Since the term “lord” is not frequently used in daily speech, let’s begin with a brief explanation. A lord is defined as “one having power and authority over others” or “a man of rank or high position” by the Merriam-Webster dictionary. God fits these descriptions quite right! Being the universe’s creator, He is all-powerful and has dominion over all living things. “Above every name that is named, not only in this age but in the one to come,” is the highest title Jesus has. (Revelation 1:11) “No one compares to the Lord, our God.” (Leviticus 8:10)
We honor God by addressing Him as Lord
Saying “Lord” to God is an acknowledgment of [His power over our existence]. For most people, that is not instinctive. In actuality, we like to be independent and make our own decisions on how to live. The first human couple, Adam and Eve, defied their Creator by eating the fruit that He had forbidden them from eating. They did exactly the same thing.
We must confess that God is Lord over our life and turn from our disobedience when we come to faith. And we shall love Him and know Him completely if we truly do so. One way we might show our loving devotion and surrender is by using the word “Lord.”
Jesus is also called Lord since He is fully God
People often referred to Jesus as “lord” when speaking to him. Some saw this as merely a courteous way to address someone, similar to how we say “sir.” However, some also used this word to affirm their belief that Jesus was not your typical person. As the Son of God, Jesus ought to be referred to by the same title as God. When Jesus is referred to as “My Lord and my God” by the apostle Thomas upon His resurrection, it becomes abundantly evident (John 20:28).
This usage of Jesus as the “Lord” has spread among Christians of later times. Numerous examples can be found in the New Testament writings, often in conjunction with other titles, such as “Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21) or “Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:4). Since no one else would acknowledge Jesus as God, Romans 10:9 and 1 Corinthians 12:3 even include the statement that “Jesus is Lord” as the defining characteristic of a real, Spirit-filled Christian.
Lord, lord, or Lord?
Some English Bibles have the word “Lord” printed with four capital letters, whereas other verses have it written with only a capital L or with no capital letters at all. Even expressions like “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!” are occasionally encountered. (Psalm 8:9). There are two distinct Hebrew terms that are the source of this writing style disparity.
- Hebrew’s standard term for “lord” is אֲדוϹ (adon). Those with authority over another are referred to by this term. This word can also allude to God. As a show of respect, several translations opt to write a capital “L” in this instance. The term אϲדוϹן for God is most commonly used as אϲדוϹנϸי (Adonai)[1]. Take Nehemiah 1:11, for instance, which says, “O Lord, hear the prayer of your servant.”
- יהוϗה (YHWH) is a totally separate Hebrew term. This is the personal name of God, most likely pronounced Yahweh. But since they took God’s name so seriously and were careful not to “take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7), they chose to speak it silently. Instead of reading YHWH each time, they would say “Adonai.” This method has been imitated by translators, who translated God’s given name as “Lord.” They write four capital letters when the Hebrew text includes the word YHWH and lower case letters where the Hebrew text has the word Adonai in order to distinguish between the two separate words.
[1] Words in Hebrew can have one or more single forms. Additionally, a possessive pronoun can be added to a word. The word “my lords” (ϲדוϹנϸי) is plural and possessive in the first person. Using the plural form of God may seem odd at first. However, the Hebrew word that we interpret as “God” is likewise plural.
