Contradiction with Exodus 20:3
This verse commands fidelity to God, whereas 2 Kings 18:16 describes stripping God’s temple, seemingly prioritizing political needs over religious devotion.
Exodus 20:3: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Contradiction with Isaiah 39:6
This verse prophesies the Babylonian exile and loss of treasures, while 2 Kings 18:16 describes voluntary giving away of treasures, suggesting different causes for the temple's loss of wealth.
Isaiah 39:6: Behold, the days come, that all that [is] in thine house, and [that] which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
Contradiction with 1 Kings 6:21-22
These verses describe Solomon overlaying the temple with gold, in contrast to 2 Kings 18:16 where gold is removed from the temple.
1 Kings 6:21-22: So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.
Contradiction with 2 Chronicles 29:3
This verse speaks about repairing and restoring the temple, which contradicts 2 Kings 18:16 where temple assets are removed.
2 Chronicles 29:3: He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.
Contradiction with 2 Kings 12:18
In this verse, treasures are taken from the temple to pay off an invader, similar but also demonstrating a persistent issue contrary to the presumed sanctity of the temple's resources in 2 Kings 18:16.
2 Kings 12:18: And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold [that was] found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king's house, and sent [it] to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem. [went...: Heb. went up]
Paradox #1
The contradiction with 2 Kings 18:16 could involve the account of King Hezekiah stripping gold from the temple doors, which may conflict with descriptions in other Biblical passages where Hezekiah is portrayed as a faithful king who trusts in God, such as in 2 Chronicles 29-31. This action might seem inconsistent with his overall depiction as a righteous and godly leader.