Reports and early interpretations are important, but transmitted materials do not all have the same evidential standing. Prophetic reports, Companion statements, Successor explanations, historical anecdotes, and Israelite-derived details require different assessments of attribution and relevance.
If a verse offers a concise narrative, its central lesson should not be displaced by speculative names, places, or dates that the text does not establish.
When two reports discuss different examples of a broad theme, ask whether they truly contradict each other or merely provide different applications. The strength of the reports and the text’s linguistic scope both matter in deciding the issue.