Why are there two different names for God?

In Genesis chapter 1 God is exclusively referred to by the name Elohim.  (In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1 )

However from Genesis 2:4, to the remainder of chapter two, He is called the compound name Yehovah-Elohim. (These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yehovah Elohim made the earth and the heavens. Genesis 2:4)

Does this mean the account refers to two separate g-ds or are there two different authors writing two separate, contradictory accounts of creation?

One God, No Other
First we need to emphasize that the Scripture is unified in its teaching that there is only one God who exists. The Bible says:

"“Hear, O Yisra’ĕl: יהוה our Elohim, יהוה is one!"
Deuteronomy 6:4 (ts2009 Bible)

“You are My witnesses,” declares יהוה, “And My servant whom I have chosen, so that you know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no Ěl formed, nor after Me there is none.  Isaiah 43:10 (ts2009 Bible)

“Thus said יהוה, Sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, and his Redeemer, יהוה of hosts, ‘I am the First and I am the Last, besides Me there is no Elohim  Isaiah 44:6 (ts2009 Bible)

Understand that there’s just one Yehovah God, and there’s just one mediator between God and men… a man, the Messiah-Anointed Yeshua.
1 Timothy 2:5

It is the united testimony of the Bible that only one Elohim-God has real substance, no other gods exist. If the Scripture teaches that only one Elohim-God exists, then how do we understand the two different names used in the first two chapters of Genesis?

Different Significance
The answer to this often-asked question is very simple. The Bible uses two separate names for Elohim-God in the first two chapters of Genesis to describe different characteristics of the one Elohim-God. The reason for the differences in names has to do with the significance the author is making. The Old Testament basically uses two words for God: Elohim and Yehovah.

General Name
Elohim is the general name for God, also the name of the family of God and is used in the context of God as creator. It emphasizes that God is distant and powerful. It is used to describe God as the awesome and majestic creator. In our English Bibles, Elohim is translated as God.

Personal Name
Yehovah (the LORD) is God's personal name and is used in the context of God having a relationship with His people. When God goes about creating humanity, it is Yehovah who does this act. When the Lord is personally involved with His people, Yehovah is the proper way to designate Him. In our English Bibles Yehovah is translated as the LORD with all capital letters.

Avoid Confusion
There is another Hebrew term in the Old Testament, Adonai which means my Lord or master. It is also translated as Lord in our English Bible but not with all capital letters. Therefore when we see LORD that is Yehovah or the divine name for God. When we read Lord, this is Adonai, or master. It is easy to see how these two terms can become confused.

Rest Of Scripture
The distinction in the divine names holds true for the remainder of the Scripture. The different names merely reflect a different emphasis on God's character and His dealings with humanity. There is always a reason why the writer uses the term Elohim or Yehovah. The context will always provide the answer.

Summary
In summation, we can say that the Scriptures clearly teach that only one Elohim-God exists. Yet this one Elohim-God is described by different names in Scripture. The different names reflect different attributes of His character. Thus we should not assume any contradiction between the creation account in the first two chapters of Genesis merely because two different names for God are employed.

By Leahcim Yesnik