Adonai: What and why is this name important? The word Adon=Lord, ruler, owner, master, but it doesn’t mean God Almighty. People of importance and those who were masters over another were honored and called lord/adon. It was respect.
Adonai though is about God Almighty, and it is a sacred name. Adonai is plural: my Lords actually (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit included). It is showing God has sovereignty over us. He created us and He is Lord over us. His name is so great that some today still can’t say His name. YHWH Yahweh. This is His Divine Name. God is the Great I AM.
He is my Lord. He is the Great Lord. He is the only God and He is worthy of all our praise.
We know that God has many names throughout the Bible, all of these names having significant meaning or highlighting a certain attribute of God.
One of the most prominent names used for a master in the Old Testament is the name Adon. Adon is a Hebrew word that translates as “Lord”. People throughout the Old Testament used the word Adon when addressing humans who were master or lord over them.(God’s is Adonai)The “ai” makes a huge difference in who you/they were talking about.
Adonai in Scripture
In 1 Samuel 24:8, when David has the chance to take the life of the King of Israel, Saul, who is trying to kill him, and he chooses to spare Saul, he emerges from a cave he has been hiding and calls Saul, “My lord,” its root form in the Hebrew similar to Adon (Not Adonai which is God Almighty).
Sarah, when she hears she will have a child, refers to Abraham as “my lord” showing he is a ruler over her. It was the word adon…and not the word Adonai.
When the angels visit Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot refers to them by the word adon.
There are hundreds more instances where adon is used and not Adonai. Many translations just stick in Adonai when in fact, the word for master or lord that is not God is adon. It is a term used for respect for one which is over you. But when you are talking of God Almighty it is the Sacred word Adonai…YHWH Yahweh.
YHWH and Adonai
We may be familiar with the name of the Lord “Yahweh,” but we actually have no idea if it’s pronounced the way we think it’s pronounced. The Jews considered the name of God so holy they would not pronounce it aloud. Plus, ancient Hebrew, in writing, didn’t include vowel sounds, so they would’ve just had the name YHWH. Later, vowel sounds such as the ah and eh were added. Jews were afraid of taking God’s name in vain, so they would not pronounce it. When reading Scripture aloud though, they replaced YHWH with Adonai (and not adon).Often, we can see the two names Yahweh and Adonai paired together in the Bible.
Although we see Yahweh pop up frequently (both Adonai and Yahweh meaning “The Lord”), Adonai gives us more of a hint about what the Lord’s role is in our lives. Adonai means “master” or “Lord,” showing God has sovereignty over us.
Names matter. The name of God matters. He is Holy. He is sacred. He is God Almighty and needs to be honored as such.
Names matter: Whenever God names someone or renames someone in the Bible (John 1:42), it’s a big deal. He proclaims something important about their identity or about his plan for that person’s life. How much more that we know not only who God is in our life, but how sacred and holy He is.
There is an example of Peter in the Bible. (John 1:42), Peter’s name becomes his purpose. He becomes the rock of the church (Acts 2:14-41).
So, when we learn the names of God, we learn about his attributes. We can get to know him better. God has many names in the Bible and every one of them is important and has a purpose and attribute we should know about. The more we know about God and every one of His attributes the more we know Him and who He is in and for our life.
As far as the title of Adonai, learning this name can help us acknowledge that God is the master and sovereign over our lives. We are not to act outside of his plan for for our life.
The Bible says: One day with You is better than a thousand in the palaces of kings. You are my Adonai, my Lord and Master. You call my name, and a flood of joy overflows. You command my life, and a fountain of confidence takes over. You are my Lord, and I praise You today. Amen.
God Almighty is the Great I AM. There is none above Him. He is so Holy, so Pure, so Amazing and He is our Adonai. The great Master. Isn’t it time we honor Him as such?