Contradiction with Joshua 10:13
While Isaiah 38:8 speaks of the shadow going backward, Joshua 10:13 describes the sun standing still and the moon stopping, two different miraculous events involving celestial bodies.
Joshua 10:13: And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. [Is] not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. [Jasher: or, the upright?]
Contradiction with Ecclesiastes 1:5
Isaiah 38:8 describes a supernatural alteration in the sun's movement, but Ecclesiastes 1:5 emphasizes the regular, unchanging cycle of the sun rising and setting.
Ecclesiastes 1:5: The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. [hasteth: Heb. panteth]
Paradox #1
One possible contradiction with Isaiah 38:8 is related to the idea of God controlling natural laws. The verse implies a miraculous event affecting the sun's movement, which some might see as conflicting with the regular, predictable patterns of nature created by God. This can raise questions about how God's sovereignty interacts with the consistency of the natural world.
Paradox #2
Some people find it hard to accept the miracle described in Isaiah 38:8, where it's said that the sun's shadow moved backward. This seems to contradict our understanding of natural laws and how the sun and earth work, so historians and scientists find it challenging to explain how this could have happened physically. Others see it as a symbolic story or a demonstration of divine power, not meant to be taken literally.
Paradox #3
The contradiction in Isaiah 38:8 arises from the description of the sun's shadow moving backward, which suggests a reversal of the Earth's rotation or a similar astronomical event that would contradict our current understanding of physics and celestial mechanics. Such an event would require an enormous amount of energy and would have catastrophic effects on the Earth, which is not supported by scientific evidence.
Paradox #4
Isaiah 38:8 talks about the sun's shadow moving backward, which could be seen as contradicting our understanding of natural laws and how shadows work. In reality, for a shadow to move backward, the Earth's rotation would have to reverse, which would cause catastrophic events. This idea challenges the consistent behavior of natural laws as we understand them.