Contradiction with 1 Chronicles 21:22
In 2 Samuel 24:21, David seeks to buy the threshing floor from Araunah, while in 1 Chronicles 21:22, the name mentioned is Ornan, highlighting a contradiction in the name of the owner.
1 Chronicles 21:22: Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of [this] threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people. [Grant: Heb. Give]
Contradiction with 2 Samuel 24:24
In 2 Samuel 24:21, Araunah offers the threshing floor and animals for free, yet David insists on paying in verse 24, showing a shift in the implied offers.
2 Samuel 24:24: And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy [it] of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
Paradox #1
2 Samuel 24:21 talks about King David wanting to build an altar to stop a plague. The potential theological conflict arises when comparing this event with 1 Chronicles 21:1, where the reason for the census differs. In one, God incites David to take a census, while in the other, Satan is the provocateur. This raises questions about understanding God's role and the nature of divine influence or temptation in the narrative.
Paradox #2
One contradiction related to 2 Samuel 24:21 is the cause of the census conducted by David. In 2 Samuel, it is implied that God incited David to conduct the census, possibly as a form of judgment. However, in 1 Chronicles 21:1, it says that Satan incited David to take the census. This presents an inconsistency regarding who prompted David to carry out the action.