II Samuel 9, Mephibosheth

David has defeated the house of Saul, but he remembers his love for Jonathan.

2 Samuel 9:1-5, Ziba remembers

David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"

Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" 

"Your servant," he replied. 

The king asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" 

Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet."

"Where is he?" the king asked. Ziba answered, "He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar." 

So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

David finds Mephibosheth, crippled at age five when his father died, and David plans to protect him.  There is some risk in this -- supporters of Saul could later attempt to put one of his descendants on the throne.

2 Samuel 9:6-10, Mephibosheth honored

When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, "Mephibosheth!" 

"Your servant," he replied.

"Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table." 

Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?"

Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

Mephibosheth and Saul's servant, Ziba, are provided for and given land to farm.

2 Samuel 9:11-13, Mephiboseth and family eat at the king's table

Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons.

Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba's household were servants of Mephibosheth. And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table, and he was crippled in both feet.

Mephiboseth and his family now have the king's support. They even eat at the king's table, with David and his many sons.

First published September 6, 2023, updated September 5, 2026

II Samuel 8, Victory Wherever He Goes

David has settled in as king of all Israel.  But there are still enemies....

2 Samuel 8:1-4, Philistines, Moabites and Zobahites defeated

In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines. David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute.

Moreover, David fought Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control along the Euphrates River. David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

This passage reports, without apology, the violence of ancient Near East warfare, including the massacre of prisoners and maming of horses.

(NIV footnotes: In verse 4, there are discrepancies in the ancient texts. The Masoretic Text says that David captured seventeen hundred charioteers, not seven thousand.)

2 Samuel 8:5-8, Arameans defeated

When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. From Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

 

David defeats the Arameans to the northeast and puts up garrisons. Wherever David goes, he is given victory, collects tribute and brings it to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 8:9-12, Prince Joram congratulates David

When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze.

King David dedicated these articles to the LORD, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

King Tou offers David tribute and David devotes it to YHWH, presumably through a treasury of some type.  David also dedicates plunder from other victories.

2 Samuel 8:13-18, Garrisons built, officers appointed

And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David's sons were royal advisers.

The theme of this chapter is in verse 14: "The LORD gave David victory wherever he went,"

(NIV footnotes; In verse 13 there are discrepancies in ancient texts; most Hebrew texts have Arameans in place of Edomites.)

First published September 5, 2023, updated September 4, 2026

II Samuel 7, The Davidic Covenant

David is now king of all Israel, with a palace built by the king of Tyre (2 Samuel 5: 11.)

2 Samuel 7:1-3, A palace for God?

After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."

Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you."
 

David feels guilty about having a nice palace when the ark sits in a tent. Nathan says, "Go for it!" and David is ready to build a permanent temple.

This is the first we hear of the prophet Nathan. (Tradition has Nathan as one of the authors of the scroll of Samuel.)

2 Samuel 7:7-11a, A house to be established

That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying: "Go and tell my servant David, `This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"'
 

"Now then, tell my servant David, `This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. 

YHWH tells Nathan that, Yes, He has established and protected David, that He will make the line of David strong and great. Eventually they will have rest from their enemies. But it is not David who will build the temple. (In 1 Chronicles 28:2-3 we learn that God told David he could not build the temple because he was a warrior and had shed blood.)

2 Samuel 7:11b-16, "Your kingdom will endure forever"

"`The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"

Despite David's enthusiasm for building a temple, it will be a son of his that will build the temple. Then David's line will last forever.

2 Samuel 7:17-24, David's response

Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD?

"What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD. For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

"How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like your people Israel--the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God.

When Nathan reports YHWH's response, David goes and prays, "Who am I?",  a rhetorical question, as the answer is the same as that of Jacob and Moses -- YHWH chose them for His own reason and purpose.

2 Samuel 7: 25-29, A song of praise

"And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, `The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will be established before you.

"O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, `I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer. O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever."

David sings a song of praise, thanking YHWH for blessing both him and Israel. He expects Israel to forever be blessed by YHWH choosing them.

This is the height of David's reign.  His political power will continue to grow and be consolidated over the next few chapters before it all falls apart.

First published September 4, 2023, updated September 3, 2026

II Samuel 6, Bring the Ark to Jerusalem

David is now king of all Israel and has pushed the Philistines out of the center of the country.

2 Samuel 6:1-5, The ark on a cart

David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.

Now that he is king, David wants the ark to reside in the new capital city of Israel, Jerusalem.

The thirty thousand (or thirty elefs) that David gathers to bring up the ark is equal to the number killed when the ark was first captured by the Philistines in 1 Samuel 4:10-11.

2 Samuel 6:6-8, Death of Uzzah

When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.

Then David was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.

This is a shocking event -- the ark is apparently to be treated much more carefully than it has been. Apparently for merely touching the ark, Uzzah is struck down. And then David, naturally enough, is angry at YHWH.

We have no real explanation for this event -- except for a dramatic message about the importance of the ark.

In verse 8, Perez Uzzah means "outbreak against Uzzah" (according to NIV footnotes.)

2 Samuel 6:9-11, The ark at Obed-Edom

David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?" He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household.

Shaken by the death of Uzzah, David is not sure he wants the ark close to him. So the ark is set aside at the house of a man named Obed-Edom. Obed-Edom is a Gittite, a former resident of Gath, and likely a former Philistine.

2 Samuel 6:12, The ark at Obed-Edom

Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.

After some time, David hears how the house of Obed-Edom has prospered and so again makes plans to move the ark on to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 6:13-15, Sacrifice and dancing

When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

David slowly, with great fanfare and rejoicing, moves the ark.  After the first six steps, he sacrifices a bull and a calf. He then begins to dance and shout, as trumpets are played. One imagines this excited dancing continuing on into the city of Jerusalem, all the way to the palace.

2 Samuel 6:16, Michal's mistake

As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.

Michal is embarrassed by the actions of her husband, the king. This is a foolish reaction, focusing on an outward appearance -- and by association, on her own status as a queen -- instead of embracing David's joy at the return of the ark.

2 Samuel 6:17-19, The ark in Jerusalem

They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. 

And all the people went to their homes.

The ark is finally in its place in Jerusalem, within a tent near the palace.

2 Samuel 6:20-23, Separation from Michal

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" 

David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel--I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor."

And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

Michal had lived with another husband, having been given to another man by Saul. Here, finally in the palace with the new king, she reacts in disgust at David's exhibition of excitement and joy. When she expresses her disgust, David sharply defends himself. 

David's words to Michal echoes those of Samuel to Saul in I Samuel 13:14, reminding her that God has chosen him, David, not Saul, her father, as king.

We are told that Michal then had no children. Presumably this is because David rejected her and no longer slept with her.

First published September 2, 2023, updated September 2, 2026

II Samuel 5, The City of David

After the death of Saul, David continues to collect allies and solidify control of Israel.

2 Samuel 5:1-3, Israel submits to David

All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD said to you, 

`You will shepherd my people Israel, 

and you will become their ruler.'"

When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.

 

Israel comes together at Hebron to make David king of all twelve tribes.

2 Samuel 5:4-5, The Reign of David

David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

David's reign is summarized. He will shortly conquer the city that will be called the City of David.

2 Samuel 5:6-8, Capture of Zion

The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, "You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off." They thought, "David cannot get in here."

Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David.

On that day, David said, "Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those `lame and blind' who are David's enemies." That is why they say, "The `blind and lame' will not enter the palace." 

David has been living in Hebron.  But now he conquers Jerusalem and lives there.  

The Hebrew passage about the blind and lame is unclear and the NIV translation is one of several different options. Apparently the city was so well defended that the blind and lame could defend it but, in mockery of the blind and lame, David's men entered through a water shaft.

2 Samuel 5:9-10, The City of David

David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the supporting terraces inward. And he became more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him.

The city David has conquered is now claimed as his capital and the center of power in Israel. Jerusalem becomes, for all ages, the City of David.

(The Hebrew translated "supporting terraces" by the NIV is unclear. It is literally "the Millo" and is mentioned several times in the Old Testament history. Wikipedia has an article on it here and the Biblical Archealogical Society has an online article on it here.)

2 Samuel 5:11-12, Hiram helps build a palace for David

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

Hiram recognizes David's reign and seeks alliance with David.

2 Samuel 5:13-16, More concubines, more sons

After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

 

This is a summary paragraph. As king, David has more power, thus more wives and more children. The birth of Solomon will be described in more detail later.

2 Samuel 5:17-21, Victory of the Philistines

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.

Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" 

The LORD answered him, "Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you."

So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me." So that place was called Baal Perazim.

The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

The Philistines see an old enemy and seek to bring him down. But David wins in a battle at a place later called Baal Perazim which means (according to the NIV footnotes) "the lord who breaks out."

2 Samuel 5:22-25, The Philistines again

Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, "Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army."

So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

The Philistines return and once again, YHWH guides David to victory but this time in a different way. Eventually David drives the Philistines out of central Canaan.

First published September 1, 2023, updated September 1, 2026

II Samuel 4, Murder of Ish-Bosheth

Abner has betrayed Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, and helped bring Israel over to David. Joab has then murdered Abner. As David wraps up his power, the followers of Saul must worry.

2 Samuel 4:1-4, Alarm in Saul's camp

When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. Now Saul's son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Recab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin--Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin, because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have lived there as aliens to this day. 

(Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

 

Ish-Bosheth has two leaders, brothers, Baanah and Recab, who are Benjamites. We are tangentially introduced to Jonathan's young son, Mephibosheth, who was injured at the age of five when he fell while fleeing with his nurse. We don't know the details; presumably he broke legs which did not heal properly.

Recab and Baanah are apparently frightened of the increasing power of David's followers and are expecting imminent defeat and possibly execution as an enemy of David.

2 Samuel 4:5-7, Murder of Ish-Bosheth

Now Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest. They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah slipped away.

They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah.

Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon, turn on Ish-Bosheth and kill him, then flee. So ends Ish-Bosheth attempt to regain the throne.

2 Samuel 4: 8, A head brought to David

They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to take your life. This day the LORD has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring."

Apparently with plans to engragiate themselves to David, the two former soldiers bring Ish-Bosheth's head to David, as evidence that they have killed the usurper. But if one has been reading earlier accounts, one realizes this is not a good idea.

2 Samuel 4:9-12, David responds

David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble, when a man told me, `Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news!

How much more--when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed--should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!" So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner's tomb at Hebron.

David, as before, reacts to the murder by having these two men killed.

First published August 31, 2023, updated August 31, 2026

Is the Bible Perfect?

This Sunday essay is the result of conversations with Christian friends who live in a predominantly Muslim community. In that community, a common Muslim apologetic is:

1. The Quran is perfect, without error, across thousands of copies & hundreds of years.
2. The Christian Bible is imperfect, with lots of flaws and errors in its transmission.

The Muslim then concludes that Islam is correct and Christianity is not.

For many Muslims, without much experience in conversations with Christians, these claims are convincing. Both claims are often backed up with copious notes and references, so that the Muslim feels comfortable in their claim that their scripture trumps Christian scripture.

For example, here is a Muslim apologetic on the Quran (from an Ahmadiyya perspective.)  But there are significant issues with that first claim, that the Quran is perfectly preserved. (The Quran is not perfectly preserved! -- see the details in the pdf file here.; another response is here.) 

However, I want to focus on the second claim, above.  That second claim is often phrased, in the Muslim apologetic, as follows:

Christians believe that their Scripture, the Bible, is perfect. 

But Christians are not aware of the many flaws and errors in their Scripture.

This is sometimes communicated with a "gotcha!" list of discrepancies between the Old Testament Masoretic Text (MT) and the Septuagint (LXX). Most of these discrepancies are quite minor. One of the most famous discrepancy occurs in the Old Testament story of David and Goliath.  (That disagreement, along with a possible explanation for it, are given here.) As we work through the books of 1 & 2 Samuel, we will find other examples appearing in the Scroll of Samuel in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Before I confront the Muslim argument that Christians naively believe their scripture is "perfect" in transmission, I want to describe the underlying "straw man" fallacy of this debate.

A Straw Man

The second argument, that Christians believe the Bible is "perfect" in transmission yet it clearly is not, is an example of a straw man argument and demonstrates an important difference between the Muslim and Christian views of their sacred texts.

A straw man argument is a logical fallacy in which one wins one's point by attributing to their opponent a ridiculous claim and then easily knocking that claim down, as if it were a man of straw. (See this Wikipedia page on this logical fallacy.) An example, in a religious setting, might be

"The Bible says the world is flat.

The world is obviously not flat.

So the Bible is wrong."

A straw man argument often assigns to one's opponent a statement that they would in fact deny.  Another example:

"Muslims are terrorists.

Terrorists should not be in our country.

Therefore Muslims should not be in our country."

In both examples, the straw man argument is set up with a simplistic first statement. Yes, there are a few (even today) who believe that the Bible teaches a flat earth. Yes, there are a few Muslims who are terrorists. But the first lines of these centered arguments are misleading and deceptive.

In conversations involving an apologetic for Christianity, 

one must be alert for these Straw Man arguments!

The Islamic argument, "Christians believe that their Scripture, the Bible, is perfect", is, in fact, a straw man.  This straw man argument is set up by the very different views of scripture between Islam and Christianity.

Differing Views of Scripture

The Islamic view of the Quran is that it was dictated orally to Mohammed by the angel Gabriel across a period of more than twenty years. The dictation is in Arabic and is the literal "Word of God."  It is perfect and unchangeable. This belief gives Muslims significant incentive to learn Arabic and to recite the Quran in Arabic.

Christians believe that the Bible was "inspired by the Holy Spirit", acting through various human writers over centuries.  (The paragraph in 2 Peter 1:20-21 is one of a number of passages cited to support this view.)  The Scriptures were not dictated, but used human thought and languages (different languages over different times) and this is evident from reading the Bible text.  

The human element is important to emphasize. My favorite passage that demonstrates this human element is 1 Corinthians 1:14-17. In that passage, the apostle Paul confronts a certain rivalry within the church in Corinth, divisions caused by disputes as to who was the best leader. Some new believers in Corinth were proud to have been baptized by Apollos, others by Peter, and so on. Into that dispute, Paul claims

"I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius..." (verse 14)

Is this a correct statement?  NO, for Paul immediately corrects it!

"(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; 

beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.)"

We read an "oops" in Paul's first claim, "Oh wait, I forgot -- I also baptized the household of Stephanas.  And maybe some others."  

So verse 14 is false! This is not a problem -- unless one believes that this letter of Paul was dictated by an angel. Instead, it was written by a very human person who sometimes forgot things. Paul goes on to say, 

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel..."

This is the point of the passage in 1 Corinthians. Indeed, Paul's very forgetfulness emphasizes his message! He does not even remember whom he baptized!

If Christians treat the Bible as magically and perfectly dictated to us, they are using a Muslim view of Scriptures, not a Biblical/Christian one. The Bible, written in Hebrew and Greek (and a little Aramaic) comes to us through the voices of human beings over the centuries.

One can say more. Muslims believe that the Word of God (the Quran) is perfect and was given to Mohammed. But for Christians, the Word of God is Messiah Jesus!  (More accurately, the  "word" of God in the Old Testament was God's voice, God's plans and, in the New Testament, this is revealed as Jesus, see John 1:14, Hebrews 4:12-13.) If one wishes to compare views on the Word of God between Muslims and Christians, one should compare the Quran with Jesus! 

Muslims believe the Quran is perfect.

Christians believe that Jesus is perfect.

The Muslim believes that Mohammed points them to the perfect Quran. But the Christian believes that the Bible points them to the perfect Jesus.  

Is the Bible Perfect?

Is the Bible "perfect"?  I suspect a Christian's response to that question would depend on the definition of "perfect".  If one means "dictated correctly by God" then the answer is "No!"

There are, in fact, a variety of differing Christian views of the Bible. Many Christians believe that the Bible is "inerrant" or "infallible". (These are slightly different terms, see this Wikipedia site on inerrancy and this one on infallibility.)  

If a Muslim friend were to say to me, 

"Your Scriptures have textual disputes and transmission errors!" 

and then were to argue that this makes Christianity false, I would not accept this straw man. I would agree that there are textual disputes and transmission errors and merely shrug. These textual disputes are not a threat to my beliefs. (However textual differences in the Quran -- see the links in the third paragraph from the top -- are a threat to a Muslim's worldview!)

If we understand how the Old and New Testaments were communicated to us, we can confront a simplistic straw man argument. (Please see the previous Sunday essays: Transmission of the Old Testament, and The Old Testament Manuscripts.)

Acknowledgement

Thanks to my dear friends who started this conversation!  (You know who you are!) 😁😘

First published August 6, 2023; updated August 30, 2026