Last updated: February 2, 2026
This page presents passages where biblical texts record different details about the same events. Scholars interpret these divergences in various ways.
At the third hour (9am): "It was the third hour when they crucified him." (Mark 15:25)
At the sixth hour (12pm): "Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, 'Here is your King!' ... Then he handed him over to them to be crucified." (John 19:14-16)
Mark places the crucifixion at 9 AM, while according to John, Jesus was still being tried at noon. The Jewish reckoning of hours was from sunrise, so "third hour" is approximately 9 AM and "sixth hour" is noon. Scholars interpret this difference in various ways, including different time-keeping systems or theological emphasis.
He appeared first in Galilee: "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted." (Matthew 28:16-17)
He appeared first in Jerusalem: "They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem... While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'" (Luke 24:33-36)
Matthew places Jesus's first appearance to the disciples in Galilee (about 70 miles north of Jerusalem), while Luke and John place it in Jerusalem on the day of resurrection. These accounts present different locations for the first appearance.
Stone rolled away with women present: "After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it." (Matthew 28:1-2)
Stone rolled away with women absent: "Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, 'Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?' But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away." (Mark 16:2-4)
Matthew describes the stone being rolled away by an angel after the women arrived, with an earthquake occurring in their presence. Mark, Luke, and John all state the stone was already rolled away when the women arrived. Scholars note these accounts present different sequences of events.
Yes, Jesus ate the Passover before his crucifixion:
"On the first day of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?' ... When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve." (Matthew 26:17, 20)
"And as they were eating, he took bread..." (Mark 14:12, 22)
"And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, 'I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.'" (Luke 22:14-15)
No, Jesus did not eat the Passover before his crucifixion:
"Then the Jewish leaders led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover." (John 18:28)
"Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, 'Behold your King!'" (John 19:14)
The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) state that Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion, meaning he was crucified after the Passover meal. The Gospel of John, however, says Jesus was tried and crucified before the Passover meal was eaten, placing his death on the day of preparation for Passover. These accounts present different chronologies regarding the Passover meal.
"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit": "Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.' Having said this, he breathed his last." (Luke 23:46)
"It is finished": "When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, 'It is finished.' Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." (John 19:30)
The Gospels disagree on Jesus' final words before his death. Luke and John present a different saying as Jesus' last words, and both make it clear these are intended as his final utterance.
"David took from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers." (2 Samuel 8:4)
"David took from him one thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers." (1 Chronicles 18:4)
These accounts of the same battle record different numbers (1,700 vs. 7,000 horsemen). Some scholars suggest scribal transmission errors, while others note the numbers are written differently in Hebrew.
"Solomon also had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen." (1 Kings 4:26)
"Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen." (2 Chronicles 9:25)
This represents a tenfold difference (40,000 vs. 4,000). Scholars interpret this in various ways, including possible scribal transmission differences.
"Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; he reigned for one year in Jerusalem." (2 Kings 8:26)
"Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign; he reigned one year in Jerusalem." (2 Chronicles 22:2)
These texts present different ages. 2 Chronicles 21:20 states that Ahaziah's father, Jehoram, died at age 40. Scholars generally attribute this to scribal transmission, as various manuscript traditions contain different numbers.
"...the Tachmonite... chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, who lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time." (2 Samuel 23:8)
"...Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time." (1 Chronicles 11:11)
Both passages refer to the same person and event but record different numbers (800 vs. 300).
"So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, 'Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land?'" (2 Samuel 24:13)
"So Gad came to David and said to him, 'Thus says the Lord: Take your choice: either three years of famine...'" (1 Chronicles 21:11)
These parallel accounts offer different durations for the same divine punishment option.
"Those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand." (Numbers 25:9)
"We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day." (1 Corinthians 10:8)
Numbers 25:9 states that 24,000 people died in the plague, while Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:8 says 23,000 died.
"All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own offspring, not including the wives of his sons, were sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy." (Genesis 46:26-27)
"Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five persons in all." (Acts 7:14)
Genesis states 70 descendants of Jacob came to Egypt. Acts, quoting the Septuagint version of Genesis, states 75.
"And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female." (Genesis 6:19-20)
"Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and its mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and its mate; and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive on the face of all the earth." (Genesis 7:2-3)
Genesis 6 instructs Noah to take two (a pair) of every kind of animal. Genesis 7 gives a different instruction: seven pairs of clean animals and birds, but only one pair of unclean animals.
"Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand." (2 Samuel 24:9)
"Joab gave the total count of the people to David. In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and in Judah four hundred seventy thousand who drew the sword." (1 Chronicles 21:5)
The two accounts of David's census provide significantly different numbers for the fighting men in both Israel and Judah.
"So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver." (2 Samuel 24:24)
"So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the site." (1 Chronicles 21:25)
The accounts differ not only on the price but also the currency (silver vs. gold) paid by David for the same site.
"And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." (Matthew 1:16)
"And Jesus himself... being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, which was the son of Heli." (Luke 3:23)
Matthew states that Joseph's father was Jacob, while Luke says it was Heli. Scholars interpret this in various ways, including proposals that one genealogy follows Mary's line, legal versus biological descent, or different genealogical traditions.
"When Arphaxad had lived thirty-five years, he became the father of Shelah." (Genesis 11:12)
"...the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad..." (Luke 3:35-36)
Genesis states that Arphaxad was the direct father of Shelah, while Luke inserts an additional generation (Cainan) between them.
"Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the son of Zibeon the Hivite, and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth." (Genesis 36:3)
"So Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth." (Genesis 28:9)
Genesis 36:3 identifies Ishmael's daughter as Basemath, while Genesis 28:9 calls her Mahalath. Both passages identify her as Ishmael's daughter and Nebaioth's sister, confirming they refer to the same person with different names.
"Timna was a concubine of Esau's son Eliphaz; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz." (Genesis 36:12)
"The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek." (1 Chronicles 1:36)
Genesis 36:12 identifies Timna as Eliphaz's concubine who bore him a son named Amalek, while 1 Chronicles 1:36 lists Timna among Eliphaz's descendants. Scholars note the different presentations of this genealogical relationship.
Reuel: "Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters... Moses was content to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah... She bore a son, and he called his name Gershom... Now Reuel, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people." (Exodus 2:16-18, 3:1)
Jethro: "Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian." (Exodus 3:1)
Hobab: "Now Hobab the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, had gone up with the people of Israel from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah." (Judges 4:11)
Moses' father-in-law is called by three different names in the Bible: Reuel, Jethro, and Hobab.
Jesse had seven sons including David: "Jesse became the father of his firstborn Eliab, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh. Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail." (1 Chronicles 2:13-15)
Jesse had eight sons including David: "Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, 'The Lord has not chosen these.' And Samuel said to Jesse, 'Are all your sons here?' And he said, 'There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.'" (1 Samuel 16:10-11)
1 Chronicles 2:13-15 lists David as Jesse's seventh son, while 1 Samuel 16:10-11 indicates that David was the eighth son.
She died before Jesus arrived: "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." (Matthew 9:18)
She did not die before Jesus arrived: "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." (Mark 5:23)
In Matthew, the daughter is already dead when Jairus approaches Jesus. In Mark and Luke, she is still alive but dying.
Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days: "And immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days." (Mark 1:12-13)
Jesus did not go into the wilderness for 40 days: "The next day..." Jesus called disciples. "The next day..." Jesus went to Galilee. "On the third day..." Jesus attended the wedding at Cana. (John 1:35-36, 43; 2:1-11)
The Synoptics state Jesus immediately went into the wilderness for 40 days after his baptism, while John indicates Jesus was calling disciples and attending a wedding within days of his baptism.
Early in his ministry, near the beginning: "The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple..." (John 2:13-15)
Late in his ministry, during the final week: "Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple..." (Mark 11:15, cf. Matthew 21:12, Luke 19:45)
John places the temple cleansing near the start of Jesus' ministry, shortly after his first miracle. The Synoptic Gospels place it during the final week of his life, immediately after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Plants, Animals, then Man and Woman together: "Then God said, 'Let the earth put forth vegetation...' And it was so... Then God said, 'Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth...' Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind...' Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness... So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:11-27)
Man, Plants, Animals, then Woman: "...then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground... And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east... Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree... So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man... but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man... And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman..." (Genesis 2:7-22)
The two creation accounts in Genesis present different sequences. Genesis 1 describes the creation of plants, then animals, then humans (male and female created simultaneously). Genesis 2 describes the creation of man first, then plants (the Garden), then animals, and finally woman from the man's rib. Scholars interpret this in various ways, including different literary purposes or source traditions.
God cannot be seen:
"No one can see God's face and live." (Exodus 33:20)
"No one has ever seen God." (John 1:18)
"God... whom no one has ever seen or can see." (1 Timothy 6:15-16)
God can be seen:
"I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." (Genesis 32:30)
"The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." (Exodus 33:11)
Some passages state that no human can see God and live, while others describe people seeing God face to face. Scholars interpret these texts in various ways, including distinctions between different types of divine encounters.
God does not change:
"God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind." (Numbers 23:19)
"For I the Lord do not change." (Malachi 3:6)
"...with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:17)
God does change:
"And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people." (Exodus 32:14)
"When God saw what they did... God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it." (Jonah 3:10)
"And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart." (Genesis 6:6)
Multiple passages state that God does not change his mind, while others describe God changing his intended actions. Scholars interpret this in various ways, including anthropomorphic language and different theological emphases.
God does not tempt anyone: "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one." (James 1:13)
God does tempt people: "After these things God tested [tempted] Abraham and said to him, 'Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.' He said, 'Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering...'" (Genesis 22:1-2)
James states that God tempts no one. Genesis describes God "testing" Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac. Scholars note that different Hebrew and Greek words are used, and interpret the relationship between testing and temptation in various ways.
Children are punished for parents' sins: "...I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me." (Exodus 20:5, cf. Deuteronomy 5:9)
Children are not punished for parents' sins:
"The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself." (Ezekiel 18:20)
"Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; only for their own crime shall a person be put to death." (Deuteronomy 24:16)
The Ten Commandments describe consequences extending to multiple generations, while Ezekiel and Deuteronomy emphasize individual responsibility. Scholars interpret these texts in various ways, including distinctions between corporate and individual accountability.
Judas hanged himself: "Then Judas... threw the pieces of silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself." (Matthew 27:5)
Judas fell and burst open: "Now this man [Judas] purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." (Acts 1:18)
Matthew states that Judas hanged himself, while Acts describes him falling headlong and bursting open. Matthew says Judas threw the money away and the priests bought the field, while Acts says Judas purchased the field himself. Scholars have proposed various harmonizations and interpretations of these accounts.
Saul committed suicide: "Saul took his own sword and fell upon it... When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him." (1 Samuel 31:4-5)
An Amalekite killed Saul: "He [the Amalekite] said to me, 'Who are you?' I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.' He said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me; for convulsions have seized me, and yet my life still lingers.' So I stood over him and killed him, for I knew that he could not live after he had fallen." (2 Samuel 1:8-10)
The first account describes Saul committing suicide by falling on his sword. The second account has an Amalekite claiming to have killed Saul at his request. Scholars note these different accounts and offer various interpretations, including the possibility the Amalekite lied to David.
The Lord incited David: "Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, 'Go, count the people of Israel and Judah.'" (2 Samuel 24:1)
Satan incited David: "Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to count the people of Israel." (1 Chronicles 21:1)
Samuel attributes the incitement to God, while Chronicles attributes it to Satan.
The Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar: "Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard." (Genesis 37:36)
Potiphar bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites: "Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there." (Genesis 39:1)
Genesis 37:36 states that the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, while Genesis 39:1 states Potiphar bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites.
Michal had no children: "And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death." (2 Samuel 6:23)
Michal had five sons: "But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite;" (2 Samuel 21:8)
2 Samuel 6:23 explicitly states that Michal remained childless until her death. However, 2 Samuel 21:8 mentions the "five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul."