Welcome to “Ehrman Errs,” a blog series devoted to using our conversational AI to refute each alleged biblical contradiction that is posed in the article on Bart Ehrman’s website: 50 Contradictions in the Bible: The Biggest, Most Shocking Differences.
Today’s alleged contradiction:
#37 – Michal or Merab?
In 2 Samuel 21:8, the text states that five of the executed sons were Michal’s. However, this conflicts with 2 Samuel 6:23, which explicitly states that Michal, David’s wife, had no children. Scholars argue this is likely a scribal error and that the text should read “Merab” (Michal’s sister) instead of Michal. This correction aligns with 1 Samuel 18:17, where Merab is mentioned as Saul’s daughter.
How Does Ehrman Err?
Bart Ehrman often highlights textual difficulties such as this one to suggest contradictions in Scripture; however, in this case, both careful textual study and context demonstrate that there is no genuine contradiction, but a small scribal copy error that can be readily identified and explained.
1. The apparent contradiction
In 2 Samuel 21:8, some translations (notably certain older manuscripts of the Masoretic Text and the King James Version) read:
“The king took the two sons of Rizpah… and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite…” (KJV)
But 2 Samuel 6:23 clearly says:
“And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.” (ESV)
If Michal had no children, how could she have five sons executed? This is the supposed contradiction.
2. Evaluating the textual evidence
However, modern textual scholarship—rooted in the best available Hebrew manuscripts and supported by context—shows that the word should indeed be “Merab,” not “Michal.”
- The ancient Septuagint (LXX) and several Hebrew manuscripts, along with virtually all modern English translations (e.g., ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB), hold “Merab” rather than “Michal.”
- 1 Samuel 18:19 explicitly says that Saul gave Merab (not Michal) to Adriel the Meholathite as wife:
“At the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.” – 1 Samuel 18:19 (ESV)
Thus, by direct cross-reference, Merab is the only daughter of Saul associated with Adriel—so the “five sons” would be her offspring.
Supporting this, Precept Austin’s commentary on 2 Samuel 21 affirms this point:
“Comparing Scripture with Scripture, clearly it was Merab who was married to Adriel the Meholathite… KJV says ‘five sons of Michal,’ but this is not correct, and all modern translations use ‘Merab.’”
—PreceptAustin.org, 2 Samuel 21 Commentary
3. Why the error occurred
The error likely happened because Michal was a more famous name (David’s wife) and a later scribe accidentally substituted her name for her older sister Merab. In Hebrew, the names share similar structure and could easily be miscopied when copying handwritten manuscripts.
Scribal slips like this are copying mistakes, not contradictions within the original text. Textual criticism—an academic field Ehrman himself masters—actually corrects these minor slips and verifies the reliability of Scripture, rather than disproving it.
4. Theological consistency
Once corrected, the narrative is entirely coherent:
- Merab was the daughter given to Adriel, per 1 Samuel 18:19.
- Later, Merab’s five sons were executed (2 Samuel 21:8).
- Michal, who was childless, aligns perfectly with 2 Samuel 6:23.
Therefore, both statements are true once the scribal error is recognized.
5. Biblical and theological affirmation
The Bible itself testifies that “the words of the Lord are pure words” (Psalm 12:6), and even though minor copying errors have entered through human hands, the original message God inspired remains fully preserved and verifiable. As 2 Peter 1:21 says:
“Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
And Jesus affirmed the enduring reliability of Scripture:
“Scripture cannot be broken.” — John 10:35
Conclusion
So, Ehrman is correct to note that a textual variant exists—but his conclusion that it’s a contradiction misunderstands the nature of the issue. The difference between Michal and Merab in 2 Samuel 21:8 is a copyist error, not a theological inconsistency or historical contradiction. When compared with 1 Samuel 18:19 and 2 Samuel 6:23, the Bible’s internal harmony actually reinforces its credibility.
For a deeper study, see:
Summary of Scriptural support:
- 1 Samuel 18:19 — Merab was given to Adriel.
- 2 Samuel 21:8 — The correct reading is “Merab,” not “Michal.”
- 2 Samuel 6:23 — Michal had no child.
- Psalm 12:6 & John 10:35 — The words of God are pure and unbreakable.
This harmonization shows Scripture to be trustworthy, even when human copyists have introduced minor and recognizable variants.