Some time ago, I received a letter from a woman who was seeking an answer to a
question that an unbeliever had presented to her. The question that gave her
so much trouble, and that seemed to plant a seed of doubt in her mind about
the inerrancy of Scripture, was this: “Did Jesse (the father of David) have
seven sons or eight?” This question arises from a comparison of the
information about Jesse’s family in 1 Samuel 16-17 with the genealogy given in
1 Chronicles chapter two.

First Samuel 16 states that Jesse made seven sons pass before the prophet
Samuel, in hopes that God would anoint one of them as the next king of Israel
(16:10). Samuel then informed Jesse that God had not chosen any of these seven
sons that passed before him, but was looking for another. Of course, that
other son was David, “the youngest” (16:11) of Jesse’s “eight sons” (17:12).
The “problem” with this information is that the genealogy in 1 Chronicles
2:13-15 specifically states that David was “the seventh” son of Jesse. How is
it that David could be both the seventh son and eighth son of Jesse? Some are
eager to call this a legitimate Bible contradiction. Even many Bible students
(like the one who wrote me about this question) read these statements for the
first time and wonder if this is an “inconsistency in the Word.” What is the
answer? How many sons did Jesse have? And was David Jesse’s eighth son or
seventh?

The answer is really quite simple. It seems that one of Jesse’s sons shown to
Samuel at Bethlehem must have died while young and without posterity. Thus, at
one time David was the youngest of eight sons, and at another time he was
the youngest of seven sons. We must keep in mind that Hebrew genealogies
often included only the names of those who have some significance for future
generations (Richards, 1993, p. 106; _Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary_ ,
1986). It makes sense that if one of David’s brothers died before marrying and
begetting children (or before doing something extraordinary), he would not
have been mentioned.

Lest you think this situation sounds too bizarre, consider the following.
Fifty years ago, whenever my father engaged in a discussion about his family,
he would tell people that he had five brothers and two sisters. Today,
when he converses with others about his family he often speaks of his four
brothers and two sisters. Is he being dishonest when he does so? No. Sadly,
when my dad was 19 years old, one of his younger brothers died in a tragic
accident. Although this brother was loved deeply and is missed greatly,
usually when my father is asked about his siblings he simply says: “I have
four brothers and two sisters.” If he has time or feels there is a need,
he then will mention his other brother who died at a very young age. The point
is, whether my dad tells someone that he is the oldest of eight children or
the oldest of seven children, he is telling the truth.

Admittedly, the Bible does not say specifically that one of David’s brothers
died at a young age. But, it most likely is implying such a thing when one
less son is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:13-15. [And considering David’s three
oldest brothers were warriors in Saul’s army (1 Samuel 17:13ff), one certainly
would not be surprised if one of David’s other brothers also became a soldier
and died in battle.]

To say that one of David’s brothers dying at a relatively young age is not an
option is to assert that the Bible does not teach by implication. [Yet, as
anyone who has studied the Bible knows, it most certainly does teach by
implication (cf. Acts 8:35-36).] Furthermore, if people today who have lost
children or siblings can speak legitimately about their family number in two
different ways, should we not also give Bible writers the same freedom in
their recording of historical families?

1 Samuel 16:10—Did Jesse have eight sons as indicated in this verse, or only seven as indicated in 1 Chronicles 2:13–15?

Problem: Although 1 Samuel 16 only names the three oldest brothers of David, verse 10 states that Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel before he brought David out. However, 1 Chronicles 2:13–15 indicates that David was the seventh son of Jesse. How many sons did Jesse have?

Solution: The passage in 1 Chronicles records the names of seven sons of Jesse, perhaps because one of David’s brothers died, and his name was not preserved as late as the composing of 1 Chronicles. It is not an uncommon practice for the surviving children to speak of their family in terms of the remaining number, so that any member of a family which would have been composed of eight sons, identifies himself as one of a group of seven brothers. This would very likely be the case in David’s family if the brother had died before marriage, leaving no posterity, and had made no significant contribution during the rise and reign of David. There would have been no reason to retain his name among the genealogical records of the sons of Jesse.

1 Samuel 16:9—What is the correct spelling of the name of David’s brother?

Problem: According to 1 Samuel 16:9, the name of David’s brother is “Shammah.” However, in 1 Chronicles 2:13 his name is “Shimea.” Which is the correct spelling?

Solution: It is not uncommon for proper names to be spelled differently due to regional patterns of pronunciation. The name in 1 Samuel 16:9 has a double “m.” This may indicate that the region of Judah tended not to pronounce the guttural letter “ayin” which appears in the spelling of the name in 1 Chronicles, and that this was compensated for by the doubling of the “m.” Perhaps this points to the 1 Chronicles spelling as the correct spelling and the 1 Samuel spelling as a reproduction of the pronunciation pattern of the region. (See Appendix 2.)