"Was Mahli the son of Levi?" (Alleged Contradiction #E3493)
And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen …
Ezra 8:18
And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Genesis 46:11
See also: I Chronicles 6:6, 16; 23:6
Response
Yes, Mahli was the son of Levi, though not the immediate son—he was a descendant of Levi.
The same verse (Ezra 8:18) says Levi was the son of Israel; and while this is true, we know that Levi was not the immediate son of Israel, he was a descendant. This type of wording is common in the Bible: referring to ancestors/descendants as fathers/sons.
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