Conflicting statements in the bible

[Statler Waldorf]

2 Samuel 23:8: “These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb- basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time.”

1 Chronicles 11:11: “And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them at one time.”

I am not seeing the contradiction here…

1. The verse in Samuel mentions two men killing 800 men at one time. The verse in Chronicles mentions only the first of these two men killing 300 men at one time. That’s not a contradiction.
2. Even if the first man, Josheb- basshebeth is credited with all 800 men in Samuel and the 300 men in Chronicles it does not mean this is a contradiction, nowhere does it say that the two verses are even describing the same event. A contradiction must occur in the same relationship and at the same time, so if Josheb- basshebeth killed 800 men in one battle and 300 in another battle that’s not a contradiction. This is also supported by the fact that the word “spear” doesn’t appear anywhere in the original text of the Samuel verse but does in the Chronicles verse.