JETHER ALIAS ITHRA

Most supposed Bible discrepancies fall into categories of persons, places, numbers, or times and dates. This is particularly of note when dealing with the so called discrepancies of the reins of kings. Usually, they involve the ancient languages, as well as English, to the discomfort of some who wish that they were only King James discrepancies. If an apparent discrepancy cannot be immediately explained, error finders automatically stamp them "scribal errors.”

When dealing with these "so-called" errors, the skeptics go by a rule of thumb, which insists on "ABSOLUTE" accuracy, when it was not intended to be absolutely accurate chronology, when it was not intended to be absolutely accurate uniformity, when it was not intended to be absolutely accurate systemization, when it was not intended to be absolutely accurate or identical perspective. In other words, God's Word must fit into the "pigeonholes" of the Bible critics' and Bible Correctors’ making!

Error finders demand that the prophets follow their own Western system of thought, while they reject the God-approved Eastern style, habit of thought, method of arrangement, and individuality. Still, they ignore the fact that the Bible writers wrote from different planes of thought and different standpoints of reference. One reports while another allegorizes, one expands while another condenses, one adds while another omits, and one chronicles while another categorizes.It is probably more than Bible critics can bear, but Eastern thought such that it enlists 32 Hebrew words for "destruction," 50 Hebrew words for bodies of water, 1,000 Arabic words for "sword," 500 Arabic words for "lion,” 400 Arabic words for "misfortune,” and 80 Arabic words for “honey!”

Discrepancies Involving Persons, an Israelite versus the Ishmaelite(Jether/Ithra)

. . . and Thomas called Didymus . . . -- John 21:1

. . . and Kelaiah (the same is Kelita) . . . -- Ezra. 10:23

. . . and the King of Babylon made Mattaniah . . . king, and changed his name to Zedekiah . . . -- 2 Kings 24:17

. . . Amasa was a man’s son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite . . . -- 2 Sam. 17:25

. . . the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite . . . -- I Chron. 2:17

. . . and Thomas called Didymus . . . -- John 21:1

What we have here is a so called "dual” discrepancy. However, if we can demonstrate that Jether the Ishmaelite can be an Israelite; we can cause part of this supposed contradiction to vanish, and this we will do. The suffix "ite" is certainly a very flexible one and can be used to designate a "race," a "nation," a "tribe," a "family," or a "birthplace." David had many “ites” working for him (2 Sam. 23:25-39), most of which were designated by birthplace or by family name.

In Numbers 25:14, Zimri is called both an Israelite and a Simeonite. Moreover, it is obvious from 1 Chronicles 2:52-55 that a man can be an Israelite and be a "Manahethite, Ithrite, Puhite, Shumathite, Mishraite, Zareathite, Eshtaulite, Netophathite, Zorite, Tirathite, Shimeathite, Suchathite, and Kenite." And since there are more than one Ishmael in the Bible, including one who has a Jewish priest son (2 Chron. 19:11, Ezra 10:22, 25), and since an Ishmaelite can be a Midianite (Gen. 37:36 with 39:1), and since a Gibeonite can be a Hivite (Joshua 11:19), and since an Ephrathite can be a Levite (1 Sam. 1:1 with I Chron. 6:9, 16, 25-27), and since a Naphtalite can be a Danite (1 Kings 7:14 with 2 Chron. 2:14), and since Moses’ wife can be an Ethiopian and a Midianite (Ex. 2:16,21 with Num. 12:1). *

Since a Gittite can be a Levite (2 Sam 6:10 with Chron. 15:16-8); and since a woman can be a Hivite, a Horite, an Edomite, and a Caananite (Gen. 36:1, 2, 20, 24), and since a woman can be a Canaanite, a Syrophonecian, and a Greek (Matt. 15:22 with Mark 7:26); and since a man can be a Russian, a European, a Mexican, and an American, an Ishamaelite can be an Israelite as easy as any Palestinian (Philistine) refugee. Notice that Ithra is called "an" Israelite while Jether is called "Jether the Ishmaelite,” much like “Elijah the Tishbite" who was a Gileadite and a Manassite (1 Kings 17:1; Num. 26:29; Jud. 12:4; Deut. 4:43).

*Note: If a second wife is assumed; then those, who justify interracial marriage by Numbers 12:1, must also justify bigamy by the same argument, since Moses was already married.

There are well more than 150 persons in the Bible who are called by names that differ for one reason or another, for example: "Peter" alias "Simon," alias "Simon Peter, alias Simon Bar Jonah," alias Cephas, and "Joseph" alias "Barsabas" alias "Justus,” and of course, “Thomas" alias "Didymus,” “Kelaiah” alias “Kelita,” and “Mattaniah” alias “Zedekiah.”

Confusion over who is who often arises for the following reasons:

1. Sons and daughters meant descendants

2. Fathers and mothers as ancestors

3. Stepfathers, stepsons, and stepdaughters

4. More than one person with the same name (27 Azariahs in O.T.)

5. Spelling differences of names in different time periods

6. Official names versus nicknames

7. Name changes due to marriage, adoptions, coronation, promotion, change of country, and change of traits

If skeptics would but look at the common circumstances of their day, most of the difficulties that they have with the ancients would disappear. After all, don't they call "Robert, Robby, Rob, Bob, and Bobby”? And isn't "Roberta” but a letter away? Wasn't "Istanbul" once "Constantinople”? Hasn't there been more than one president by the name of “Adams" and "Roosevelt”? Don’t "John" and "Joseph" become "Juan" and "Jose'" when they go to Mexico? Do not Hollvwoodites change their names? Don't the Americans and the British still disagree on English spelling?

Who's Who Variations (primarily Old Testament) Fall into the Following Categories

A. English Variations Based on Hebrew/Greek Variations (O.T. versus N.T.):

Boaz - Booz, Uriah - Urias, Ezekiel - Esekias, Isaiah - Esias, Hosea - Osee, Joshua - Jesus, Eliseus - Elisha, Noah - Noe.

B. English Phonetic Variations of the same Hebrew Name:

Cainan - Kenan, Henoch - Enoch (also Hanoch), Nebaioth - Nebajoth, Seth - Sheth, Enos - Enosh, Nebuchadnezzar - Nebuchadrezzar, Abia - Abiah, Abida - Abidah.

C. English Variations Based on Hebrew Variations:

Abraham - Abram, Sarah - Sarai, Jabal - Jubal, Jakan - Akan, Caleb - Chelubai, Achan Achar, Alian - Aliah (also Alvan & Alvah), Seraiah - Sheva - Shisha - Shavsha, (also called Azariah).

D. English Names Based on Different Hebrew Names:

Jacob - Israel, Esau - Edom, Naomi - Mara, Meshach - Mishael, Mash - Meshech, Shadrach -Hananiah, Abednego - Azariah, Abishalom - Uriel (alsoAbsalom), Bathsheba - Bathshua, Daniel - Belteshazzar (also Chileab), Joseph - Zaphnathpaaneah, Mephibosheth - Meribaal, Baal - Bel - Belus - Merodach, Muppim -Shup - Shephupan (also Shupham).

These variations are some of the examples of what Bible Correctors rattle their bones about. They would have us to believe that the spelling of names must be uniform, albeit their revered Greek and Hebrew manuscripts are not uniform. Typical of liberal scholarship!

Jether versus Ithra

. . . Amasa was a man’s son, whose name was Ithra . . . -- 2 Sam. 17:25

. . . the father of Amasa was Jether . . . -- 1 Chron. 2:17

The examples of Jesus being the stepson of Joseph and still being reckoned in Joseph’s genealogy coupled with the fact that Jesus was a genuine Bethlehemite and yet called a Nazarene would serve as a tangible explanation of the difficulty that we can get into here. However, if it can be shown that Jether and Ithra can be one and the same person, then the supposed dual discrepancy is reduced to a hypothetical assumption at best and an unfounded, malicious imagination at worst.

To show that "Jether” and “Ithra” can simply be Hebrew variations of the same name. One needs but note 1 Chronicles 7:37, 38. Like the "Shomer" and "Shamer" of verses 32 and 33, the "Jether" and the "Ithran" of verses 37 and 38 are one and the same person. There are five different Jethers in the Old Testament, and although this one is not the Jether of 1 Chronicles 2:17, it does illustrate the point. Strong's concordance lists "Jether," "Ithra," "Ithran," and even Jethro (3500, 3501, 3506, and 3503) as variations of the same name with a primary meaning of "excellence." Jether Alias Ithra! All that remains for gainsayers to do is to show that this is not or cannot be the case.Concerning the length of explanations of this sort, we are mindful of what someone has so appropriately said: "Pertness and ignorance may ask a question in three lines, which it will cost learning and ingenuity thirty pages to answer, and when all is done, the same question shall be triumphantly asked again the next year, as if nothing had ever been written on the subject.”

-- by Herb Evans, Baptist Examiner - July 3, 1982, p. 1