"How many Philistines did David kill to obtain his first wife?" (Alleged Contradiction #E3924)
And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul’s son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
II Samuel 3:14
Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
I Samuel 18:27
Response
The number Saul required for David was one hundred. 1 In II Samuel 3:14, David is merely stating that he paid the required amount. However, we learn that David actually went above and beyond the requirement, killing two hundred Philistines, though only one hundred were required.
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Notes
- I Samuel 18:25 ↩