Adonai Elohim is Hebrew for “Lord God.” Adonai is a title meaning “my Lord” or “my master” — the plural form of adon, used as a reverent way of addressing God. Elohim is the plural form of El or Eloah, the general Hebrew word for God, and it is the word used in the very first verse of the Bible. Put together, the phrase says that the God of Israel is both the sovereign master who owns and rules, and the divine Being who created all things. The two words are not two gods; they are two windows onto one God. The phrase appears in the Hebrew Scriptures, and the same instinct lies behind the “Lord GOD” of many English Bibles.
What does each word mean on its own?
Adon in Hebrew means one who has absolute control — a master of slaves, a ruler over subjects, a husband as lord of his wife (Genesis 24:14, 27; 45:8; 18:12). The plural form adonai became the standard way pious Jews addressed God, because it expressed both majesty and personal ownership: He is my Lord. When you pray “Adonai,” you are saying, in effect, “You have the right to command me, and I belong to you.”
Elohim is the plural of Eloah. The singular appears mostly in poetry; the plural is the common form throughout the Hebrew Bible. It is the word behind the opening line of Scripture, and it is used of the one true God far more often than of any other. The plural form has been read by Christians as an early hint of the fullness of God’s life, though Hebrew plurals of majesty are also common, so the point should not be pressed too hard.
Why does the phrase sometimes appear as “Lord GOD” in English Bibles?
Because two different Hebrew words sit behind two different English words. When the Hebrew text has Adonai followed by the four-letter name of God — the Tetragrammaton, YHWH — English translators have traditionally rendered the first as “Lord” and the second as “GOD” in small capitals, to show that the underlying words differ. So “Lord GOD” in a prophet like Ezekiel is usually Adonai YHWH, not Adonai Elohim.
This is where the divine name matters. The Tetragrammaton was treated by later Jews as too sacred to pronounce, so when they read Scripture aloud they said Adonai instead. The Masoretes, who added vowel points to the Hebrew text, kept that practice in view. The English form “Jehovah” is a later hybrid of the consonants of YHWH with the vowels of Adonai; the form is retained in a few places in the King James Version and the American Standard Version:
That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. — Psalm 83:18 (KJV)
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid: for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation. — Isaiah 12:2 (ASV)
So when you see Adonai Elohim, the first word is a title and the second is the general word for God. When you see Adonai YHWH, the first word is a title and the second is the personal name of Israel’s God — the name that English Bibles usually print as “LORD” in small capitals.
Where does “Adonai Elohim” actually appear in Scripture?
The phrase is not a compound name in the way Jehovah-Jireh is; it is a title joined to a title, and the two together confess that the God who speaks is both master and Creator. Where English Bibles print “Lord GOD” — Adonai plus the divine name rather than Adonai Elohim — the same instinct is at work: a title of mastery joined to the name of God. And where the Hebrew reads Adonai Elohim, English Bibles print “Lord God” in ordinary type, which is why the phrase is often read past without notice. The clearest way to see the two words working together is to watch how Scripture joins titles of mastery to the name and to the general word for God, and to read those verses slowly.
Does the plural form of Elohim mean there is more than one God?
The Hebrew plural does not by itself teach polytheism. Israel’s central confession is that the LORD is one:
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. — Deuteronomy 6:4 (BSB)
Christians have historically read the plural Elohim as consistent with, though not by itself proof of, the triune life of God — one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The New Testament carries the same instinct when it applies Old Testament language about the LORD to Jesus. Psalm 110:1 reads, “The LORD said to my Lord” — YHWH to Adonai — and Jesus uses that verse to press a question about the Messiah’s identity. Thomas, seeing the risen Christ, says, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). The titles Adonai and Elohim meet in Him.
How is this different from “Adonai Eloheinu”?
Eloheinu means “our God.” So Adonai Eloheinu means “Lord our God.” The difference from Adonai Elohim is small but real: Elohim says “God,” while Eloheinu says “our God.” The first is a confession of who God is; the second adds the covenant note that He is ours, and we are His.
What should a reader take from the phrase?
Three things, briefly.
First, Adonai is a word about authority. To call God Adonai is to say that He has the right to be obeyed, and that His people belong to Him. That is not a harsh idea; it is the ground of comfort. A master who is good is better than no master at all.
Second, Elohim is a word about divinity. It places the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in a category by Himself — not one god among many, but the God who made the heavens and the earth.
Third, the two words together are a confession, not a formula. When you read “Lord GOD” in your Bible, or sing a hymn that begins “Lord God,” you are joining a stream of prayer that runs from Genesis through the Psalms into the church’s worship of the risen Christ. The name is not a puzzle to solve; it is a Person to trust.
If this raises questions for you, take them to Scripture and to prayer, and to a local church where the Bible is read carefully and Christ is honoured. A pastor or a mature believer can walk through the Hebrew with you, and the Psalms will teach you to say Adonai the way they do — as a creature addressing the Master who has made Himself known.
Questions readers ask
Is “Adonai Elohim” the same as “Jehovah God”?
Not exactly. Adonai Elohim is “Lord God,” using the general Hebrew word for God. Adonai YHWH is “Lord GOD,” where the second word is the Tetragrammaton, the personal name of Israel’s God. English Bibles usually print that name as “LORD” in small capitals, and a few older translations use “Jehovah.”
Why do Jews say Adonai instead of the divine name?
Out of reverence. After the exile, the Tetragrammaton was treated as too sacred to pronounce in ordinary reading, so Adonai was said in its place. The Masoretes preserved that practice when they added vowel points to the Hebrew text. This is why the English form “Jehovah” is a hybrid of the divine consonants with the vowels of Adonai.
Does the plural form Elohim prove the Trinity?
It does not prove it on its own. Hebrew uses plural forms for majesty and fullness, so Elohim can be read as a plural of majesty. Christians have seen it as consistent with the triune God, but the doctrine rests on the whole of Scripture — including the New Testament’s application of Old Testament LORD-language to Jesus.
What does Adonai Eloheinu mean?
Eloheinu means “our God,” so Adonai Eloheinu means “Lord our God.” It is a phrase of address used in Jewish prayer. The difference from Adonai Elohim is the added word “our” — a note of covenant belonging.
Lexicon answers from the Bible and public-domain reference works. It is a study aid and is not affiliated with any organisation.