30,000 chariots in 1 Samuel 13:5. This is the reading found in all Hebrew manuscripts and in the KJB, NKJV, RV, ASV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, ESV, Douay-Rheims 1610 and Douay Version 1950.
But several modern versions like the NIV, NET, Holman Standard, the Catholic St. Joseph New American bible 1970 and the Catholic New Jerusalem bible 1985 tell us there were only 3000 chariots.
Why the difference? The NIV footnote tells us that the Hebrew reads 30,000 but that “SOME Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac” read 3000.
Which alleged Septuagint manuscripts read 3000? Who knows? They don’t tell us. The most common copy of the LXX (Brenton) reads just like the Hebrew texts and the KJB - 30,000 chariots.
The Greek Septuagint -
https://www.biblestudytools.com/lxx/kings-i/13.html
1 Samuel 13:5 - And the Philistines gather together to war with Israel; and then come up against Israel THIRTY THOUSAND chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand by the seashore for multitude:
καὶ ἀναβαίνουσιν ἐπὶ Ισραηλ τριάκοντα χιλιάδες ἁρμάτων = and came up against Israel THIRTY THOUSAND chariots…”
https://en.katabiblon.com/us/index.php?text=LXX&book=1Kgs&ch=13
And what “deep” scholarly insights does Dan Wallace and company give us in their NET version when they also reject the Hebrew reading and go with “For the battle with Israel the Philistines had amassed 3,00011 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore.”?
Their footnote simply tells us: “Many English versions (e.g., KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV) read “30,000” here.”
That’s it! Nothing about where they got this number of 3,000.
The Catholic Connection.
There is utter confusion also among the Catholic versions. Both the Douay-Rheims 1610 and the 1950 Douay Version read 30,000 chariots, but the St. Joseph NAB 1970 and the New Jerusalem go with 3,000. But wait. Now the New Catholic Bible of 2019 has gone back to reading “They had THIRTY THOUSAND chariots”.
New Catholic Bible -They had THIRTY THOUSAND chariots”
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+13%3A5&version=NCB
3,000
Corrupt “bibles” that have rejected the clear Hebrew reading here of 30,000 chariots, and have gone with the bogus reading of 3,000 chariots are the NIV 2011, NET 2017, Holman Standard 2009, Christian Standard Bible 2017, Living Bible 1971, the Bible in Basic English 1961, the New Heart English bible, Easy-to-Read Version 2006, International Children’s bible 2015, New Century Version 2005, New International Reader’s Version 2014 and the New Living Translation 2015.
The Message 2018 corrupts the passage even further and says “rallied their forces to fight Israel; THREE COMPANIES of chariots…”
30,000
But among those that stick with the Hebrew text that reads 30,000 chariots are the Wycliffe bible 1395, Coverdale 1535, Great bible 1540, Matthew’s bible 1549, the Bishops’ bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Douay-Rheims 1610, the KJB, Young’s 1898, Darby 1870, the RV 1885, the ASV 1901, the RSV 1971, NRSV 1989, ESV 2016, NASB 2020, NKJV 1982, the Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907, Jubilee bible 2020, Complete Apostle’s bible, Lexham bible 2012, Rotherham’s bible 1902, International Standard Version 2014, New English bible 1970, Revised English Bible 1989, New Berkeley Version 1969, Amplified Version 2015, Complete Jewish Bible 1998, The Koster Scriptures 1998, Good News Translation 1992, God’s First Truth, The Mebust Bible 2007, The New European Version 2010, the Names of God Bible 2011, Tree of Life Version 2015, The Voice 2012, God’s Word Translation 2020 and the Modern English Version 2014.
This example of totally different numbers found in the same verse is not at all the only one like this. There are many examples of Wrong Numbers in the corrupt modern versions where they often reject the Hebrew readings and do not even agree among themselves.
To see more examples like this, see “Wrong and Confusing Numbers in the Multiple-Choice, Bible Babble Buffet New Vatican Versions like the ESV, NET, NIV, NASB, Holman Standard etc.”
All of grace, believing the Book - the King James Holy Bible.
Objection raised from the internet =
A typical Bible agnostic who has NO inerrant Bible to believe in posted this objection -
"PROBLEM:
According to this passage, the Philistines gathered together 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen. However, an army of 30,000 chariots has never been recorded in all of ancient history, even among the most powerful empires. How could the Philistines have amassed such a large group of chariots?"
My Response: Oh, really? Well, let's look at another passage of Scripture and see if you are right or not.
1 Chronicles 19:6-7
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah.
7 So they hired THIRTY AND TWO THOUSAND CHARIOTS, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.
So also read the NIV, ESV, NET, NASB, NKJV, Holman Standard, Greek Septuagint, etc.
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