Contradictions and Paradoxes in Judges 20:17

Check out Contradictions Catalog of Judges 20:17 for the comprehensive list of verses that contradicts Judges 20:17. Some key contradictions and paradoxes are described below.

According to the author of Judges, this verse means that there were 400,000 strong and brave soldiers from Israel, not counting the people from the tribe of Benjamin. They were all ready to fight in a big battle.

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 Numbers 1:46

This verse mentions that the total number of fighting men in Israel at the time of the census was much larger than the sum mentioned in Judges 20:17, highlighting a discrepancy in numbers.

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

Contradiction with Judges 1:19

This verse indicates that Judah could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had chariots of iron, implying that Israelite numbers alone might not ensure victory, which contradicts the numerical confidence in Judges 20:17.

Judges 1:19: And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out [the inhabitants of] the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. [drave...: or, possessed the mountain]

Contradiction with Judges 20:46

This verse later in the same chapter provides a different figure for the number of people who died in Benjamin, contradicting the initial army count intentions of the Israelite forces in Judges 20:17.

Judges 20:46: So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these [were] men of valour.

Contradiction with 2 Samuel 24:9

The numbers provided here for Israel and Judah's fighting men are different from those in Judges 20:17, indicating inconsistency in the counts of Israel's military strength.

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 21:5

Presents a different set of figures for the total number of warriors in Israel and Judah, conflicting with the enumeration in Judges 20:17.

1 Chronicles 21:5: And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all [they of] Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah [was] four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.
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