Bible Contradiction? What is God’s name?

Haven’t done one of these posts answering Bible contradictions in a while.  If you are interested in our other posts dealing with Bible contradictions see our Collection of Posts Responding to Bible Contradictions.

For today’s post will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: What is God’s name?

Here are the four answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

Jehovah

“God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord; 3 and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as [a]God Almighty, but by My name, Lord, I did not make Myself known to them.’” (Exodus 6:2-3)

Jealous

“for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—” (Exodus 34:14)

Jah

“To shoot [a]from concealment at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him, and do not fear.” (Psalm 64:4)

I am

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

1. When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction.  A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time.  To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
2. Logically speaking one can have more than one name.  So there’s not necessarily a Bible contradiction merely from observing that someone has more than one name per se.
3. Technically multiple names would only be a contradiction if the names are contradictory with one another in the sense that one name necessitate excluding the other.  But even then as we look closer that’s not the case.
   1. The name “Jah” or Yah in the Hebrew is not a contradiction with Jehovah or Yahweh in the Hebrew.  They are not contradictory because Yah in the Hebrew is a shortened form of Yahweh.  To say Yah is a contradiction with Yahweh makes as much sense as saying the name Theodore contradicts with Ted.
   2. Jehovah (Hebrew “Yahweh”) also does not contradict with “I am” in Exodus 3:14.  Yahweh is derived from the account in Exodus 3:14.  So if Yahweh is derived from the Hebrew “I am” it makes no sense to say Yahweh/Jehovah and “I am” is a contradiction.
   3. Also if “Yahweh/Jehovah” is not a contradiction with “I am,” then the title “I am” does not contradict with “Yah/Jah” since “Yah/Jah” is a contracted form of “Yahweh/Jehovah.”
   4. Finally the title “Jealous” in Exodus 34:14 does not contradict with neither three of the other titles.  In the Hebrew of Exodus 34:14 the word “Lord” is literally “Yahweh.”  So literally Exodus 34:14 is saying that Yahweh’s name is also Jealous and thus it is not a contradiction.
4. This is a ridiculous claim of a contradiction.  Its like saying Theordore Roosevelt’s names are a contradiction and then providing the example of Theodore, T.R, Ted, Teddy and Bull Moose.  But that’s how low the Skeptic Annotated Bible are willing to go.

 

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