Adonai (Hebrew אֲדֹנָי) means “my Lord.” It comes from the root adon, which denotes a master who possesses absolute control — a slave owner, a ruler, or a husband. The ending -ai makes it first-person: “my lord.” The old plural form of this word is Adonai, and it became the standard way to address God as Lord. When Jewish readers came to the divine name YHWH in the scrolls, they would say Adonai instead, out of reverence. That practice is why most English Bibles print the name as “LORD” in small capitals. So Adonai is both a title and a substitute: a word meaning “my Lord” that stands where the covenant name Jehovah was written.
What does Adonai mean in Hebrew?
The word adon appears in ordinary human settings. Abraham’s servant prays to the God of his master Abraham in Genesis 24:12, where “master” is adon. Sarah calls Abraham “my lord” (Genesis 18:12), using the same word. It means someone with authority over another.
The plural form Adonai is used almost exclusively of God. The plural does not mean many lords; it is a way of speaking of the one true God with the fullest weight of honour. Some grammarians call this a plural of majesty, while others explain it differently, but the effect is the same: the word is a title of supreme authority. When the Old Testament says “the Lord GOD” (Adonai YHWH), it is stacking the title of authority on top of the personal name.
So the biblical meaning of Adonai is not merely “sir.” It is “the one who owns me, rules me, and has every right to my obedience.”
Why did the Jews say Adonai instead of YHWH?
After the exile, the Jewish people grew deeply reluctant to pronounce the sacred name YHWH. The dictionary note in the source material explains: “From a superstitious reverence for the name ‘Jehovah,’ the Jews, in reading their Scriptures, whenever that name occurred, always pronounced it ‘Adonai.’” When the Hebrew text was later supplied with vowel points, the vowels of Adonai were placed under the consonants of YHWH. That hybrid is what eventually produced the English form “Jehovah.”
So the two names are linked. YHWH is the personal, covenant name God revealed to Moses. Adonai is the title readers substituted for it. In the King James Version, the name Jehovah is retained in a few places, such as:
That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. — Psalm 83:18 (KJV)
And in Isaiah, the prophet uses the same name in praise:
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. — Isaiah 12:2 (KJV)
These are among the rare verses where the KJV prints “JEHOVAH” rather than “LORD.” The underlying Hebrew is YHWH, the name the reader would have spoken as Adonai.
How is Adonai different from other names of God?
The Old Testament uses several names and titles for God, each revealing something of his character. Elohim is the general word for God, the Creator. El Shaddai, often translated “God Almighty,” emphasises his power. YHWH (Jehovah) is the covenant name, the “I AM” who is eternal and self-existent. Adonai is the title of lordship — it speaks of his right to command.
Genesis 15:2 combines two of these: Abram addresses God as “Lord GOD,” which in Hebrew is Adonai YHWH — the master who is also the covenant-keeping God. The title and the name together say: the God who made promises to Abraham is also the one who has authority over the outcome.
Does the New Testament call Jesus Adonai?
The Greek word kurios (lord) is the usual New Testament equivalent. When the Septuagint translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, it used kurios for both YHWH and Adonai. So when the New Testament calls Jesus “Lord,” it carries that same weight of divine authority.
Jesus himself uses Psalm 110:1 to press the point:
The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” — Psalm 110:1 (BSB)
The first “LORD” is YHWH; the second “Lord” is adon. Jesus asks how David’s son can also be David’s Lord — a question that points to his divine identity.
Philippians 2:11 says that every tongue will confess “that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (BSB). The title Adonai, first spoken by Israelites in awe of God, is applied to Jesus. He is the Master, the rightful owner of every life.
What does Adonai mean for how we pray and live?
If God is Adonai, then prayer begins not with my wish list but with his right to rule. “My Lord” is a confession before it is a request. It means I do not come to a distant force but to a person — one who owns me because he made me and, in Christ, because he redeemed me.
That has practical shape. It means obeying him even when his commands cut against my preferences. It means trusting his wisdom when his timing seems slow. It means addressing him with reverence, as the Jews did when they said Adonai rather than speaking the name too lightly.
This is not a heavy burden. The one who is Lord is also the one who gave himself for us. The title that demands everything is held by the hands that were pierced.
If you want to go further, read the passages where Adonai appears — Genesis 15, Exodus 6, Psalm 110 — and notice how often the title sits next to a promise. The Lord who rules is the Lord who keeps his word. Speak to him honestly in prayer, using his titles with care. And find a local church where the Scriptures are opened and the Lord is honoured, so that this word does not stay a dictionary entry but becomes part of how you live.
The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” — Psalm 110:1 (BSB)
Questions readers ask
Is Adonai the same as Jehovah?
No. Adonai is a Hebrew title meaning “my Lord.” Jehovah (YHWH) is the personal covenant name of God. Jewish readers said Adonai aloud when they came to YHWH in the text, which is why English Bibles often print the name as “LORD” in small capitals.
Why is Adonai plural if it refers to one God?
The plural does not mean many lords; it is a way of expressing the fullness of God’s lordship. Some grammarians call this a plural of majesty, while others explain it differently, but the word functions as a title of supreme authority.
Does the New Testament ever use the word Adonai?
The New Testament was written in Greek, so it uses kurios (lord) rather than the Hebrew Adonai. Since the Septuagint translated both YHWH and Adonai as kurios, the New Testament’s use of “Lord” for Jesus carries the same authority.
What is the difference between Adonai and El Shaddai?
Adonai means “my Lord” and emphasises God’s authority and ownership. El Shaddai is usually translated “God Almighty” and emphasises his power and sufficiency. Both are titles, while YHWH is the personal name.
Lexicon answers from the Bible and public-domain reference works. It is a study aid and is not affiliated with any organisation.