Welcome to “Ehrman Errs,” a blog series devoted to using our conversational AI to refute each alleged biblical contradiction that is posed in the article on Bart Ehrman’s website: 50 Contradictions in the Bible: The Biggest, Most Shocking Differences.
Today’s alleged contradiction:
#42 – Did God Reveal His Name Yahweh to the Patriarchs?
It seems that even God can contradict himself — or at least, that’s how it appears in the Bible! In Exodus 6:3, God tells Moses: “I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by my name ‘The LORD’ [Yahweh], I did not make myself known to them.” This statement suggests that Yahweh’s name was unknown to the patriarchs. But earlier in Genesis 15:7, God declares to Abraham: “I am The LORD [Yahweh], who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans.” Additionally, the name Yahweh is used repeatedly throughout Genesis.
How Does Ehrman Err?
When we read the text carefully, using the historical‑grammatical method, the tension between Genesis and Exodus 6:3 dissolves. The supposed contradiction is not about whether the name “Yahweh” was known as a word, but whether God had revealed Himself experientially and covenantally in the fullness of what that Name means.
1. The Text in Question
“God spoke to Moses and said to him, ‘I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.’”
— Exodus 6:2–3, ESV
Here, “the LORD” represents the divine name YHWH (Yahweh). Yet Genesis plainly shows the name being used earlier:
- Genesis 12:8: “…and there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.”
- Genesis 15:7: “I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans…”
So, how do these fit together?
2. The Key Is in the Hebrew Idiom “Make Known”
In Hebrew thought, “to know” a name is not merely to recognize a sound but to experience the character and power associated with that name.
J. A. Motyer, commenting on Exodus 6:3, notes:
“I showed myself to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob in the character of El‑Shaddai, but in the character expressed by my name Yahweh I did not make myself known to them.”
(Precept Austin, “Jehovah – I Am”)
In other words, the patriarchs heard the name Yahweh, but they had not yet experienced God’s covenant‑keeping faithfulness that the name Yahwehembodies. They knew God as El Shaddai—the Mighty, Almighty God who gives promise—but Moses and Israel were about to know Him as Yahweh—the God who fulfills those promises in history by delivering His people.
3. God Was Revealing the Meaning of His Name, Not the Word
The Compelling Truth article explains:
“Yahweh [YHWH] is the most personal name of God … but by my name Yahweh I did not make myself fully known to them” (Exodus 6:3).
(What is the Name of God? – CompellingTruth.org)
Thus, Exodus 6:3 does not mean no one had ever heard the word Yahweh; rather, God was saying, “My people are about to see what My covenant name really means.” In Exodus, Israel would experience Yahweh as Redeemer, Deliverer, and Covenant‑Keeper—something Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had not yet seen fulfilled.
4. Biblical Consistency
This understanding fits perfectly with how the Bible uses names as revelations of character:
- Exodus 3:14–15: God tells Moses, “I AM WHO I AM… This is my name forever.” The self‑existent One reveals Himself as the covenant‑keeper who isand will be.
- Psalm 68:4: “Sing to God… whose name is the LORD [Yahweh]!”—a name linked to His power and faithfulness.
- Isaiah 42:8: “I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other…”
The progression is clear: God’s name expresses His eternal, faithful, self‑existent nature, revealed more fully through each stage of redemptive history.
5. The Theological Harmony
Both Sam Shamoun and Motyer emphasize that what was new in the Exodus revelation was not the nomenclature, but the manifestation of God’s covenant‑keeping character. Shamoun puts it succinctly:
“The patriarchs knew the Lord as God Almighty but hadn’t known Him by His name YHWH in the sense of full manifestation of His covenant-faithfulness.”
(Did Abraham Know God’s Covenant Name? – Answering Islam Blog)
Therefore, Genesis narrates the early use of Yahweh’s name, reflecting the narrator’s understanding and the theological continuity. Exodus 6:3, however, records God’s promise that Moses and Israel would see that Name proven true through deliverance—something their forefathers anticipated but never witnessed.
6. Summary
| Issue | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Did the patriarchs hear the name Yahweh? | Yes, they used it and spoke it (Gen 12:8; 15:7). |
| Did they understand its full covenant meaning? | No, they knew God as promise‑maker (El Shaddai). |
| What did God mean in Exodus 6:3? | He would now demonstrate the reality of Yahweh’s name by delivering Israel—showing Himself as promise‑keeper. |
7. Conclusion
There is no contradiction here—only a deepening revelation of God’s identity. What began as promise to Abraham (“In you all nations shall be blessed,” Gen 12:3) was now, through Moses, unfolding into redemption.
Thus, God’s words in Exodus 6:3 invite us to see that knowing Yahweh means experiencing His faithfulness. As the psalmist says:
“Those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.”
— Psalm 9:10, ESV
God’s Word stands consistent—from Genesis to Exodus to Christ, the perfect revelation of Yahweh in human flesh (John 8:58; Hebrews 13:8).