"How many men were in the king’s presence?" (Alleged Contradiction #E6467)
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city …
II Kings 25:18-19
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king’s person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.
Jeremiah 52:24-25
Response
Notice the difference in wording: “five men of them that were in the king’s presence” versus “seven men of them that were near the king’s person“. The two descriptions are not the same, and so there is no contradiction. The number of seven men takes into account two more people that were near the king but were not in his presence.
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