Explore puzzling statements and events from Scripture. Each short investigation presents the biblical account, explains the difficulty, and considers its meaning.
How Could God Regret Creating Humanity?
Genesis 6:6
Genesis • Beginnings, Patriarchs & Genesis
How can an all-knowing God experience regret over something He created?
Why Did Noah Curse Canaan?
Genesis 9:20-27
Genesis • Beginnings, Patriarchs & Genesis
Why was Canaan cursed after an offense committed by his father Ham?
Why Did God Confuse the Languages at Babel?
Genesis 11:1-9
Genesis • Beginnings, Patriarchs & Genesis
Why did God intervene when humanity attempted to build a great tower?
Who Were Abraham's Three Mysterious Visitors?
Genesis 18:1-3
Genesis • Beginnings, Patriarchs & Genesis
Abraham welcomed three visitors, yet the account speaks of the Lord appearing.
Why Did Lot's Wife Become a Pillar of Salt?
Genesis 19:26
Genesis • Beginnings, Patriarchs & Genesis
Why did looking back toward Sodom bring such an extraordinary judgment?
Why Did God Command Abraham to Sacrifice Isaac?
Genesis 22:1-14
Genesis • Beginnings, Patriarchs & Genesis
Why would God test Abraham with a command that seems contrary to His character?
Understanding Puzzling Passages
The Bible contains passages that have puzzled readers for centuries. Some describe extraordinary events, others record troubling actions, and still others contain statements that seem difficult to reconcile with what we know about God.
Why are these passages difficult?
Sometimes the difficulty comes from differences in language, culture, or ancient customs. In other cases, understanding a passage requires knowing its historical setting, literary style, or relationship to the larger biblical story.
Looking Beneath the Surface
Rather than avoiding these questions, we can explore them with curiosity and care. Drawing upon Scripture, historical evidence, and the insights of Christian and Jewish scholars, these investigations consider what the biblical writers intended to communicate.
Questions Worth Exploring
Not every puzzling passage has a single, universally accepted explanation. Where interpretations differ, we examine the principal viewpoints while remaining attentive to the Bible's historical setting and the Christian understanding of Scripture.
Our goal is not merely to resolve difficulties, but to discover how thoughtful study can deepen our understanding of God's Word.