Yahweh or El-Shaddai? (Corrected December 2018)
Channel: Galen Currah
Date: 2018-12-19

Yahweh or El-Shaddai? A contradiction in the Bible?
Bible quotations from the English Standard Version (2016)
www.wordwatchers.link 2017

Introduction

In the biblical Book of Exodus, the LORD explains to the prophet Moses the divine name Yahweh.

God [Elôhîm] said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am [‘Ehyeh] has sent me to you. … The LORD [Yahweh], the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever.” Exodus 3:14-15

‘Ehyeh = the first person singular of the Hebrew verb hyh ‘to be’. 

Yahweh (or Yahveh) = the third person singular of the Hebrew verb hwh ‘to be’.

I AM = אהיה = ‘ehyeh. Yahweh = יהוה = “He exists”.

In ancient Semitic languages, including Hebrew, medial yod (Y) and waw (W) in verbs were interchangeable.

An apparent contradiction

God [Elôhîm] spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord [Yahweh]. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty [El-Shaddai], but by my name the LOID [Yahweh] I did not make myself known to them.” Exodus 6:2-3

Certain translations render this verse in a way that make the divine names to be objects of the verbs. For example:

“To Abraham, Isaac and Jacob I appeared as El Shaddai, but I did not make my name Yahweh known to them.” Exodus 6:3 (New Jerusalem Bible)

Some distracters hasten to point out an apparent contraction between this text a certain other passages, such as the following: 

Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord [Yahweh], God Most High [El-Shaddai], Possessor of heaven and earth.” Genesis 14:22

« Isaac built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord [Yahweh].” Genesis 26:25

Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord [Yahweh] is in this place.” Genesis 28:16

Had Yahweh made his name known to the patriarchs? Or had he not?

Six replies

Had Yahweh made known his Name to the patriarchs, or had he not?
Six replies to this query have been advanced:

1. It remains a clear contradiction. Contradictions preclude truth. Therefore the Bible is not true.

Weakness of this reply: Logical syllogisms cannot determine the accuracy of historical data. 

2. The Bible was redacted from other documents that employed different divine names, resulting in apparent contradictions. 

Weakness: The documentary hypothesis lacks documentary evidence. Besides, other ancient religious literature employs several divine names together. 

3. While writing Genesis and Exodus, Moses inserted the name of Yahweh into the patriarchal accounts, to show that El-Shaddai was Yahweh under another name.

Weakness: Whilst the Bible does this with archaic place names, Moses would have rectified Exodus 6:3 had it contained a contradiction.

4. The patriarchs knew the name Yahweh, but they did not know that he was El-Shaddai.

Weakness: Abraham employed the names of Yahweh and 
of El-Shaddai together in Genesis 14:21

5. There is another legitimate way in which to translate Exodus 6:3.

God [Elôhîm] spoke to Moses and said to him, “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty [El-Shaddai], and by my name the Lord [Yahweh] did I not make myself known to them?”

Weakness: Whilst this appears a legitimate translation, no published version of the Bible employs it.

6. Yahweh was about to make himself known in a pmanner different from how he had shown himself under the name of El-Shaddai.

Weakness: It requires paying attention to theological context. 

It was as Yahweh that God would deliver Israel from Egypt, and as Yahweh that he would establish with Israel his eternal covenants.

Compare Exodus 6:3 with Ezekiel 20:9

“I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.”

Thus, it is Yahweh’s manner of revealing himself to Israel through their exodus from Egypt, which would be different from how they knew him by the name El-Shaddai.
Ezekiel 20:9 employs the same word and same grammatical form as Exodus 6:3 for “make/made myself known” (נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי, nôda’ti).

Conclusion

The patriarchs knew very well the name of Yahweh, along with several other divine names, including the name of El-Shaddai.

However, shortly before undertaking to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, the God of Israel chose to act by his name Yahweh in a very exceptional manner.

Henceforth, Israel would enjoy a very special status amongst the nations as the redeemed of Yahweh.