If there are no contradictions in the Bible, then can someone please explain this? ?

Question

According to Genesis 10:5, 10:20 and 10:31, there were many languages on earth at that time:

Genesis 10:5

By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands, every one after his tongue.

Genesis 10:20

These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues.

Genesis 10:31

These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues.

However, Genesis 11:1 and 11:6-9 appear to be saying that there was only ONE language on earth at that time:

Genesis 11:1

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

Genesis 11:6-9

And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language.... Go to, let us go down, and there confound their

language, that they may not understand one another's speech....

So, in chapter 10, there are many languages in existence, but in the following chapter 11 about the Tower of Babylon, there is only one language in existence.

If that is not a contradiction, what is it?? Poor continuity editing?

Answer 1

Anyone who said there are no contradictions in the bible are contradicting themselves and the bible.

Answer 2

The bible was written by lots of different people from different periods in history and many of the text has been translated over and over again. And on top of that people interpret it differently. Of course it has contradictions.

Answer 3

Not!

All the decendents of Noah that re-populated the planet had the same laguage...where's the problem? Duh?

See what reading foolish anti-God internet sites can do to your brain?

better read again

Answer 4

That's a lot of work.  You can find bigger contradictions without going to so much trouble.  Just look at the first two chapters in the Bible; they contradict each other.  Or, look in each of the four Gospels, and try to figure out who discovered the empty tomb on Easter morning.

That said, the Bible is not a history book, or a science book.  It's not a newspaper trying to report all the "facts."  The Bible tells the truth about the relationship between God and God's creation.

.

Answer 5

yu are being too sceptical. even if the bible got its flaws, ironically there are 20 million people believed whole heartedly on the bible.

and that fact make me even want to believe in bible altough in the beginning i dont

Answer 6

No contradictions there !

Verses  5, 20, 31 etc all speak of one tongue (language),

Where does it say DIFFERENT languages ?

<><

<><

Answer 7

Ooooh how are the Christians gonna get out of this one??

*grabs popcorn*

Answer 8

Apparently god should have created some editors on that seventh day instead of slacking off

Answer 9

I won't give an answer while quotes are from the KJV, which betokens a subjective and hostile approach.

.

Answer 10

Go find the part in the bible, in Genesis, where the people were building the TOWER OF BABEL, and how it explains how God came and CONFUSED their languages from ONE to mulitple languages. This solves your so called problem or confusion :)

Genesis 11:1-9: The Tower of Babel

1 And the whole Earth was of one language and

of one speech.

2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

3 And they said one to another, "Go to, let us make

bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they had

brick for stone, and slime had they  for mortar.

4 And they said, "Go to, let us build us a city

and a tower whose top may reach unto

heaven; and let us make us a name, lest

we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole

earth."

5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the

tower which the children of men  builded.

6 And the LORD said, "Behold, the people is one,

and they have all one language; and this they

begin to do; and now nothing will be restrained from them,which they have imagined to do.

7 "Go to, let Us go down and there confound their

language, that they may not understand one

another's speech."

8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence

upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to

build the city.

9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because

the LORD did there confound the language of all the

earth; and from thence did the LORD scatter them

abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Answer 11

The Bible is a manual which is supposed to help us find our way home by living better and better lives.

Many people like me find manuals interesting. They tell us about all possibilities good and bad.

Also the human compilers and interpreters are not perfect thus the writers and priests over the last 2000 years have tended to introduce their own stuff into the text imo.

I believe there are more interesting spiritual works from holy men who's words are less difficult to argue with. One can disagree but it is clear what they mean with modern writings.

The old testament is not helpful now imo and  it would be helpful to concentrate on what Jesus taught and did as far as we can determine imo.  

Answer 12

Here is the answer you WON'T get from those who believe there are no contradictions in the Bible...

"I don't know."

Interesting point.  That is one I hadn't caught before...  and I have been studying the Bible my entire life.

Answer 13

I take Genesis 10 to be saying that the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth formed various nations with various languages, not that the cousins and second-cousins mentioned were unable to speak with each other at that time.

I do not believe everything in the Bible should be read literally as a history lesson.  But even if not history, there is no need to read Genesis 10 and 11 as contradicting each other.

Answer 14

Not only are there those contradictions, but why would an all powerful god destroy a tower people were building to get to Heaven when, allegedly heaven is not up in the sky its on another plane of existence... but the all powerful Omnipotent being god felt so threatened by this tower he decided to destroy it and split the world up into different languages? As if we would never be able to learn each others languages or get enough people in one area who spoke the same language to build their own tower to get to heaven...? Makes god look like an idiot IMO.

Answer 15

They were drunk when they wrote the bible.

Answer 16

No, it's poor sub text reading on your part.  In the ensuing chapters, it does make the reader understand that, despite the order of things in the bible, the BIBLE is NOT a story that goes foward in one direction only, it is all over the place.  In genesis 11:1, it is made clear that it is referencing a time prior to genesis 10:5.   You shouldn't make these comments when you're not that smart to begin with.  

Answer 17

And Jesus said, "For judgement I am come into this world." (John 9:39)

"I came not to judge the world" (John 12:47)

Jesus comes into the world to be judged by it and crucified.

Jesus comes into the world not to judge people but to love.

Answer 18

There is no reason to assume that 11:1 came before Noah's sons leaving to found their own civilizations.  Those that assert that this is the case and that you should read chapter 11 as occurring right after the flood are blowing smoke.

Answer 19

A very good question!  Think about it in today's terms.  They settled in different areas and began speaking differently.  But like today, the words in most languages have similar sounds and meanings.  Surely at the beginning, they all spoke the same language.  Then as time passed, they added new words for whatever was going on in their lives which had not happened before.Read between the lines.  There isn't enough room in the Bible to tell all that happened.Time passed, people traveled, got reacquainted and began to speak the same again.  You know, like English is an international language and used in business, etc.They began to work together to accomplish there goal of a tower to heaven.  (Hey, a rocket tower?)

Answer 20

We should pick and choose as to which parts are literal and mold our interpretations to suit our goals and desires *grin*

Answer 21

Remember that everything in the bible is not to be taken in its literal meaning. It's that simple.

Answer 22

I acknowledge there are contradictions in the Bible, but this is not one. You are trying to read is as novel rather than a history book. A history book could give information on the Lincoln's life in one chapter, and then information on the civil war in a subsequent chapter. That does not mean Lincoln died before the civil war began.

Congratulations on your wedding.

Answer 23

You found a contradiction in the bible? NO WAY!!

Seriously though, the whole book is a series of errors.

Answer 24

The people there spoke only one language. each group had their own language. You shouldn't take everything literally, there is a lot of symbolism. You should take a bible class if you really want to know. Or read the bible as a whole, not just bits and pieces of it. Because then you take it out of context.

You should read the Gospel of John!

Answer 25

I'd say it's a result of cherry picking.  Perhaps by presenting all the verses in their original context, I might bother with a proper reply.  As it is, it looks like to me you found something you believe to be gold in the river, and showing it off to everyone... only to have someone eventually come to tell you it's actually just "fool's gold".

Did you consider the possibility of chronology?

I know some books that tend to go from past to present to future in no set order.

Answer 26

I thought I was the only one who figured that out. People told me not to say that but the Bible contradicts itself in many places. I have heard though the the old testament was written by man, and the new testament was in the words of God, which means that we must follow the words of the new testament. In reading the bible you also have to learn to read between the lines or get a bible that breaks it down or a book that explains certain parts of it.  

Answer 27

WE AREnt here to rip apart the Bible...im not looking all these up...if you want REAL understanding get a footnote Bible which will help and please dont waste time ON DISECTING VERSES YOU DONT understand...thanks

Answer 28

LANGUAGE:

The whole earth was of one language and one speech [ Genesis 11:1]

until about 100 years after the deluge, [flood], at which time the

conctruction of the tower of Babel began and the Lord confounded the language then in use [ Genesis 11:6-9]

Answer 29

From the point of view of logic and consistency, the bible is a horrid mess of nonsense. So yes, thats just one of hundreds of contradictions contained within that collection of ignorant myths.  

Answer 30

The bible goes back and forth..Chapter 10 shows the present at the time, and chapter 11 is how the people became the people in chapter 10.  

Answer 31

I think God was saying that Babylon only had one language... and they were working together to build a tower, and God got angry and changed their language so they wouldn't understand eachother anymore to continue.