Contradictions and Paradoxes in 1 Samuel 17:58

Check out Contradictions Catalog of 1 Samuel 17:58 for the comprehensive list of verses that contradicts 1 Samuel 17:58. Some key contradictions and paradoxes are described below.

According to the author of the book, this verse shows that King Saul is asking David who his dad is, because he doesn't know David well yet. David tells the king that his dad is Jesse, who is from a town called Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 17:58: And Saul said to him, Whose son [art] thou, [thou] young man? And David answered, I [am] the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

Contradiction with 1 Samuel 16:21-22

These verses mention Saul loved David greatly and made him his armourbearer, indicating familiarity, which contradicts Saul's inquiry about David’s identity in 1 Samuel 17:58.

1 Samuel 16:21-22: And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

Paradox #1

1 Samuel 17:58 could be seen as inconsistent with earlier passages because it seems that King Saul does not recognize David, even though David had previously served in his court as a musician and armor-bearer. This creates a potential contradiction about Saul's awareness of David's identity.

Paradox #2

The contradiction arises because earlier in the same book, at 1 Samuel 16, David is introduced to Saul and even becomes his armor-bearer and musician. Yet, in 1 Samuel 17:58, Saul seems not to recognize David after he defeats Goliath. This inconsistency creates confusion about Saul's familiarity with David.

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