אָדוֹן
𐤀𐤃𐤅𐤍
ʼâdôwn
H113 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Principal meaning: lord, master; denotes one who holds authority, power, or ownership, either in social, domestic, or political spheres. Used for individuals exercising authority, including heads of households, landowners, high-ranking officials, or sovereigns. In extended religious usage, also refers to a deity, especially as a title for the God of Israel. The shortened form (אָדֹן) appears primarily in poetry or emphatic speech. In addition to human usage, ʼâdôwn serves as a respectful title to address someone of higher status, often rendering both secular and sacred connotations depending on the context.
Semantic Range
lord, master, sovereign, owner, ruler, superior, person of authority or high status, formal address for a person of rank; title for God (particularly in plural of majesty form), respectful address for humans
Root / Etymology
From the triliteral root אדן (ʾ-d-n), core meaning 'to be lord, rule, exercise authority.' Lexical form ʼâdôwn is a noun derived from this root, though the verbal form does not survive in Biblical Hebrew. The root is widely attested in Northwest Semitic languages, where related forms also denote authority or lordship. The unused root is reconstructed based on comparative Semitic evidence (see Ugaritic adn: 'lord').
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the patriarchal and monarchy periods, אָדוֹן designates individuals of high status or social power—ranging from a tribal chief, landowner, to a king. For example, Abraham is addressed as 'lord' (Gen 23:6) in local Hittite negotiations, and kings are often called 'my lord' (2 Sam 19:27). Among Israelites, it serves as a term of respect or formal address rather than indicating divinity. With reference to deities, particularly the God of Israel, the plural form אֲדֹנָי ('Adonai') emerges as a reverential circumlocution during the later monarchic and post-exilic periods. This plural of majesty does not indicate actual plurality but is a form of honorific address. In English Bible translations, 'lord' often fails to distinguish between secular, religious, and divine connotations present in Hebrew usage; for example, 'lord' is used in both human and divine contexts, which may obscure the underlying distinctions. Related terms include בַּעַל (baʿal, 'owner' or 'lord'), which emphasizes possession or control (often with a more specific or limited domain), while אָדוֹן emphasizes authority and status, especially in interpersonal and vertical relationships. In later Jewish and Christian traditions, the use of 'Lord' as a substitute for YHWH further blurs the original boundaries of usage.
Translation Consistency
Most natural and most frequent English rendering in the corpus; covers human superiors, masters, rulers and the title used for God. It preserves the respectful/formal address sense of אָדוֹן and allows contextual capitalization for divine references while keeping a single, consistent base word.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or (shortened) אָדֹן; from an unused root (meaning to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine); lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with 'Adoni-'.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
אדן (Adon) — to be lord, to exercise authority, to rule, to be master
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H114 | אַדּוֹן | lord of |
| H134 | אֶדֶן | his support-bases |
| H135 | אַדָּן | Addan (Firm-Foundation) |
| H136 | אֲדֹנָי | lord |
| H138 | אֲדֹנִיָּה | My Lord is Yah |
Word Forms
31 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H113-12 |
אֲדֹנִ֣/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | my lord | my lord | 161 |
H113-04 |
אֲדֹנָ֥י/ו | adonayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his master | his lords | his Sovereign Lord | 37 |
H113-25 |
לַ/אדֹנִ֖/י | ladoni | HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
to my lord | to my lord | to my lord | 24 |
H113-09 |
אֲדֹנֶ֖י/ךָ | adoneykha | HNcmpc/Sp2ms |
your master | your lords | your lords | 19 |
H113-10 |
אֲדֹנֵי/כֶ֔ם | adoneykhem | HNcmpc/Sp2mp |
your master | your lords | your lords | 11 |
H113-08 |
אֲדֹ֣נֵי/הֶ֔ם | adoneyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their lord | their masters | their lords | 9 |
H113-01 |
אָד֖וֹן | adon | HNcmsa |
lord | master of | lord of | 8 |
H113-16 |
הָ/אָדֹ֥ן | haadon | HTd/Ncmsa |
YHWH | the lord | the lord | 8 |
H113-11 |
אֲדֹנֵ֥י/נוּ | adoneynu | HNcmpc/Sp1cp |
our Lord | our lords | our Sovereign Lord | 7 |
H113-31 |
וַ/אדֹנִ֨/י | vadoni | HC/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
and my lord | and my lord | and my lord | 6 |
Occurrences in Scripture
329 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H113-02 |
Genesis 18:3 | אֲדֹנָ֗/י | adonay | HNcmpc/Sp1cs |
My lord | my lords | my lord |
H113-31 |
Genesis 18:12 | וַֽ/אדֹנִ֖/י | vadoni | HC/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | and my lord | and my lord |
H113-02 |
Genesis 19:2 | אֲדֹנַ֗/י | adonay | HNcmpc/Sp1cs |
my lords | my lords | my lords |
H113-12 |
Genesis 23:6 | אֲדֹנִ֗/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 23:11 | אֲדֹנִ֣/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 23:15 | אֲדֹנִ֣/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | my lord | my lord |
H113-04 |
Genesis 24:9 | אֲדֹנָ֑י/ו | adonayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his master | his lords | his Sovereign Lord |
H113-04 |
Genesis 24:10 | אֲדֹנָי/ו֙ | adonayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his master | his lords | his Sovereign Lord |
H113-04 |
Genesis 24:10 | אֲדֹנָ֖י/ו | adonayv-2 | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
of his master | his lords | his Sovereign Lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:12 | אֲדֹנִ֣/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
of my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:12 | אֲדֹנִ֥/י | adoni-2 | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:14 | אֲדֹנִֽ/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:18 | אֲדֹנִ֑/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:27 | אֲדֹנִ֣/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:27 | אֲדֹנִ֑/י | adoni-2 | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:27 | אֲדֹנִֽ/י | adoni-3 | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
of my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:35 | אֲדֹנִ֛/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:36 | אֲדֹנִ֥/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-25 |
Genesis 24:36 | לַֽ/אדֹנִ֔/י | ladoni | HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
to my master | to my lord | to my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:37 | אֲדֹנִ֖/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:39 | אֲדֹנִ֑/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:42 | אֲדֹנִ֣/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
of my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:44 | אֲדֹנִֽ/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
of my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:48 | אֲדֹנִ֣/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
of my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:48 | אֲדֹנִ֖/י | adoni-2 | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:49 | אֲדֹנִ֖/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-09 |
Genesis 24:51 | אֲדֹנֶ֔י/ךָ | adoneykha | HNcmpc/Sp2ms |
of your master | your lords | of your master |
H113-25 |
Genesis 24:54 | לַֽ/אדֹנִֽ/י | ladoni | HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
to my master | to my lord | to my lord |
H113-25 |
Genesis 24:56 | לַֽ/אדֹנִֽ/י | ladoni | HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
to my master | to my lord | to my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 24:65 | אֲדֹנִ֑/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 31:35 | אֲדֹנִ֔/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | my lord | my lord |
H113-25 |
Genesis 32:5 | לַֽ/אדֹנִ֖/י | ladoni | HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
to my lord | to my lord | to my lord |
H113-25 |
Genesis 32:6 | לַֽ/אדֹנִ֔/י | ladoni | HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
to my lord | to my lord | to my lord |
H113-25 |
Genesis 32:19 | לַֽ/אדֹנִ֖/י | ladoni | HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs |
to my lord | to my lord | to my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 33:8 | אֲדֹנִֽ/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 33:13 | אֲדֹנִ֤/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 33:14 | אֲדֹנִ֖/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 33:14 | אֲדֹנִ֖/י | adoni-2 | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | my lord | my lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 33:15 | אֲדֹנִֽ/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | my lord | my lord |
H113-04 |
Genesis 39:2 | אֲדֹנָ֖י/ו | adonayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
of his master | his lords | his Sovereign Lord |
H113-04 |
Genesis 39:3 | אֲדֹנָ֔י/ו | adonayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his master | his lords | his Sovereign Lord |
H113-04 |
Genesis 39:7 | אֲדֹנָ֛י/ו | adonayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
of his master | his lords | his Sovereign Lord |
H113-04 |
Genesis 39:8 | אֲדֹנָ֔י/ו | adonayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his master | his lords | his Sovereign Lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 39:8 | אֲדֹנִ֔/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my master | my lord | my lord |
H113-04 |
Genesis 39:16 | אֲדֹנָ֖י/ו | adonayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his master | his lords | his Sovereign Lord |
H113-04 |
Genesis 39:19 | אֲדֹנָ֜י/ו | adonayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his master | his lords | his Sovereign Lord |
H113-06 |
Genesis 39:20 | אֲדֹנֵ֨י | adoney | HNcmpc |
master | lords of | his master |
H113-21 |
Genesis 40:1 | לַ/אֲדֹנֵי/הֶ֖ם | laadoneyhem | HR/Ncmpc/Sp3mp |
their lord | to their lords | to their lords |
H113-04 |
Genesis 40:7 | אֲדֹנָ֖י/ו | adonayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
of his master | his lords | his Sovereign Lord |
H113-12 |
Genesis 42:10 | אֲדֹנִ֑/י | adoni | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my lord | my lord | my lord |