Problem: God doesn't tempt people, but tempted Abraham
Verses: Genesis 22:1, James 1:13;
Status: Weak
This is from one of several internet lists of Bible problems. Here is Genesis 22:1 as rendered in the King James Version:
And it came to pass after these things, that
God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. (
KJV)
Compare James 1:13:
Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and
he himself tempts no one. (
ESV)
The problem seems to be with the KJV. In the story of Genesis 22, God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son as a test. To call this "temptation" is hardly accurate - one is only tempted to do something that one wants to do. Modern Bibles tend to render Genesis 22:1 like so:
After these things
God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." (
ESV)
errancy.org - index
See also