WE have already seen, in considering the gospels, that each gospel had a special aspect, or object, and that the Lord is exhibited in each in a particular character, as Son of David, the Messiah; as the faithful servant; as the Son of man; and as the Son of God. If this is once grasped, it removes a number of apparent discrepancies, and the differences are seen to be designed, and to be beauties instead of faults.
It is also to be remembered that there were many other things which Jesus did that are not recorded by John (21:25); and who could have made the selection as to what was to be written but God Himself? Surely He did this for each of the evangelists.
We may well suppose that our Lord, as He traveled about Palestine, had different audiences, and related the same parable and delivered similar discourses more than once; so that what has been considered as one and the same thing may have happened on different occasions. Similar cures also were wrought in different places. If feeding the five thousand had been named in two or three of the gospels, and feeding the four thousand had been in another, many would have declared it a grave error of the writer, and would have said how unlikely that two miracles so similar should have occurred. Believing that the scriptures are divinely inspired helps wonderfully to clear up difficulties.
It must also be remembered that in reporting a statement, the actual words used may be given, or the sense only of what was said. Such is constantly done by every one.
In examining the following apparent discrepancies we can only give what may have happened, without professing that it must have been as here stated; but if it can be shown how events may have occurred so as to meet a difficulty-that difficulty may he said to be met.
The Visit of the Wise Men. From Matt. 2:1-231Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. 13And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 19But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 21And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: 23And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. (Matthew 2:1‑23)
it would appear that at or near the birth of Jesus was the visit of the wise men at Bethlehem, and that it was followed by the flight into Egypt, and the return into Galilee. In Luke 2:22-3922And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; 23(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) 24And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. 25And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 33And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. 34And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. 36And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 37And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. 39And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. (Luke 2:22‑39) the circumcision and presentation follow the birth, and then they return to Galilee. In Matthew there seems no room for the presentation; and in Luke no room for the visit of the wise men.
In the first place, let it be noticed that Matt. 2:11Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, (Matthew 2:1) does not say that the wise men came when Jesus was born: it should read, " Jesus having been born," leaving the time indefinite. In Luke there is the birth, circumcision, and presentation, which would all occur in about forty days, from whence the -holy family, as it is called, returned to their own city, Nazareth in Galilee. It is easy to suppose that they subsequently paid a visit to Bethlehem, ordered of God, so that the wise men might find them there, after which the flight into Egypt would follow. We know that the parents of our Lord visited Jerusalem yearly at the Passover (Luke 2:4141Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. (Luke 2:41)), and, being at Jerusalem at the passover following the birth, it was easy for them to reach Bethlehem. This would perhaps be only about three months after the birth, but Herod may have settled on killing the children from two years old by reckoning when the star first appeared, and leaving a large margin, so as to secure his victim, as he thought.
This does not seem to agree with the historians, who place the census under Cyrenius nine or ten years after the birth of Christ.
This is called a taxing' in the above passage, but it was most probably an enrollment or census. If carried out by the Romans, it might seem strange that Joseph had to go to his own city to he enrolled; but, knowing the exceeding jealousy of the Jews, the governor may have tried to do it in a way the least objectionable to them.
Various suggestions have been made to solve the above. difficulty, but Professor Zumpt believes he has discovered the true key to it in that Publius Sulpicius Quirinus (the Cyrenius of Scripture) was twice governor of Syria, and twice made a census, and that in Luke refers to his first governorship (B.C. 4 to B.C. 1), when he was succeeded by Lollius.
In support of the above, it may be remarked that Justin Martyr three times asserts that our Lord was born under Quirinus, and appeals to some register as proof of it.
The Knowledge John the Baptist Had of Jesus.
It is evident that John had some knowledge of Jesus, they were relatives, and he had doubtless heard of what had been announced to the shepherds at His birth, and also of the inquiries of the wise men, &c.; quite enough to lead him, under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, and to say to Him, " I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? " But in John's Gospel our Lord is portrayed as Son of God, and as such the Baptist did not know Him, though he was to know Him thus by the Holy Spirit abiding on Him. By this he was taught that which this evangelist brings out, for he says, " I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God."
.Said to clash with 1 Samuel 21:1-6,1Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. 4And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 5And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. 6So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. (1 Samuel 21:1‑6) where Ahimelech was the priest.
The passage in Mark does not really say that the event took place in the high priesthood of Abiathar, but is more indefinite (with ἐπί only, the words " the days of " being added), and may mean ' in [the presence of],' or with the sanction of Abiathar, who may have been present with his father when the shewbread was given to David It was really done in the days of Abiathar, who afterward became high priest. This removes all difficulty. If the Lord had said Ahimelech, His enemies might have said, " Ah, but the priest was slain for his irregularity; " whereas Abiathar lived and reigned with David.
The Blind Men at Jericho (Matt. 20:29-3429And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 30And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 31And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 32And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 33They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. (Matthew 20:29‑34); Mark 10:46-5246And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimeus, the son of Timeus, sat by the highway side begging. 47And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 48And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 49And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. 50And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. 51And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. (Mark 10:46‑52); Luke 18:35-4335And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: 36And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 39And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 40And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, 41Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. 43And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God. (Luke 18:35‑43)).
Matthew speaks of two blind men, Mark and Luke of only one. Luke represents the miracle as performed when Jesus was approaching Jericho, before He entered it; Matthew and Mark, as when He was leaving Jericho.
This difficulty may be met in several ways. Let us suppose that as our Lord approached Jericho He healed the blind man, as reported by Luke. At the entrance of a city seems a very suitable place for a beggar to sit; hut the city had two entrances, and why should not beggars sit at the entrance towards Jerusalem as well as at the other? Here there were two beggars, Bartimeus being one, who may have been well known, and he only is named by Mark, though both were brought to the Lord at the same time. Matthew mentions the two. If our Lord remained at Jericho the night with Zacchæus, as some suppose, the curing of the blind man as the Lord entered the city would soon have become known, and others would naturally have been at the gate on the following morning. There may have been three cured, or even more. Luke 18:3535And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: (Luke 18:35) means " when He was in the neighborhood of Jericho."
Christ Riding Upon an Ass (Matt. 20:2-72And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. (Matthew 20:2‑7); Mark 11:2-72And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. 3And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. 4And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. 5And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? 6And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. 7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. (Mark 11:2‑7); Luke 19:30-3530Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. 31And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. 32And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. 33And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? 34And they said, The Lord hath need of him. 35And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. (Luke 19:30‑35); John 12:14, 1514And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, 15Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. (John 12:14‑15)).
It is objected that Matthew represents that there were two animals, a she-ass and a colt, and apparently that Christ rode on them both; whereas the other three gospels speak of only the colt.
The act was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Zech. 9:9,9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zechariah 9:9) which reads, " Behold thy King cometh unto thee; he is just and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass." In Matthew it does not say that Christ rode upon both animals: garments were placed on both (and we can easily believe that more garments were readily offered on that joyous occasion than were needed for one), and Christ sat on them (the garments). John, who mentions only the colt, also speaks of its being a fulfillment of the same prophecy. The she-ass, which was with the colt, not being used, -was not named by the other evangelists.
Mary Anointing the Lord (Matt. 26:6-136Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 12For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. (Matthew 26:6‑13); Mark 14: 3-9; John 12:1-91Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. 4Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. 7Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always. 9Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. (John 12:1‑9))
1. It is objected that this, according to John, took place six days before the passover; but in Matthew and Mark not more than two days.
2. In John it is apparently in the house of Martha and Mary; but in Matthew and Mark it is in the house of Simon, a leper.
3. According to John, it was the feet that were anointed; in Matthew and Mark it is the head.4. Matthew and Mark say that the disciples complained of the waste; John speaks of Judas only.
As to I, the occurrence was most probably two days before the passover, which agrees with Mark being the most strictly chronological; in John it does not say that it was six days before the passover. Our Lord came to Bethany on that day; hut the supper may have been when the other evangelists place it.2. Let us suppose that the house belonged to Simon the leper, and the others lodged with him. In John it does not say whose house it was, or Martha may have been Simon's wife or widow.3. The anointing may have been both of the head and the feet.
4. Judas may have been the chief and first complainer, and the others were led to join him.
The Last Passover (Matt. 26:17-1917Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? 18And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. 19And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. (Matthew 26:17‑19); Mark 14:12-1612And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? 13And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. 14And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 15And he will show you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. 16And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. (Mark 14:12‑16); Luke 22:7-137Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. 8And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. 9And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? 10And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. 11And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 12And he shall show you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. 13And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. (Luke 22:7‑13); John 13:1,21Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; (John 13:1‑2)).
The question presented here is, Did our Lord eat the passover on the same day as the Jews? for when He was led to the hall of judgment, the rulers went not in to the judgment-hall, lest they should be defiled; but " that they might eat the passover." (John 18:2828Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. (John 18:28).) And the same day is said to be "the preparation of the passover." (Chapter 19:14.) Thus the account in John's gospel does not seem to agree with the other gospels.
This difficulty has been sought to be removed in different ways.1. That our Lord partook of the passover a day before the Jews; and it has been thought that John 13:1, 2,1Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; (John 13:1‑2) confirms this by the words, "before the feast of the passover.... and supper being ended." But this is not satisfactory, for the other gospels say that our Lord did not partake of the passover till the first day of unleavened bread had come. Mark adds that the day was "when they killed the passover," and Luke " when the passover must he killed." Both Matthew and Mark show that when the right day had come the disciples asked where they should prepare the passover. John 13:11Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. (John 13:1) may simply mean " before eating the passover." Besides, the paschal lambs had to be slain at the sanctuary (Deut. 16:5,65Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee: 6But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 16:5‑6)): would the priests have sanctioned this on any other day? We must search for a better explanation than this.
2. It has been supposed that our Lord partook of the passover at the usual time, but that the rulers had been so occupied with arresting and trying our Lord that they had neglected to eat the paschal lamb, and would do it the next evening. This is possible, but it is hardly probable that they would so gravely break the law; and this would not remove the difficulty of John 19:14,14And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! (John 19:14) which speaks of the day being "the preparation of the passover."
3. If it is clear from the first three gospels that our Lord ate the passover on the appointed day, how are the statements in the Gospel of John to be understood? It must be observed that though the lamb was eaten in one night, the paschal feast lasted the 15th Nizan there were the universal free-will offerings. For the feast bullocks were offered, and these were also called the pass-over: thus in Deut. 16:22Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the Lord shall choose to place his name there. (Deuteronomy 16:2) we read, " Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and of the herd, in the place which the Lord shall choose to place his name there." (See also 2 Chron. 35:6-146So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses. 7And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance. 8And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen. 9Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen. 10So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's commandment. 11And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them. 12And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen. 13And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people. 14And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron. (2 Chronicles 35:6‑14).) So that when the rulers said they would not be defiled that they might eat the passover, they may have meant that they might go on keeping the feast. Lightfoot judges that their language implies that they had eaten the passover, for their defilement would have lasted only to sunset, and then they would have been clean. The term " the preparation of the passover" may mean the preparation of the passover offerings or the paschal sabbath. The name for Friday was παρασκευή"preparation day," and it is so used in John 19:3131The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. (John 19:31).
4. Others believe that there is testimony that at the time of our Lord there were two recognized (or rather allowed) times for eating the passover, namely, one at the beginning of the 14th Nizan, and the other at the close of the same day, and each may have been adopted by one of the two great sects. This would at once remove the difficulty, if Matthew and Mark referred to when our Lord ate the pass-over at the beginning of the day, and John to when the rulers intended to eat it at the end of the day.
By our Lord eating the passover on the evening of the 14th Nizan (at the beginning of the day) He also suffered on the same day, in the morning. This has led some to suppose that the injunction to kill the passover " between the two evenings" (Ex. 12:66And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. (Exodus 12:6) margin) embraces 24 hours. But none of it was to be left till the morning, so that the expression cannot mean this. Besides, the daily evening lamb was also to be killed between the two evenings, and the same expression is used for lighting the evening lamps. (Ex. 29:39;3039The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even: (Exodus 29:39)
1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, (Exodus 31:1). 8.) The Jews are not agreed as to what is meant by " between the two evenings." Some say it refers to the time when the sun begins to decline, perhaps from three o'clock to sunset; others refer it to the time between sunset and darkness.
The pointing out Judas as the betrayer appears in Matthew and Mark to be before the Lord's supper; but in Luke it is placed after it.
It is clear that all the accounts cannot be chronologically arranged. The account in John 13 helps to clear up the question. When our Lord had spoken of being betrayed, He was asked in a low voice by John, who was nearest, to whom He referred. He said to John (not to all) that it was the one to whom He would give a sop. He gave the sop to Judas, and it is added, " He then having received the sop, went immediately out, and it was night." (Ver. 30.) Now the sop, or morsel, had reference to the paschal supper, and Judas went out immediately after receiving it. He could not therefore have been present at the Lord's supper. Luke has placed the incidents in moral succession; chap. 22:19, 20, should be read as in a parenthesis, intercalated in the midst of what refers to the passover feast.
There is no proof of any mistake. We cannot suppose that all the prophecies of each prophet are recorded; and here it is what Jeremiah spoke, and not what he had written. Jeremiah may have spoken it, and Zechariah committed it to writing. It is also recorded by the Jewish writers that anciently Jeremiah was placed first in the Book of the Prophets: thus, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the twelve minor prophets. Thus Jeremiah may have been a sort of heading for the whole. Zechariah, though quoted, is never named in the New Testament.
The End of Judas.
He may have hanged himself on some high tree, and then by the rope or the branch of the tree breaking, he fell down and was dashed to pieces. Matthew merely relates the remorse and suicide of Judas; Luke, the end of the tragedy. Acts 1:1818Now this man 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) says he purchased a field, which means no more than that he was the cause of a field being purchased, and this would agree with the chief priests buying the potter's field (Matt. 27:6-86And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. 7And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. 8Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. (Matthew 27:6‑8)) and with Zech. 11:12,1312And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. 13And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. (Zechariah 11:12‑13). He did it as it were by proxy, the priests did it for him with his money.
The Denials by Peter.
All the evangelists agree in recording a threefold denial by Peter, but it is alleged that the accounts differ in1, That the first three gospels say that the denials took place in the palace of Caiaphas; whereas John says they were in the house of Annas.2, That some of the accounts say that Peter was standing; others, that he was sitting.3, That those who accuse Peter are not the same in the different accounts.
Those who bring forth the first as a discrepancy, dispute the translation of John 18:2424Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. (John 18:24) as in the Authorized Version: " Annas had sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest," and say our Lord was sent to Caiaphas after the denials. There is no doubt that it may be translated " sent " or " had sent." But verse 19 says, " The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples; " and Caiaphas, not Annas, was high priest. (Verse 13.) Others suppose that Annas and Caiaphas resided in the same palace, so that the denials may be said to be in the house of either. As to the other points, it must be remembered that there were a number of people together in the said hall or porch, and it is probable that more than one person spoke at each of the denials. What Peter actually said may have been more than is recorded, for we read that he began to curse and to swear. It may be that he actually denied oftener than three times, but three denials are recorded, as giving full testimony to Peter's weakness. So that all the accounts are doubtless strictly accurate.
Bearing the Cross of Jesus.
In John 19:1717And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: (John 19:17) we read: " He bearing his cross went forth." In the other gospels it is said they compelled one Simon a Cyrenian to bear the cross of our Lord.
It was usual to compel the condemned to bear their own cross, and our Lord went forth bearing His cross, but for some reason Simon was compelled to carry it the rest of the way.
The Drink Given to Our Lord.
The "vinegar" and "wine" may well mean the same. It was the common sour wine that the Roman soldiers drank. The word for "gall" is χολή, and may have been used by Matthew to signify something bitter without meaning to specify what it was. The word is used in the LXX. in Deut. 32:32,32For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter: (Deuteronomy 32:32) " Their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter;" in Prov. 5:44But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. (Proverbs 5:4) and Jer. 9:1515Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. (Jeremiah 9:15) it is used for "wormwood." Therefore while Mark names the article mingled with the wine, Matthew indefinitely refers to it as something bitter. It was usual to give such a mixture to criminals to stupefy them: but our Lord would not drink it. The above passages have been thought to clash with Psa. 69:2;1,2I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. (Psalm 69:2)
2But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (Psalm 1:2) where our Lord says, "They gave me also gall for my meat: and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink," as representing their ill-treatment of Him, whereas the above, and also the vinegar given when our Lord said " I thirst '' (John 19:2828After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. (John 19:28)) were offered Him with no ill-feeling, but rather the reverse. But there is another passage that has often been overlooked (Luke 23:3636And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, (Luke 23:36)) where vinegar was offered to Him by the soldiers in mockery, and which exactly agrees with the Psalm, and gall may also have been given to Him out of hatred, though it is not recorded in the gospels.
the Hour of the Crucifixion.
In John 19:1414And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! (John 19:14) the trial of our Lord is represented as still going on at about the sixth hour; whereas in Mark 15:2525And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. (Mark 15:25) we read " it was the third hour and they crucified him." And both Mark (15:33) and Luke (23:44) speak of there being darkness over the land from the sixth to the ninth hour, and this was after our Lord had been on the cross some time.
There can be little doubt that John used the Roman mode of reckoning the hours, commencing at midnight, and that the sixth hour refers to our six o'clock; and this agrees with all other references as to time. The council met " as soon as it was day " (Luke 22:6666And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, (Luke 22:66)); and it was " early " when Jesus was brought before Pilate. (John 18:2828Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. (John 18:28).) The trial was proceeding at our six o clock, and the crucifixion would be at nine o'clock. For the other instances in John see The Seasons and Divisions of Time.
Our Lord was really in the tomb two nights and parts of three days. By a common mode of reckoning among the Jews, a part of a day was always counted as a day, so that the above would be called by them " three days." The " three nights " may seem a greater difficulty, but the Greeks used a compound term for " day and night " in one word (νυχθήμερον), and though this word is not actually employed by the evangelists, the same may be embraced, and any period covering parts of three days may be called three days and three nights. Reference may be made to Esther 4:16,16Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. (Esther 4:16) where Esther tells the Jews to " neither eat nor drink three days, night or day," which may well be taken to mean three days and three nights; but in chapter v. 1, the end of the fasting was on the third day, which could have included only two nights and three days. In Mark it is " after three days." But with the Jews this meant the same thing, as may be seen by the Jews saying to Pilate that Jesus had said that He would rise " after three days," but they did not request a watch for four days, but simply " till the third day."
The inscriptions are said not to agree. The words are not exactly the same in the four Gospels.
The inscription was written in three languages, and may not have been exactly the same in the three; and if they were, the evangelists may not have intended to give all the words, but the substance of the inscription only. They stand thus:
Notice also that Matthew calls it " his accusation "; Mark and Luke " superscription "; and John "a title."
Events Connected With the Resurrection
Various discrepancies are said to be in the accounts respecting the resurrection in the several gospels, such as differences in the times mentioned when the women visited the sepulcher; the number and names of the women; the appearance of the angel or angels; and as to whom Christ first appeared.
It is well to notice that in some places " women " are mentioned without saying who they were, and it is perhaps best not to attempt to say who they were: we can easily suppose that there was more than one party that visited the sepulcher. Some we know were from Galilee. (Matt. 27:5555And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: (Matthew 27:55); Luke 23:49,5549And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. (Luke 23:49)
55And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. (Luke 23:55).)
The events probably followed somewhat thus: Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (of Joses) saw where the body was laid. (Matt. 27:6161And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. (Matthew 27:61); Mark 15:4747And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid. (Mark 15:47); Luke 23:5555And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. (Luke 23:55).) Some women returned, and prepared spices on Friday evening. (Luke 23:5656And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. (Luke 23:56).) Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary at the close of the sabbath (Saturday evening) come to observe the sepulcher (Matt. 28:11In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. (Matthew 28:1)), and return and finish their preparations, buying sweet spices. (Mark 16:11And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. (Mark 16:1).) Early on Sunday morning is the resurrection, the earthquake, and the removal of the stone. While yet dark, Mary Magdalene came to the sepulcher, and ran and told Peter and John that the body of the Lord had been taken away. (John 20 1, 2.) Very early women enter the sepulcher. They are told by angels that the Lord is risen, and they are sent to tell the apostles (Matt. 28:5-75And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. (Matthew 28:5‑7)), disconnected from verse 1; Mark 16:1-71And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. 3And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 4And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. 5And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. 6And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. (Mark 16:1‑7); Luke 24:1-101Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8And they remembered his words, 9And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. (Luke 24:1‑10)). Peter and John go to the sepulcher. (Luke 24:1212Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. (Luke 24:12); John 20:3-103Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. 10Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. (John 20:3‑10).) Mary followed them, and stayed at the sepulcher: two angels appear and speak to her. Jesus makes Himself known to her first, and she is sent with a message to His " brethren.' (John 20:11-1811But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. (John 20:11‑18); Mark 19:9-11.) She is not allowed to touch Him. Jesus meets other women, who hold Him by the feet and worship Him. (Matt. 28:99And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. (Matthew 28:9).) The varied visits to the tomb are just what might be expected, when the news was brought that the tomb was empty. The words of Mary, They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him," may have been the devout thought of many.
Stephen's Address.
Various discrepancies are said to exist in Stephen's address, and some Christians are content to say that, while, no doubt, Luke gave an accurate report, scripture does not say that Stephen was inspired. It does not; but it does say that, in his addresses to the Jews, they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit with which he spake (Acts 6:1010And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. (Acts 6:10)), and twice is it said that he was full of the Holy Ghost, and his face was as the face of an angel. Besides, there was the special promise of God that, when His disciples should be brought before rulers, the Holy Spirit should teach them what they should say; yea, the Spirit should speak in them. (Matt. 10:1919But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. (Matthew 10:19); Mark 13:1111But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. (Mark 13:11); Luke 12:1111And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: (Luke 12:11)) We must believe, therefore, that Stephen made no mistakes. Let us examine those that are alleged.
It does not say in Genesis that the call was in Haran: but that the Lord had said to Abraham, Get thee out of thy country; and several passages declare that God brought Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees. (Gen. 15:7,7And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. (Genesis 15:7) &c.) It appears that Abraham started to obey the Lord, but stopped short with his father in Haran till his father died. In fact, it was Terah and not Abram who was leader of the expedition. (Gen. 11:3131And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. (Genesis 11:31).)
(2.) When his Father was Dead. -This is said to be inconsistent with Gen. 11:26,32;12: 426And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. (Genesis 11:26)
32And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. (Genesis 11:32). "Terah lived seventy years and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran." Terah lived to the age of two hundred and five years. Abram left Haran when he was seventy-five. If Abram was Terah's first-born, 70 + 75 = 145, not 205 years; but it is not said that Abram was Terah's first-born: he may have been named first because of his importance. The three sons would not have been born in one year-the year named. Terah might have been 130 when Abram was born, but this would have been an old age, for Abram thought it extraordinary he should have his son Isaac when he was 99. But still, Isaac married Rebecca, the grand-daughter of Nahor, by the youngest son of eight. (Gen. 22:2222And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. (Genesis 22:22).) There is another explanation. Abram was told to leave not only his country, but his kindred and his father's house; and Gen. 12:44So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. (Genesis 12:4) may mean that he left Haran for a time only, without entirely breaking away from his father's house until his death, though we do not read of any return to Haran.
(3.) Four Hundred Years (ver. 6).-This period applies to the beginning of the verse as well as the end, that is to the sojourn and to the bondage. It was spoken to Abraham as to his seed (Gen. 15:1313And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; (Genesis 15:13)), and if we start from the birth of Isaac it stands thus:-
(4.) Seventy-five Souls (ver 14).-Said to clash with Gen. 46:27,27And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten. (Genesis 46:27) which says "seventy." In verse 14 it is, " Jacob, and all his kindred; three score and fifteen souls." The number given being not what Joseph called into Egypt, but " Jacob and all his kindred," and this would include the descendants of Joseph born in Egypt before the Exodus,
(See Num. 26:28-3728The sons of Joseph after their families were Manasseh and Ephraim. 29Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites. 30These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites: of Helek, the family of the Helekites: 31And of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites: and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites: 32And of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. 33And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34These are the families of Manasseh, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and two thousand and seven hundred. 35These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites: of Becher, the family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 36And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. 37These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families. (Numbers 26:28‑37); 1 Chron. 7:14-2014The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare: (but his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead: 15And Machir took to wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister's name was Maachah;) and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters. 16And Maachah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. 17And the sons of Ulam; Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. 18And his sister Hammoleketh bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah. 19And the sons of Shemida were, Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam. 20And the sons of Ephraim; Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eladah his son, and Tahath his son, (1 Chronicles 7:14‑20).) In Gen. 46:2727And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten. (Genesis 46:27) it is, those that " came with Jacob into Egypt " including his sons' wives, 70 souls, which does not include those born in Egypt after Jacob came. In the LXX. it reads, " But the sons of Joseph who were with him in Egypt, were nine souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob which came with Jacob into Egypt were seventy-five souls." That is, nine are added to the 66 of verse 26, making in all 75 souls.
(5.) Abraham's Sepulcher at Sychem (ver. 16) and who were buried there.-Said to clash with Genesis, in (10 That Jacob was not buried in Sychem, but at Machpelah. But verse 16 does not say that Jacob was buried at Sychem, but that the " fathers " were. Joseph was buried at Sychem, and doubtless others. Stephen was addressing an audience that was familiar with Old Testament history, and did not stop to give any of the detail but what was needed for his arguments. 2, That the sepulcher at Sychem was not bought by Abraham, hut by Jacob of sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. (Gen. 33:1919And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money. (Genesis 33:19); josh. 24:3232And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. (Joshua 24:32).) The first of these passages does not say that the ground was bought for a sepulcher (though Joseph was afterward buried there), but a place for Jacob to pitch his tent in, and where he could erect an altar. Now, if Jacob did this, why not Abraham also, for he also came to Sychem and built an altar there? This is the more probable, because " the Canaanite was still in the land." (Gen. 12:6,76And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. 7And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. (Genesis 12:6‑7).) If this was so, as there was a long period between Abraham and Jacob, the Emmor of the Acts must have been a different person from the Hamor of Genesis.
Bengel paraphrases the passage thus: " Jacob died and our fathers (namely Joseph): and (because, after the example of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, they wished to rest in the land of promise [Gen. 50:13,2513For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. (Genesis 50:13)
25And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. (Genesis 50:25)] for this reason) they were carried over into Sychem or Shechem (and into the sepulcher of Hebron [Gen. 23:1919And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. (Genesis 23:19)]) and were laid (in `the parcel of ground' at Shechem [Josh. 24:3232And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. (Joshua 24:32)] and) in the sepulcher (of Hebron), which Abraham had bought (and Jacob) for a price in money (and a hundred lambs) from the sons of Emmor (the father), of Sychem or Shechem (and from Ephron)." He believes that two well-known histories are intertwined, the audience of Stephen knowing well what was meant. " The brevity which was best suited to the ardor of the Spirit gave Stephen just occasion, in the case of a fact so well known, to compress these details in the way he has done."
Stephen does not say that he is quoting Amos; but is thus free to quote from any of the prophets what was said concerning the captivity referred to. In 2 Chron. 36:2020And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: (2 Chronicles 36:20) and Jer. 20:4,4For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword. (Jeremiah 20:4) Babylon is named. Babylon must have fallen with great weight on the ears of his audience, who would naturally have expected to have heard the word Damascus. It is worthy of note too, that the same word (μετοικζω) is used in verse 4 for Abraham's removing from Chaldea, as is used in verse 43 for their being carried away beyond Babylon.
Most editors transpose the sentence in the Acts, and then it reads, " He divided to them their lot, about four hundred and fifty years; and afterward he gave them judges." This removes the difficulty.
In Corinthians it says, the twenty-three thousand died in one day: in Numbers, it is died of the plague in toto.
To have a firm confidence in the inspiration of the scripture is a wonderful help to surmount any difficulties that may arise in reading the word. Those who do not believe in plenary inspiration are apt to declare every apparent discrepancy to be an error, and therefore irreconcilable: whereas a believer in inspiration banishes the thought of there being errors, and returns again and again to a difficulty, and looks to God for wisdom to solve it; and if we are willing to be taught, He graciously giveth wisdom liberally, and upbraideth not.