Why Does the Bible Contradict Itself?
A Case Study of Ahaziah’s Age
Assumptions
1. God is.
2. God gave Scripture.
3. Scripture is absolute truth.
4. The King James Version is Scripture.
5. Satan and man are at war against God and truth.
6. God promised to destroy the wisdom of man.
7. God promised to reveal the truth to His elect.
Why Does the Bible Contradict Itself?
To confuse scholars, who question and correct God.
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
Genesis 3:1
“For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
I Corinthians 1:19-20
“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”
I Corinthians 3:19-20
To deceive skeptics coming with preconceived ideas.
“And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.”
I Kings 22:20-22
“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?… And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.”
Ezekiel 14:3-9
To conceal truth from those who do not deserve it.
“For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.”
Isaiah 29:10-14
“And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”
Matthew 13:10-11
To expose the false versions claiming to be the Bible.
“The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.”
Jeremiah 23:28-32
“Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.”
II Timothy 3:8-9
“A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.”
Titus 3:10-11
To reveal mysteries to believers with simple faith.
“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”
Proverbs 30:5-6
“And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.”
Isaiah 29:18-19
“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.”
Matthew 11:25-26
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”
I Corinthians 1:27
“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
I Corinthians 2:13
“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.”
I Timothy 6:20-21
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
II Timothy 2:15
Who Was Ahaziah?
1. A king of Judah, in the line from David to Christ.
2. His grandfather was the righteous Jehoshaphat.
3. His father was the wicked Jehoram, or Joram.
4. His mother was Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, who later killed her children (II Kgs 11:1).
5. His maternal great grandfather was Omri of Israel.
6. He was a momma’s boy, following Athaliah’s advice.
7. Jehu killed him along with Israel’s king, Jehoram.
How Old Was Ahaziah When He Became King?
“Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.”
II Kings 8:26
“Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.”
II Chronicles 22:2
What Do Modern Versions Do with this “Contradiction”?
1. They come to the Bible with the arrogant intention of helping God rewrite the Scriptures, especially if they can have their names published with it. Puffed up with worldly learning and flattering titles, they presume they can help the Most High write the Bible better. This is the standard objective of most seminary training.
2. They fill their bellies with commentators, seminary professors, and textual critics, who reject faith in God, His promises, and His providence. They submit to their learned masters, who explain that a scribe made an error in copying the number “22” in II Chronicles 22:2, which later copyists mistook for 42. The Bible has an error, and their eyes brighten with the prospect of correcting it.
3. They reject the Hebrew of their sacred “original” and boldly mistranslate the verse to make it match their profane concept of God’s word. Most admit in a footnote that their inspired Hebrew plainly states “42.” But though they claim the court of final resort is the original language, they impudently alter the Hebrew text.
What Do Modern Versions Do with this “Contradiction”?
Bible Version II Kings 8:26 II Chron 22:2
King James 22 42
All Hebrew Texts 22 42
Coverdale (1535) 22 42
Bishop’s (1568) 22 42
Geneva (1599) 22 42
Darby (1884) 22 22
YLT (1898) 22 22
GNB (1976) 22 22
NLV (1969) 22 22
NASB (1971) 22 22
NIV (1978) 22 22
Message (1993) 22 22
CEV (1995) 22 22
NLT (1996) 22 22
NIRV (1998) 22 22
ESV (2001) 22 22
What Do Bible Believers Do?
1. They humbly trust God over any or all men; they believe both ages are correct; and their eyes brighten at discovering God’s wisdom hidden from scholars.
2. They reject any questioning or criticizing of God’s word; they study the Bible instead of commentators; they rightly divide the word of truth (II Tim 2:15).
3. They find that Ahaziah could not have been 42 years old biologically, because his father was only 40 years old when Ahaziah became king (II Chron 21:20).
4. They know a father of 18 is realistic (40 compared to 22). They know a son being born two years earlier than his father is not (40 compared to 42).
5. They know Ahaziah was 22 years old biologically when he became king. They know God must be revealing a secret about Ahaziah by the use of 42 in II Chronicles 22:2.
What Do Bible Believers Do?
1. They study the Bible instead of textual critics, and they rightly divide the word of truth (II Tim 2:15).
2. They learn Ahaziah came from Jehoram, a king of Judah, and Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (II Kgs 8:18). They know God drowned the earth for such marriages (Gen 6:1-7). And they learn God clearly hated this marriage (II Chron 18:1; 19:1-3).
3. They learn Ahab and Omri were the two most wicked kings to date among the kings of Israel and were utterly abominable (I Kings 16:25,30-33; 21:25-26).
4. They learn Ahaziah followed Ahab and Omri more than David, for his wicked mother was his counselor (II Kings 8:27; II Chron 22:3-9). And so God had Jehu kill Ahaziah, when he was cutting off the house of Ahab (II Kgs 9:7-9; II Chr 22:7-9).
5. They remember that God promised to visit the iniquities of fathers and mothers to the children of the third and fourth generations and to blot out their names from remembrance (Ex 20:5; 34:7; Num 14:18; Ps 69:28; 109:13-15: Jer 32:18; Ezek 13:9).
What Do Bible Believers Do?
1. They study the Bible instead of fawning over Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” and they rightly divide the word of truth (II Tim 2:15).
2. They find that Ahaziah, his son Joash, and his son Amaziah, were cut out of the lineage of the kings of Judah leading to Jesus Christ (Matt 1:8), which points out another “contradiction” that scholars choke on.
Kings Chronicles Matthew 1:8
Jehoshaphat Jehoshaphat Jehoshaphat
Jehoram Jehoram Joram = Jehoram
Ahaziah Ahaziah
Joash Joash
Amaziah Amaziah
Azariah = Uzziah Azariah = Uzziah Ozias = Uzziah
3. They realize God did not consider Ahaziah a proper king of Judah, but an imposter from Ahab’s line, for the Lord eliminated him and the next two generations from Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matt 1:8).
4. God hated Omri and Ahab and the wicked affinity that began with Jehoshaphat (II Chron 18:1). Because there were good things in Jehoshaphat, God punished the profane grandson and his sons (II Chron 19:1-3).
How Was Ahaziah 42?
Ahaziah, a king of Judah, was 42 years old in the kingdom of Omri and Ahab, wicked kings of Israel, his maternal family, though only 22 years old biologically.
King of Israel Reigned References
Omri 11 I Kings 16:15 cp I Kings 16:29
Ahab 20 I Kings 22:41 cp I Kings 22:51
Ahaziah 1 I Kings 22:51 cp II Kings 3:1
Jehoram 10 II Kings 3:1 cp II Kings 9:29
42
Taken from inspired history.
Event After Creation
Omri of Israel began to reign 3189
Ahaziah of Judah began to reign 3231
42
Edwards, Anstey, and the Jewish chronologers.
King of Israel Reigned References
Omri 11 I Kings 16:23
Ahab 20 I Kings 16:29
Ahaziah 1 I Kings 22:51
Jehoram 10 II Kings 3:1
42
Lightfoot, Poole, Ben Gershon.
Was It a Contradiction?
1. No! It was how God told Bible believers He counted Ahaziah among the wicked kings of Israel, and not among the kings of Judah, so they would know why Jehu killed him when cutting off the house of Ahab (II Chron 22:7).
2. No! It was how God told Bible believers He counted Ahaziah among the wicked kings of Israel, and not among the kings of Judah, so they would know why He removed Ahaziah, his son, and his grandson from the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matt 1:8).
3. No! It was to test whether men believe God and his word or the “research” of textual critics, commentators, and seminary professors. As Jesus gloriously thanked His Father, God has hid such things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes (Matt 11:25-26).
4. No! It was how God showed any Bible with “22” in II Chronicles 22:2 is not His word. He exposed the liars that worship the “originals” but change them whenever they wish! And He exposed any preacher or commentator by their submission or rebellion to II Timothy 2:15.
Does the Bible Count Years from other Political Events?
1. Yes! Did Baasha, king of Israel, fight against Asa, king of Judah, 10 years after he was already dead?
“So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead…. In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.”
I Kings 16:6-8
“In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.”
II Chronicles 16:1
2. Asa’s reign is counted from the divided kingdom, when Rehoboam lost ten tribes to Jeroboam. Baasha came up against Asa in the 36th year of the kingdom of Judah.
Rehoboam 17
Abijam 3
Asa 16
Total 36
Does the Bible Count Years from other Political Events?
1. Yes! Jehoiachin was a notable king of Judah taken captive to Babylon (Matt 1:11-12). To identify this great epoch, his reign is measured from Nebuchadnezzar.
“Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.”
II Kings 24:8
“Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.”
II Chronicles 36:9
2. Jehoiachin was taken captive in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighth year (II Kgs 24:12), an important epoch in Israel’s history. Jehoiachin’s person and reign were quite inferior in importance to Nebuchadnezzar and his reign.
3. Furthermore, it was the eighth year since the first raid on Jerusalem, when Nebuchadnezzar put down Jehoiachin’s father, Jehoiakim. It was common to date events from captivities like this (Ezek 1:2; 8:1; 20:1).
Conclusion
1. You may trust every word in your Bible, if you are using the King James Version.
2. As Jesus and Paul argued from single words, you may have the same confidence in the King James Version (Matt 22:32,43; John 8:58; 10:35; Gal 3:16; 4:9; Heb 8:13; 12:27).
3. What looks like a contradiction in the KJV is a trap set by God to confuse and shame men who would rather question and criticize God’s word than believe and study it. Enjoy solving it without a PhD or ThD!
4. Paul gave a ministerial secret to Timothy about studying the Bible in II Timothy 2:15. It must be divided in many places to avoid failure and shame, which we just put into practice studying Ahaziah.
5. Modern versions even alter this verse to lose Paul’s wise advice, because “handling” is not “dividing.”
6. A little time spent in God’s word will make you wiser than your enemies, your teachers, and the ancients (Ps 119:98-100). Believe it!
For Further Study
1. Is God the Author of Confusion? A Bible study showing that God righteously blinds men from seeing the truth, and that God wrote the Bible in such a way as to blind men from the truth as well.
2. Every Word of God. A Bible study showing Jesus and Paul arguing important doctrine from single words, verb tenses, and a single letter. They trusted their Bibles more you can trust the modern versions.
3. Who Killed Goliath in Your Bible? A simple Bible comparison showing just one of many internal contradictions in modern versions of the Bible. These contradictions cannot be solved by Bible study: God put them there to expose these versions as frauds.
4. Martin Anstey’s Chronology of the Old Testament. See the pages 170, 173, 181-182, and 224 in the text. See Table #2 for the kings and dates involved. [Note: large documents]
5. The Works of Jonathan Edwards. See Note #222 of his “Notes on the Bible.”
6. Matthew Poole’s Commentary on the Holy Bible. See his comments on II Chronicles 22:2.