Apparent Contradictions

Is not the number of Israelites mentioned in Numbers 1:39 contradicted by the number given elsewhere?

The number given in Numbers 1:39 is a mistranslation for which we cannot account, as both the Septuagint and Hebrew have 22,800. It is well to remember that seeming contradictions are often due to mistranslations.

How can we reconcile Deuteronomy 24:16 with the destruction of the families of Achan, Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and instances of famine, plague and death falling upon the people because of the sin of one, e. g., in the case of Saul (2 Sam. 21:1, 2)?

The command of God in Deuteronomy 24:16 is in accord with that of Genesis 9:5, 6. The life of the guilty one alone was to be taken, and this command the rulers in Israel, and in fact all in authority in civilized lands, have obeyed (see, e. g., 2 Kings 14:6; Ezek. 18:19). In the instances named, and in every such instance in the history of the race, it is God Himself acting upon His own divine prerogative. Nowhere nor ever is this prerogative delegated to man.

Numbers 14:34 speaks of God’s “breach of promise.” How do we reconcile this with the character of God?

See Numbers 14:22-35. It tallies perfectly with Deuteronomy 1:35, in the light of Numbers 14:28, 34 — “breach of promise” meaning (see margin) “altering of my purpose.” The covenant in Deuteronomy 5:3 is the altered covenant: that spoken of in Deuteronomy 1:35 is the original covenant before it was altered in the wisdom of

God.

Since God is unchangeable, how could He repent,
as Genesis 6:6, 7 indicates?

The word ‘‘repent’” here means “a change of mind,” or “a changed mind.’’ When applied to God, the word is used phenomenally, according to Old Testament custom. God seems to change His mind because He changes His method. The phenomena are such as, in the case of a man, would indicate a change of mind. It is part of the difficulty with which Deity must deal in attempting to explain Himself to finite minds.

In 1 Chronicles 2:13-15 Jesse is said to have seven sons and in 1 Samuel 16:10, 11, eight. How can this contradiction be reconciled?

The apparent contradiction between these passages cannot, perhaps, be satisfactorily removed in the present condition of the Hebrew text. The usual answer is that the genealogical tables in Chronicles are rather the official than the family tables and contain, as official records of births, marriages and deaths now do, many omissions. This does not impugn verbal inspiration, for all that can be demanded of inspiration is an accurate transcript of the Jewish genealogical records. Inspiration no more makes itself responsible for the exact truth of those records than for the exact truth of Satan’s lie to Eve. Inspiration reports the matter accurately — that is all.