Answering 439 Bible Contradictions: #5

Answer: Abijam’s mother’s name was Maacah, sometimes spelled Micaiah, who was the female offspring of Abishalom and Gibeah.

Problem: First Kings 15:1-2 says that Abijam’s mother is Maacah daughter of Abishalom. Second Chronicles 13:1-2 says his mother is Micaiah daughter of Gibeah.

Explanation: Being a missionary in Africa makes this easy to answer. Almost weekly someone from our church has a mother, brother, sister, or father die. It took me some time to learn that these familial terms in the African mind are very broad. Kojo’s “brother” could refer to one of his uncle’s eight children that he has never even met before. Westerners would call him a cousin.

Hebrew terms like “daughter” (15:2) and “mother” (15:10) do not necessarily refer to first-generation descents and can mean “granddaughter” or “grandmother” respectively. So there is no contradiction. Abiham’s mom was Maacah. She was the female offspring of Abishalom (as in 1 Kings) and Gibeah (as in 2 Chronicles).