For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: How many of Bigvai’s offspring returned from Babylon?
Here are the answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:
2056
“the sons of Adonikam, 666;” (Ezra 2:14)
2067
“the sons of Adonikam, 667;” (Nehemiah 7:19)
(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)
Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:
- When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction. A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time. To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
- One should be skeptical of whether this is a Bible contradiction given the Skeptic Annotated Bible’s track record of inaccurately handling the Bible. See the many examples of their error which we have responded to in this post: Collection of Posts Responding to Bible Contradictions. Of course that does not take away the need to respond to this claim of a contradiction, which is what the remainder of this post will do. But this observation should caution us to slow down and look more closely at the passages cited by the Skeptic Annotated Bible to see if they interpreted the passages properly to support their conclusion that it is a Bible contradiction.
- The skeptic tries to pit Ezra 2:14 as affirming the claim “2056 of Bigvai’s offspring returned from Babylon” against Nehemiah 7:19 as affirming “2067 of Bigvai’s offspring returned from Babylon.”
- One must always figure out the context of the verses the skeptic cited.
- The book of Ezra was written before the book of Nehemiah. The purpose of the book of Ezra records God’s fulfillment of bringing back the nation of Israel after 70 years of captivity. The first six chapters of Ezra record Zerubbael’s leadership in leading the exiles to return to build the alter in Jerusalem. Chapter 7-10 record how 80 years after Zerubbabel’s first trip Ezra journeyed to Jerusalem with a second group and how God used Ezra to bring about reform (William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, 482).
- The book of Nehemiah record the third great leader of the Jewish return and restoration to the Promise Land after the Exile. Nehemiah was originally a cup bearer to the Persian King who thirteen year after Ezra’s expedition he was burden for the conditions of Jerusalem (William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, 482). So God use Nehemiah to restore the city walls of Jerusalem and also other spiritual and moral reforms.
- Knowing the background of both books we can see that the time between Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 is about a period of 93 years or so.
- Knowing there is a 93 years period between Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 help us to understand the possible reasons for the differences of both chapters’ listing.
- First off In Ezra 2:1 it seems to indicate the list is giving an account of those who decided to depart Babylon in order to return to the promise land: “Now these are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city.“
- The purpose of listing the first generation’s return to the Jerusalem in Nehemiah 7 seems to be for the reason of organizing a new genealogy in Nehemiah’s day by first basing it upon the template of the first genealogy of the first generation. Note Nehemiah 7:5: “Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogies. Then I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up first in which I found the following record:” The different purposes must be remembered.
- Considering that Ezra 2:1 mentioned that the list in Ezra 2 are those who left the captivity in Babylon to return to Jerusalem we must remember that it is situated in a context in which Ezra 1 the people have not arrived yet to Jerusalem while the people arrived in the end of chapter 2 and beginning of chapter 3 of Ezra. It is reasonable to understand the listing of names and numbers in Ezra refer to those who departed Babylon. But just because one departed from Babylon for the promise land does not mean everyone would have arrived. Even with modern military units when we walk on foot hiking somewhere it doesn’t mean 100% of us arrive at our destination especially if there’s some incredible distance to travel; why won’t be surprised with civilians and families traveling that some will not arrive at their final destination for whatever reason?
- Thus Nehemiah 7’s listing might be of those who actually did arrive in Jerusalem and the promise land and not just a listing of those who attempted to return back to Jerusalem and the promise land.
- Also even upon their arrival to the promise land that doesn’t mean there’s a census done right away; there’s lots to do to settle in and the work of census for a genealogy might be a significant time later when things are more stable.
- Also given there’s 93 years between the two listing we can understand the latter listing in Nehemiah 7 might be a count of the population at a given specific time. Don’t forget population changes up and down for many reasons: death, births, young men coming of age in which they are now counted as adults, etc.
- Keep in mind the differences between 2056 and 2067 is only 11. A large group of two thousand something amount of men and their families as they head out of Babylon can easily have 11 more young men come of age and considered adults when they get to the promise Land.
- There is no contradiction here. Seems the skeptic needs to learn of How to Handle Bible Contradictions.
- We shouldn’t miss that worldviews are at play even with the skeptic’s objection to Christianity. The worldview of the author of the Skeptic Annotated Bible actually doesn’t even allow for such a thing as the law of non-contradiction to be meaningful and intelligible. In other words for him to try to disprove the Bible by pointing out that there’s a Bible contradiction doesn’t even make sense within his own worldview. Check out our post “Skeptic Annotated Bible Author’s Self-Defeating Worldview.”
[…] How many of Bigvai’s offspring returned from Babylon? […]
Great job with this once again! What fascinates me with Wells is that the fact that Jewish people still exist today is a testament to God and His providential care. It is mind numbing that instead of seeing God’s providential care, he is constantly finding fault or looking for contradictions in Israel’s number where there are none. Praying for you with the dentist!
Good point of how Israel’s/Jewish existence is a testament of GOd’s providence in History! So true! Thanks for your prayers for my trip to Dentist later today! Did you get to get some sleep??? Its quite early??
I did not really sleep. Thank you for your help and friendship, it means more to Nathan and I than you’ll ever know!!!
Hmmm … this might have been a clue to the skeptic:
“Also given there’s 93 years between the two listing we can understand the latter listing in Nehemiah 7 might be a count of the population at a given specific time. Don’t forget population changes up and down for many reasons: death, births, young men coming of age in which they are now counted as adults, etc.”
Great work!
RESOLVED!
Well, I never heard of Bigvai, must have missed that in Bible reading. My brother, your thorough research and unquestionable logical conclusions should thwart any skeptic!
Not only does it quash their argument but it stirs others into the word.
Bravo!
Amen!!! I agree!!!!!
Lisa thanks for the encouragement! I hope it challenges the skeptic and encourages believers to be in the Word! I think the skeptic is nitpicking here without knowing or caring about the context, do you think so too? Hope you are having a blessed day today Lisa!
Yes the skeptic sure is nitpicking
Wow, bravo! I had never heard of this as a contradiction. It makes sense your answer.
Thanks for thoroughly debunking this alleged contradiction. Steve/Stephen Wells created a “well”-worn path constantly and shamelessly going to the Ezra-Nehemiah false contradiction “well.”
Lol love the play on words with the word “well.” He loves this type of Ezra-Nehemiah differences and then saying it’s a contradiction without furthermore consideration of the context. Just finished meeting with my sisters family again and heading home for lunch before going to my dentist to figure out making a dental implant. How is your day so far and how was the birthday celebration??
Wells has zero scruples, but scruples never hindered an atheist.
Hope the dentist visit goes well!
The B-party was great, thanks! I ate too much but thankfully didn’t wake up at 1:30 AM with agita. Today I prepped the house again; scraping and priming. I’ll be able to start painting Monday. Patio duty from now until 9!
Splendid refute. Mr.Null and Void had to go deep for this one. Sadness.
Thanks Maw Maw for reading this! He’s trying to slander the Bible and God but without contextual consideration. How are you doing so far this week Bonnie? Hope you can avoid this heat!
Doing well. 🙂
Great job in covering this topic. As we study these verses and others, we quickly come to realize not only is there not a contradiction but we discover the blessings of His Word. I know this is written with Spirit-filled understanding, a lessons for us that we are not to trust on our own understanding (autonomy) but we rely on the Spirit and so go by the context of any passage.
Atheist interpretation is worst than fundamentalist interpretation. They are both not sensitive to the original cultural and historical context. I’m confident those who know the Bible are not easily deceived by these charlatans
Atheist interpretation is far worst actually.
Yep far worst
Source: I came from a fundamentalist background
Like “going to hell” level worst…
Yep there’s that too
Thank you for this post SlimJim. So thankful for your blog; it’s always an encouragement to read your writings!
[…] 2.) Bible Contradiction? How many of Bigvai’s offspring returned from Babylon? […]
Most people don’t understand the Bible and they don’t understand it because they don’t study it and they just go off with what they find on Skeptic Annotated Bible
Educational and informed response. I wouldn’t have got that answer on my own
“Knowing there is a 93 years period between Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 help us to understand the possible reasons for the differences of both chapters’ listing.” Puts things in perspective
Also this was insightful: ” But just because one departed from Babylon for the promise land does not mean everyone would have arrived. Even with modern military units when we walk on foot hiking somewhere it doesn’t mean 100% of us arrive at our destination especially if there’s some incredible distance to travel; why won’t be surprised with civilians and families traveling that some will not arrive at their final destination for whatever reason?”
Thanks for putting in the time and effort in looking into the discrepancy. It definitely looks like the skeptic annotated Bible often points out seemingly contradictory statements without much deeper research.
[…] How many of Bigvai’s offspring returned from Babylon? […]