Contradictions and Paradoxes in 1 Samuel 11:8

Check out Contradictions Catalog of 1 Samuel 11:8 for the comprehensive list of verses that contradicts 1 Samuel 11:8. Some key contradictions and paradoxes are described below.

According to the author of 1 Samuel, God helped Saul bring together a really big army of people to help save their friends. This shows that when people work together, they can do amazing things with God's help.

1 Samuel 11:8: And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

Contradiction with Numbers 1:46

Numbers 1:46 lists the total number of fighting men as 603,550, which contrasts with the much lower figure of 330,000 in 1 Samuel 11:8.

Numbers 1:46: Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

Contradiction with Judges 20:17

Judges 20:17 states that Israel had 400,000 swordsmen, a number significantly larger than the total mentioned in 1 Samuel 11:8.

Judges 20:17: And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these [were] men of war.

Contradiction with 2 Samuel 24:9

2 Samuel 24:9 reports a count of 800,000 capable men in Israel and 500,000 in Judah, numbers vastly different from those in 1 Samuel 11:8.

2 Samuel 24:9: And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah [were] five hundred thousand men.

Contradiction with 1 Chronicles 12:23

1 Chronicles 12:23 describes the numbers of armed troops joining David at Hebron as being very large compared to the forces counted in 1 Samuel 11:8.

1 Chronicles 12:23: And these [are] the numbers of the bands [that were] ready armed to the war, [and] came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD. [bands: or, captains, or, men: Heb. heads]

Contradiction with 2 Chronicles 17:14-18

2 Chronicles 17:14-18 lists the military forces of Judah as 1,160,000 men, which greatly exceeds the total in 1 Samuel 11:8.

2 Chronicles 17:14-18: And these [are] the numbers of them according to the house of their fathers: Of Judah, the captains of thousands; Adnah the chief, and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand.

Paradox #1

1 Samuel 11:8 mentions the number of Israelites as 300,000 and the men of Judah as 30,000. This might contradict other biblical records of census figures, which sometimes report different numbers for similar populations or events. Such discrepancies can lead to debates about the historical consistency of these texts.

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