different focuses in the descriptions.

1 Kings 7:23: And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: [it was] round all about, and his height [was] five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. [from...: Heb. from his brim to his brim]

Contradiction with Exodus 20:4

Exodus 20:4 forbids making graven images, which could be seen as contradicting the detailed carvings of lions, oxen, and cherubims in 1 Kings 7:29.

Exodus 20:4: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:

Contradiction with Deuteronomy 5:8

Similar to Exodus 20:4, Deuteronomy 5:8 prohibits creating graven images, contrasting with the decorative engravings on the borders in 1 Kings 7:29.

Deuteronomy 5:8: Thou shalt not make thee [any] graven image, [or] any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the waters beneath the earth:

Contradiction with 1 Kings 8:9

1 Kings 8:9 highlights the Ark only containing the two stone tablets, a stark simplicity compared to the detailed artistic descriptions in 1 Kings 7:29.

1 Kings 8:9: [There was] nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made [a covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. [when the: or, where the]

Contradiction with Isaiah 40:18

Isaiah 40:18 questions whom God can be likened to or compared, challenging the appropriateness of creating images and decorations as in 1 Kings 7:29.