Biblical Contradiction: God does or does not accept human sacrifice:

---

Biblical Contradiction Explained: God does or does not accept human sacrifices:

God does accept human sacrifices:

He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”

Genesis 22:2

Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, “If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD gave them into his hand. He struck them with a very great slaughter from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel.

When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot take it back.” So she said to him, “My father, you have given your word to the LORD; do to me as you have said, since the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon.” She said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my companions.” Then he said, “Go.” So he sent her away for two months; and she left with her companions, and wept on the mountains because of her virginity. At the end of two months she returned to her father, who did to her according to the vow which he had made; and she had no relations with a man. Thus it became a custom in Israel,

Judges 11:30-39

So the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Armoni and Mephibosheth whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. Then he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before the LORD, so that the seven of them fell together; and they were put to death in the first days of harvest at the beginning of barley harvest.

…thus they did all that the king commanded, and after that God was moved by prayer for the land.

2 Samuel 21:8-9,14

God does not accept human sacrifices:

beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’ You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

Deuteronomy 12:30-31

Explanation:

Because these verses are very different in nature and context we will explain them independently.

Genesis 22:2

The story of Abraham and Isaac has been a point of controversy for centuries. Often skeptics of the Bible point to the story of Abraham and Isaac as evidence that God condones human sacrifice.

However, it is important to remember that Isaac was never sacrifice. God stopped Abraham from carrying through with the sacrifice of Isaac; clearly demonstrated this was a test of Abraham’s faith (not an acceptance of human sacrifice).

Judges 11:30-33

We have included Judges 11:30-33 only because it is sometimes referenced as an occurrence of God accepting human sacrifice. However, we have no reason to believe this is an example of “human sacrifice.” Further, there is no reason to believe God approved of it.

2 Samuel 21:8-9,14

This appears to be nothing more than an execution; an act of vengeance carried out by the Gibeonites in response to Saul’s previous acts of persecution. There is no reason to believe that this is an example of “human sacrifice.”