Short answer
Yes, in places. The Hebrew of 1 Kings gives Solomon forty thousand stalls for horses. The New International Version (NIV) prints four thousand, to match Chronicles. Where the Hebrew of 2 Samuel offers David seven years of famine, the NIV says three. Where the Hebrew names Michal as the mother of five sons, though another verse says Michal had no children, the NIV writes Merab. Where Chronicles makes King Jehoiachin eight, the NIV makes him eighteen. The NIV's own footnotes admit that the Hebrew says otherwise. A reader of the main text never sees the clash. A Hebrew text that has to be corrected from other books has not been kept safe. Islam teaches that Allah (﷾) Himself promised to guard the Qur'an (15:9).
Full explanation
Solomon's stalls: forty thousand or four thousand
The Hebrew of Kings says forty thousand. Jewish Bibles number this verse 1 Kings 5:6. The King James Version and the JPS 1917 (a Jewish translation) both translate it that way. Chronicles says four thousand. The NIV prints four thousand in Kings as well, and its footnote admits that the Hebrew says forty. That is not a translation of the Hebrew of Kings. It is a figure taken from Chronicles and a few Greek copies, against the Hebrew text of Kings.
“And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.”
“And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.”
“And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.”
The New International Version gives Solomon four thousand stalls, not forty thousand. Its footnote says the figure comes from some Septuagint (Greek) manuscripts, points to 2 Chronicles 9:25, and states that the Hebrew reads forty.
Seven years of famine or three
In Samuel, the prophet Gad offers David seven years of famine. In Chronicles, telling the same event, he offers three. The NIV puts three into Samuel. Its footnote says the Hebrew reads seven.
“So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.”
“Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.”
The New International Version offers David three years of famine, not seven. Its footnote says the reading comes from the Septuagint, points to 1 Chronicles 21:12, and states that the Hebrew reads seven.
Michal or Merab
Samuel says Michal, Saul's daughter, had no child to the day of her death. Later the Hebrew of Samuel says she bore five sons to Adriel. The JPS 1917 translates it "bore". The King James Version says "brought up". The NIV goes further and changes the name to Merab, her sister, who married Adriel. Its footnote admits that most manuscripts read Michal.
“Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.”
“But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite;”
“But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:”
“But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul’s daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.”
The New International Version names the mother of the five sons as Merab, not Michal. Its footnote says the name comes from two Hebrew manuscripts and some Septuagint manuscripts, points to 1 Samuel 18:19, and states that most Hebrew and Septuagint manuscripts read Michal.
Jehoiachin: eight or eighteen
Kings says Jehoiachin began to reign at eighteen. Chronicles says eight. The NIV prints eighteen in both. Its footnote admits that most Hebrew manuscripts of Chronicles read eight.
“Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.”
“Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.”
The New International Version makes Jehoiachin eighteen when he became king, not eight. Its footnote says the figure comes from one Hebrew manuscript, some Septuagint manuscripts and the Syriac, points to 2 Kings 24:8, and states that most Hebrew manuscripts read eight.
| Verse | The Hebrew says | The NIV prints | The clash it removes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Kings 4:26 | Solomon had forty thousand stalls for horses | Four thousand | Chronicles says four thousand (2 Chronicles 9:25) |
| 2 Samuel 24:13 | Seven years of famine | Three years | Chronicles says three (1 Chronicles 21:12) |
| 2 Samuel 21:8 | Michal bore five sons to Adriel | Merab, her sister, who married Adriel | Another verse says Michal had no child (2 Samuel 6:23) |
| 2 Chronicles 36:9 | Jehoiachin began to reign at eight | Eighteen | Kings says eighteen (2 Kings 24:8) |
The NIV's own footnotes admit that the Hebrew says otherwise. Christians say the NIV is restoring the original. Either way, the Hebrew text handed down for centuries contains these clashes, and translators patch them.
How the translators explain it
Christians who use the NIV say its translators are restoring the original, not hiding anything. Numbers and names were easy to miscopy by hand. Where the Hebrew seems to have slipped, they follow an older witness. That may be the Septuagint (the old Greek translation of the Jewish scriptures) or a parallel verse. They say so openly in a footnote. On this view only the original manuscripts were without error. But those same footnotes admit that the Hebrew says forty, seven, Michal and eight. So the Hebrew that Jews and Christians copied for centuries contains the clashes.
The New International Version gives Solomon four thousand stalls, not forty thousand. Its footnote says the figure comes from some Septuagint (Greek) manuscripts, points to 2 Chronicles 9:25, and states that the Hebrew reads forty.
The best-known evangelical statement on the Bible. It affirms that Scripture is without error in all it teaches, and that inspiration, strictly speaking, applies only to the original manuscripts (the autographs), which no longer exist. Copies and translations are the word of God only so far as they faithfully represent the original.
The Qur'an is the Arabic text
In the four cases of numbers and names, the clash is in the Hebrew itself, not in any one translation. The standard Hebrew text, followed by nearly all its manuscripts, reads forty, seven, Michal and eight. So the text Jews and Christians handed down contains the clashes. Each generation of translators patches them in a different way. The Qur'an states that Allah (﷾) Himself sent down the Message and will guard it. He sent it down in Arabic: "We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an" (12:2). That Arabic text is the Qur'an. A translation only explains its meaning and is never the Qur'an itself.
“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).”
“We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an, in order that ye may learn wisdom.”
Verse by verse
NIV at 1 Kings 4:26
The New International Version gives Solomon four thousand stalls, not forty thousand. Its footnote says the figure comes from some Septuagint (Greek) manuscripts, points to 2 Chronicles 9:25, and states that the Hebrew reads forty.
Cited for
Nothing is hidden. The NIV restores the original number from older witnesses and records the Hebrew reading in its footnote.
The response
Then the Hebrew text that Jews and Christians copied and read for centuries said forty thousand, and it was wrong. The footnote does not remove the problem. It confirms that the Hebrew as handed down contradicts Chronicles. It also shows that the fix comes from a parallel book and a few Greek copies, not from the Hebrew being translated.
Where it lands — The NIV's own footnote shows that the Hebrew of Kings and Chronicles disagree.
2 Samuel 21:8 — Nevi'im, Shmuel Bet, chapter 21, verse 8
“But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:”
Cited for
Michal "brought up" her sister Merab's five sons, so she was their mother by upbringing, not by birth.
The response
The Hebrew verb means she bore them, and the JPS 1917 says "bore". The NIV itself does not accept the "brought up" reading. It changes the name to Merab instead. So two translations make two different repairs for one verse.
Where it lands — The Hebrew says Michal bore five sons, against the verse that says she had no child.
Perspectives
Evangelical Christian
The Bible was without error as first written. Translators who use the Septuagint or a parallel verse are restoring what the original said, and their footnotes show every choice openly.
Where the Hebrew seems miscopied, the NIV follows older witnesses such as the Septuagint and says so in its footnotes.
Rebuttal
Grant that the footnotes are open. They show that the Hebrew text reads forty, seven, Michal and eight. The fix comes from a parallel book or a few Greek copies, not from the Hebrew being translated.
Inerrancy belongs to the original manuscripts, and copies are God's word so far as they faithfully represent them.
Rebuttal
Grant that the originals were without error. Then the Hebrew that Jews and Christians read for centuries contained errors. Translators are still patching them, and each one patches them differently.
The Islamic perspective
The Hebrew text itself contains the contradictions. Modern translators remove them by taking readings from other books and other languages. This shows that the Bible has not been preserved as God (﷾) gave it.
The Hebrew of 1 Kings gives Solomon forty thousand stalls. The NIV prints four thousand, from Chronicles and some Greek manuscripts.
The Hebrew of 2 Samuel 24:13 says seven years of famine, and the NIV prints three from the Septuagint.
The Hebrew of 2 Samuel 21:8 says Michal bore five sons, though 2 Samuel 6:23 says she had no child. The NIV changes the name to Merab.
Most Hebrew manuscripts of 2 Chronicles 36:9 make Jehoiachin eight, and the NIV prints eighteen to match 2 Kings 24:8.
Allah (﷾) sent down the Qur'an and promised to guard it Himself.