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אֲדֹנָי

𐤀𐤃𐤍𐤉

ʼĂdônây

H136 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אדן to rule, to lord over, to exercise authority, to be master

Definition

A title of majesty and authority, 'my Lord' or 'the sovereign Lord', used predominantly in reference to the God of Israel as a substitute for the divine name (YHWH). While morphologically a plural of respect, its sense is singular when referring to deity. In Hebrew Bible contexts, it functions as a formal title of address for the deity, particularly in prayer and liturgy, as well as in some visions or prophetic contexts.

Semantic Range

my lord (as address to a human superior); Lord (as formal address or title for the God of Israel); the sovereign Lord; master (rare, in early contexts); title used in prayer, prophecy, and formal liturgy

Root / Etymology

From the root א-ד-נ (אדן), meaning 'lord, master, sovereign.' The form אֲדֹנָי is a plural of כבוד (plural of majesty/honor), constructed as 'my lords,' though in usage it refers singularly to God; suffixed with the first person singular possessive ('my').

Historical & Contextual Notes

While grammatically plural with a first-person singular possessive ending ('my lords'), the word is universally understood as a singular formal title for the deity, functioning in place of the divine name (YHWH) in both spoken and written contexts, especially from the Second Temple period onward. Its use likely reflects reverence and avoidance of direct pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton, particularly in liturgical or formal address. In some early biblical texts, the term refers to human superiors (e.g., masters or distinguished leaders), but the form אֲדֹנָי becomes almost exclusively divine in usage. English translations often render it 'Lord' (small caps or lowercase), but this can obscure the distinction between אֲדֹנָי and the root אָדוֹן ('lord, master' applied to humans). In traditional Jewish reading, אֲדֹנָי is vocalized and substituted when reading YHWH aloud. In later periods, its use expands as a central feature of liturgy and prayer. The translation 'the Lord' can sometimes obscure the Hebrew nuance, especially the reverential and titular aspects of the term.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

an emphatic form of אָדוֹן; the Lord (used as a proper name of God only); (my) Lord.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אדן (ʾ-d-n) — to rule, to lord over, to exercise authority, to be master

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H113 אָדוֹן master of
H114 אַדּוֹן lord of
H134 אֶדֶן his support-bases
H135 אַדָּן Addan (Firm-Foundation)
H137 אֲדֹנִי־בֶזֶק my lord

Word Forms

11 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H136-02 אֲדֹנָ֤/י adonay HNcmpc/Sp1cs Lord my Sovereign Lord 419
H136-08 לַֽ/אדֹנָ/י֙ ladonay HR/Ncmpc/Sp1cs to-Lord to my Sovereign Lord 11
H136-11 וַ/אדֹנָ֞/י vadonay HC/Ncmpc/Sp1cs and my Lord and my Sovereign Lord 6
H136-01 אֲד֖וֹן adon HNcmsc Lord lord 2
H136-09 וַ/אֲדֹנֵ֖י vaadoney HC/Ncmpc Lord and Lords-of 1
H136-10 וַ֝/אֲדֹנֵ֗י/נוּ vaadoneynu HC/Ncmpc/Sp1cp and-our-Lord and our Sovereign-Lord 1
H136-04 אֲדֹנֵ֔י/נוּ adoneynu HNcmpc/Sp1cp our Lord our lords 1
H136-05 אֲדֹנִ֖/י adoni HNcmsc/Sp1cs my lord my lord 1
H136-03 אֲדֹנָֽי/ו adonayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his Lord Lord his lords 1
H136-07 לַ/אֲדֹנֵ֑י/נוּ laadoneynu HR/Ncmpc/Sp1cp to our Lord to our Sovereign Lord 1

Occurrences in Scripture

445 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H136-02 Genesis 15:2 אֲדֹנָ֤/י adonay HNcmpc/Sp1cs my Lord my Sovereign Lord
H136-02 Genesis 15:8 אֲדֹנָ֣/י adonay HNcmpc/Sp1cs Lord my Sovereign Lord
H136-02 Genesis 18:27 אֲדֹנָ֔/י adonay HNcmpc/Sp1cs the Lord my Sovereign Lord
H136-08 Genesis 18:30 לַֽ/אדֹנָ/י֙ ladonay HR/Ncmpc/Sp1cs to the Lord to my Sovereign Lord
H136-02 Genesis 18:31 אֲדֹנָ֔/י adonay HNcmpc/Sp1cs the Lord my Sovereign Lord
H136-08 Genesis 18:32 לַֽ/אדֹנָ/י֙ ladonay HR/Ncmpc/Sp1cs my Lord to my Sovereign Lord
H136-02 Genesis 19:18 אֲדֹנָֽ/י adonay HNcmpc/Sp1cs my lords my Sovereign Lord
H136-02 Genesis 20:4 אֲדֹנָ֕/י adonay HNcmpc/Sp1cs Lord my Sovereign Lord
H136-02 Exodus 4:10 אֲדֹנָ/י֒ adonay HNcmpc/Sp1cs my Lord my Sovereign Lord
H136-02 Exodus 4:13 אֲדֹנָ֑/י adonay HNcmpc/Sp1cs my Lord my Sovereign Lord
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