Contradiction with Exodus 4:21
God threatens Pharaoh's firstborn, but later in Exodus 12:29, it becomes an act of God, showing God's final resolve which contrasts with Pharaoh's apparent agency here.
Exodus 4:21: And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
Contradiction with Jonah 3:10
God sparing Nineveh contradicts the finality of threats in Exodus 4:23, where no sparing occurs.
Jonah 3:10: And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did [it] not.
Contradiction with Ezekiel 18:23
This verse says God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, contradicting the direct threat in Exodus 4:23.
Ezekiel 18:23: Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: [and] not that he should return from his ways, and live?
Contradiction with 2 Peter 3:9
Indicates God's patience and reluctance to destroy, contrasting with the immediate consequence described in Exodus 4:23.
2 Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Paradox #1
Exodus 4:23 might seem inconsistent because God demands that Pharaoh let the Israelites go, or he will kill Pharaoh's firstborn son. This can appear to conflict with the idea of a just and merciful God, as it involves the punishment of an innocent child for the actions of the adult Pharaoh. This raises questions about divine justice and the nature of God's mercy in such situations.
Paradox #2
Exodus 4:23 could seem to conflict with the idea of free will, as it involves God compelling Pharaoh's decision-making. This might seem inconsistent with other biblical teachings about humans having the freedom to choose their actions.
Paradox #3
Exodus 4:23 could be seen as contradictory or inconsistent because it presents God demanding Israel's freedom from Pharaoh or threatening to kill Egypt's firstborn sons, yet earlier in Exodus, God had predicted Pharaoh's refusal to let the Israelites go, indicating that the outcome was predetermined. This raises questions about free will and divine intervention within the narrative.
Paradox #4
Exodus 4:23 presents a possible moral conflict because God demands the freedom of the Israelites while threatening to kill the firstborn of the Egyptians if Pharaoh refuses. This could be seen as a contradiction between the value of freedom and the harsh punishment that affects innocent children.