Several scriptures in the Bible refer to Mount Sinai as being the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Several other verses say it was Mount Horeb. Critics and skeptics point to this as a supposed contradiction in the Bible. So where did Moses receive the Ten Commandments?
Mount Sinai or Horeb?
(Exodus 31:18) When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.
(Malachi 4:4) Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.
Same Mountains, Different Names
If you have ever visited any mountains, you will notice they can have different names for the same place or area. A person could say they visited Mount Elbert on vacation, and could also say they went to the Rocky Mountains, and still be referring to the same place. Of course in this scenario saying Mount Elbert is just being more specific about your location since it is part of the Rockies.
There are many examples of the same mountain having different names given to it. The highest mountain in North America had its official name changed in 2015 from Mount McKinley to Denali. Because it has been referred to as Mount McKinley since 1896, there will be a lot of people who will still be calling this mountain by its old name for many years to come. Others will use the new name. Two different names, yet the same mountain.
No Confusion About Where Moses Received The Ten Commandments
As for Mount Sinai and Mount Horeb, a little research will show these two names have always been considered to be referring to the same place. The Bible is not confused about where Moses received the Ten Commandments. When someone makes an attempt to prove the Bible to be full of contradictions, using scriptures such as these to make your point makes a Christian apologist’s job all the easier. Even the biggest skeptic would have a hard time denying a mountain can have more than one name.
