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:
#4 – Does God Forgive People?
In 2 Kings 24:4, we encounter a stark declaration: The LORD was not willing to forgive, specifically regarding the sins of King Manasseh, who led Judah into idolatry and shed innocent blood. This statement stands in tension with the broader biblical theme of God’s mercy and willingness to forgive, as seen in passages like Psalms 103:3,10, which praise God for forgiving iniquities and not treating humanity as their sins deserve. The contradiction deepens when we compare 2 Kings with 2 Chronicles. In the latter (2 Chronicles 33:19), we learn that Manasseh eventually repented, humbling himself before God, who then restored him. However, repentance and restoration are entirely absent from the account in Kings, which portrays Manasseh’s sins as the ultimate reason for Judah’s destruction” a punishment that fell upon generations long after his reign.
How Does Ehrman Err?
This issue—how God’s justice and mercy interact, especially in the accounts of King Manasseh—has challenged many readers. Let’s look at the relevant passages, the historical context, and the broader biblical teaching to address the supposed contradiction.
1.1. The Accounts in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles
2 Kings 24:3-4 (ESV):
“Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon.”
2 Chronicles 33:12-13, 19 (ESV):
“And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. … And his prayer, and how God was moved by his entreaty, and all his sin and his faithlessness… are written in the Chronicles of the Seers.”
2. Is This a Contradiction?
A. Different Purposes and Emphases
- 2 Kings focuses on the national consequences of Manasseh’s sin. The author’s purpose is to explain why Judah fell: the nation’s persistent rebellion, epitomized by Manasseh’s reign, brought irreversible judgment (see also 2 Kings 21:10-16).
- 2 Chronicles highlights personal repentance and restoration. Chronicles, written later, often emphasizes hope, repentance, and the possibility of return even after great sin.
B. God’s Justice and Mercy Are Both Real
- God’s willingness to forgive is a consistent biblical theme (Psalm 103:3,10: “who forgives all your iniquity… He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities”). However, forgiveness does not always remove all earthly consequences of sin.
- Manasseh’s personal repentance (2 Chronicles 33) is genuine, and God restores him personally. Yet, the nationalconsequences of his decades of evil leadership—idolatry and bloodshed—had already set Judah on a path to destruction. The people continued in sin even after Manasseh repented (2 Kings 21:16; 2 Chronicles 33:17).
C. The Principle of Consequences
- The Bible consistently teaches that while God forgives sin, the effects of sin can persist (see Exodus 34:6-7; Galatians 6:7-8). Manasseh’s late repentance did not undo the spiritual and moral damage done to Judah.
- Even after David was forgiven for his sin with Bathsheba, the consequences remained (2 Samuel 12:13-14).
3. How Do We Reconcile These Accounts?
- No contradiction exists when we recognize the difference between personal forgiveness and national consequences. God forgave Manasseh personally, as 2 Chronicles records. But the nation, shaped by years of evil, did not repent as a whole, and so judgment came as 2 Kings describes.
- God’s justice and mercy are both perfect. He is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalm 103:8), but He is also “by no means clear[ing] the guilty” (Exodus 34:7).
4. Supporting Scriptures
- Psalm 103:8-10 (ESV): “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.”
- Exodus 34:6-7 (ESV): “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious… but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children…”
- Galatians 6:7 (ESV): “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”
5. Conclusion
The Bible does not contradict itself here. Instead, it presents a nuanced picture: God is both just and merciful. Manasseh’s personal repentance was met with mercy, but the nation still suffered the consequences of his long reign of evil. This teaches us both the seriousness of sin and the amazing depth of God’s grace for those who truly repent.