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:
#39 – How Long Did Saul Reign?
An example of a time-based discrepancy in the Bible revolves around Saul’s reign as described in 1 Samuel 13:1. The verse famously omits Saul’s age and states that he reigned for only two years. This short time frame contradicts Acts 13:21, where Paul declares that Saul ruled for 40 years. Additionally, if 1 Samuel 13:1 is taken as part of the narrative, verse 8 becomes problematic, as it suggests only seven days have passed, not two years.
How Does Ehrman Err?
Bart Ehrman is correct that 1 Samuel 13:1 presents translation challenges; however, his conclusion that this creates a contradiction overstates the evidence and misunderstands how ancient texts sometimes preserve incomplete data.
1. The Textual Challenge in 1 Samuel 13:1
Here is how several versions render 1 Samuel 13:1:
- ESV: “Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel…”
- Berean Standard Bible (BSB): “Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.”
- NET Bible: “Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign; he ruled over Israel for forty years.”
The reality is that the Hebrew manuscripts are missing the numbers entirely. The Hebrew text reads literally:
“Saul was … years old when he began to reign, and he reigned … and two years over Israel.”
This means the numerical data has dropped out of the oldest preserved Hebrew manuscripts. As Precept Austin’s commentary notes, “The actual numbers are unknown… the Masoretic Text literally reads ‘a son of a year’” (1 Samuel 13 Commentary, PreceptAustin.org).
So this is not a contradiction in reported facts; rather, it’s a textual transmission issue — a very different category altogether.
2. Interpreting with the Help of Acts 13:21
In Acts 13:21, Paul, summarizing Israel’s history, says:
“Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.” (ESV)
This statement fills in the missing data.
Paul, a learned Pharisee who knew his Scriptures in Hebrew, likely drew upon historical tradition and records well known in Jewish culture. Therefore, the forty years of Saul’s reign in Acts 13:21 likely preserves the correct information.
Modern translators (like in the BSB and NET) often harmonize the incomplete Hebrew of 1 Samuel 13:1 with the explicit number in Acts 13:21.
Thus, rather than a contradiction, Acts 13:21 clarifies what the lost Hebrew numbers in 1 Samuel 13:1 once said.
3. The “Seven Days” Clause (1 Samuel 13:8)
Bart Ehrman also claims that the mention of “seven days” in verse 8 contradicts a long reign. But that’s a narrative misunderstanding.
The text reads:
“He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him.” (1 Samuel 13:8, ESV)
This verse describes a specific military episode early in Saul’s rule, not the total length of his reign. The “seven days” reference is about an agreed waiting period for Samuel’s appearance before battle, not the total narrative span since Saul became king.
Therefore, the “seven days” passage simply marks a particular moment within Saul’s 40-year reign, not an alternate timeline.
4. Theological Reflection: God’s Concern with Faithfulness, Not Numbers
In context, 1 Samuel 12–13 focuses not on chronology, but on Saul’s failure to obey God.
Samuel’s words capture the heart of the narrative:
“Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you. But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”
(1 Samuel 12:24–25, Berean Standard Bible)
The writer’s purpose is theological — showing how Saul’s impatience and disobedience in 1 Samuel 13 led to his downfall — rather than giving an exhaustive chronological record.
5. Conclusion
There is no true contradiction between 1 Samuel 13:1 and Acts 13:21. What exists is a textual gap due to loss of numerical data in the Hebrew manuscripts. The accounts are easily harmonized:
- The original 1 Samuel 13:1 likely stated that Saul was about thirty when he became king and reigned forty years (Acts 13:21 confirms this).
- The “seven days” of 1 Samuel 13:8 describes one early event, not the totality of Saul’s reign.
As Christians, we can trust that “the word of the Lord is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness” (Psalm 33:4, ESV), and minor textual defects do not undermine its divine message or historical truth.
Summary:
- The “missing numbers” in 1 Samuel 13:1 are a known textual issue, not a contradiction.
- Acts 13:21 provides the correct length of Saul’s reign—forty years.
- The “seven days” in 1 Samuel 13:8 is a narrative episode, not a chronological competition.
- Scripture remains coherent and faithful when properly interpreted.
References:
Precept Austin: 1 Samuel 13 Commentary (https://www.preceptaustin.org/1-samuel-13-commentary)
1 Samuel 12:24–25 (Berean Standard Bible)
1 Samuel 13:1, 13:8 (ESV)
Acts 13:21 (ESV)