THE ATHEIST'S COMPLAINT:
How many were from the tribe of Simeon? Numbers 1:23 says 59,300, while Numbers 26:14 says 22,200. Is there a contradiction?

RESPONSE:
The first number was taken during a census in the second year after Israel had come out of the land of Egypt (Numbers 1:1-2). The census recorded every male age twenty and above, who was able to go to war. From this generation, spies were sent into the land of Canaan (Numbers 13). The majority of the spies brought back a discouraging report, and Israel listened to them, rather than to the Lord who desired them to enter the land. Thus, the Lord determined that they would not enter into the land which He promised to give (Numbers 14:20-23).

A generation later, after Israel had sojourned through the wilderness, the command was again given to number the children of Israel (Numbers 26:1-4). This numbering would determine how the land in Canaan would be distributed among the children of Israel (v 52-56).

Since we are looking at two separate censuses, taken many years apart, it should be no surprise that the number of Simeonites is different.

There is no contradiction.

This article is a response to Skeptic's Annotated Bible, but original article is no longer listed

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