Having spent much of my life in Christian circles, I repeatedly heard pastors, teachers, and theologians proclaim that the Bible is the “inerrant Word of God.” According to this doctrine, every word of Scripture is completely free from error in history, science, theology, chronology, and even the smallest details. Years ago, I wrote an article entitled, “Why the New Testament Cannot Be the Inerrant Word of God.” To be fair, since then, I discovered the Tanakh, also known as the “Old” Testament by Christians, has discrepancies as well.
Nevertheless, as I explored Judaism and the Hebrew Scriptures more deeply, I discovered something surprising: Judaism has historically not depended upon the modern doctrine of biblical inerrancy. That statement may shock both Christians and Jews.
After all, if the Tanakh contains apparent contradictions, numerical discrepancies, copyist errors, or differing accounts of the same event, does that mean the Torah is false? Does it mean Moses was not a prophet? Does it mean God did not reveal Himself to Israel? Not necessarily.
One of the fundamental differences between Judaism and much of modern Christianity is that Judaism does not require a doctrine of absolute textual perfection in order to recognize divine revelation. The Torah was given at Sinai. Israel entered into covenant with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The prophets spoke God’s message to the nation. None of those truths depend upon proving that every number copied by every scribe over thousands of years was transmitted without variation.
In fact, when we examine the Tanakh carefully, we find a number of passages that raise legitimate questions for those who insist that Scripture must be completely free from all discrepancies. Some of these involve numbers. Others involve chronology. Some involve parallel accounts that preserve different details.
The purpose of the following examples is not to attack Judaism, diminish the holiness of Scripture, or undermine faith in the God of Israel. Rather, they illustrate why many Jews do not ground their faith upon a modern doctrine of biblical inerrancy. Instead, faith rests upon God’s covenant with Israel, the teachings of Torah, and the enduring message of the prophets.
Let us examine some examples.
1. Who Incited David to Take the Census?
In 2 Samuel, God is identified as the one who incited David:
“Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, ‘Go, count Israel and Judah.'” (2 Samuel 24:1)
However, the parallel account in Chronicles states:
“Then Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21:1)
The question is straightforward: Was it God or Satan?
Traditional Jewish commentators often explain that God permitted Satan to act as His agent. Others suggest the Chronicler was expressing the same event using later theological language.
Regardless of one’s preferred explanation, the texts present different immediate causes for the same event.
2. How Old Was King Ahaziah?
According to Kings:
“Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king.” (2 Kings 8:26)
Yet Chronicles records:
“Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he became king.” (2 Chronicles 22:2)
The difficulty is obvious. Ahaziah’s father, Jehoram, died at age forty (2 Chronicles 21:20), making it impossible for Ahaziah to have been forty-two when he ascended the throne.
Most scholars and many traditional commentators conclude that a copyist error entered the text of Chronicles.
While this may be a reasonable explanation, it demonstrates that textual transmission was not immune from human error.
3. How Old Was Jehoiachin?
Kings states:
“Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king.” (2 Kings 24:8)
Chronicles states:
“Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king.” (2 Chronicles 36:9)
Both numbers cannot be historically correct.
Again, many commentators attribute this discrepancy to a scribal error that developed during transmission.
The question remains: If inerrancy means complete freedom from all textual mistakes, how should such passages be understood?
4. Who Killed Goliath?
One of the most famous stories in Scripture is David’s defeat of Goliath.
“David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone.” (1 Samuel 17:50)
Yet another passage appears to say something different:
“Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite struck down Goliath the Gittite.” (2 Samuel 21:19)
Chronicles later modifies the account:
“Elhanan the son of Jair struck down Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite.” (1 Chronicles 20:5)
Many readers conclude that Chronicles preserves a corrected version of Samuel.
Others suggest a copying mistake occurred in Samuel.
Regardless of the solution, the texts raise questions that require explanation.
5. Different Census Numbers for David’s Army
After David’s census, Samuel reports:
“There were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand.” (2 Samuel 24:9)
Chronicles reports:
“All Israel were one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah was four hundred seventy thousand.” (1 Chronicles 21:5)
These totals differ by hundreds of thousands.
Some commentators argue that one account includes standing troops while the other excludes them.
Others conclude that the numbers were transmitted differently.
Whatever explanation one adopts, the figures are not identical.
6. The Two Creation Accounts
Genesis 1 presents creation in the following order:
- Vegetation
- Sea creatures and birds
- Land animals
- Humanity
Genesis 2 appears to focus on a different sequence:
“The LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground.” (Genesis 2:7)
Afterward, animals are brought before Adam:
“Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens.” (Genesis 2:19)
Traditional commentators often explain that Genesis 1 provides a panoramic overview while Genesis 2 zooms in on humanity’s role in creation.
Critical scholars often view the chapters as preserving separate creation traditions.
Either way, readers have wrestled with these passages for centuries.
7. Can Human Beings See God?
In one passage we read:
“The LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33:11)
Yet later in the same chapter:
“You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me and live.” (Exodus 33:20)
Traditional Jewish interpretation understands “face to face” as an expression describing intimate communication rather than literal visual observation. I’ve also heard a rabbi explain that Moses is the only human to ever see God face to face – no one else has since.
Still, the passages illustrate the tension between anthropomorphic and transcendent descriptions of God found throughout Scripture.
8. How Many Animals Entered Noah’s Ark?
Genesis 6 instructs Noah:
“Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark.” (Genesis 6:19)
Yet Genesis 7 states:
“Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals… and a pair of the animals that are not clean.” (Genesis 7:2)
Many readers resolve the issue by noting that Genesis 6 gives the general rule while Genesis 7 provides additional instructions concerning clean animals.
Others see evidence of multiple traditions incorporated into the final text.
9. How Long Was Israel in Egypt?
God tells Abraham:
“Your descendants shall be strangers in a land that is not theirs… and they shall be afflicted four hundred years.” (Genesis 15:13)
Yet Exodus states:
“The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred thirty years.” (Exodus 12:40)
Was it 400 years or 430 years?
Some commentators view 400 as a rounded figure and 430 as the precise calculation.
Others see evidence of differing traditions.
Again, the text requires interpretation.
10. The Flood’s Duration
Genesis tells us:
“The rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” (Genesis 7:12)
Yet elsewhere we read:
“The waters prevailed upon the earth one hundred fifty days.” (Genesis 7:24)
Depending upon which verses are included, the entire flood narrative lasts nearly a full year.
Many readers recognize that different stages of the flood are being described.
Nevertheless, the chronology is considerably more complex than the simple statement that “the flood lasted forty days.”
A Jewish Perspective on Inerrancy
Ironically, the doctrine of biblical inerrancy is not rooted in ancient Judaism but largely emerged from later Christian theological discussions.
The rabbis of old did not spend their time attempting to prove that every number, every chronology, and every manuscript variant was perfectly preserved. Instead, they wrestled honestly with the text, debated difficult passages, and sought wisdom from the Torah.
The existence of apparent contradictions, textual variants, and difficult passages does not disprove the covenant between God and Israel.
Nor does it diminish the holiness of Torah.
Rather, it reminds us that God entrusted His revelation to human beings, who copied, transmitted, interpreted, and preserved these writings over centuries.
For many Jews, faith is not built upon proving that every copyist was perfect. Faith is built upon the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who remains faithful even when human beings are not.
The Tanakh points us toward God, teaches righteousness, calls Israel to covenant faithfulness, and reveals the moral character of the Creator. Those truths remain intact whether one describes the text as “inerrant” or simply as sacred Scripture.
Perhaps the better question is not whether the Tanakh is inerrant, but whether we are willing to hear and obey its message.
As for me, I have learned to extract the value of Scripture, specifically, the wisdom, ethics, and characteristics of God it imparts, rather than expect perfection. I suppose you could say, just as God has demonstrated abundant grace (Isaiah 55:7) since the beginning, I too can have grace for the inspired human authors of the Tanakh.
~ Carrie Renee, June 22, 2026
Flip Flop Fellowship