How many soldiers did David’s census of the tribes of Israel find?
In both 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles, David takes a census of the soldiers in Israel. The two accounts, however, disagree as to how many soldiers he found. According to 2 Samuel, David found that there...
View ArticleWho incited David to take a census, God or Satan?
In both 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles, David takes a census of the soldiers of Israel. However, the two accounts disagree about what prompted him to do so. According to 2 Samuel, God incited David to take...
View ArticleWho killed Goliath, David or Elhanan?
The story of David slaying Goliath is a Sunday school favourite. There are, however, two conflicting claims concerning who killed Goliath. 1 Samuel describes the event, concluding: So David prevailed...
View ArticleHow many did the chief of the Three kill at once, 300 or 800?
Among David’s warriors, a few are given special recognition, numbered among ‘the Thirty’ or even ‘the Three’. Both 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles record a heroic feat performed by the chief of the Three,...
View ArticleHow many Philistine foreskins did David pay Saul, 100 or 200?
King Saul and David initially got on well, but following David’s military victories Saul became envious of his popularity, and so devised a plan to get rid of him. Saul offered his daughter Michal to...
View ArticleWho did Elhanan kill, Lahmi or Goliath?
The Philistines were regular enemies of the Israelites. In fact, they had so many battles with each other that it seems to have become difficult to keep track of who killed who. We see this in the...
View ArticleWhat was the name of David’s second son, Chileab or Daniel?
Both 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles list the six sons of David born to him in Hebron. The two lists are in perfect agreement, except concerning the name of the second son, who was born to Abigail. In 2...
View ArticleFor how much did David buy the land for the altar?
When David had angered God by taking a census of the people of Israel, God sent a plague as a punishment. Seventy thousand died, but God paused before sending the plague against Jerusalem, and...
View ArticleDid the house of Saul die together?
Saul’s reign as king ended in death when the Philistines defeated Israel in battle. But who died with him? In the account of Saul’s death in 1 Chronicles, Saul and all his house die together: “Now the...
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