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I prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord God, do not destroy Your people, even Your inheritance, whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
Deuteronomy 9: 26 (NIV)
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INTRODUCTION
Freedom is what we all crave and quite frankly deserve. Freedom from all affliction and forms of bondage and slavery. In life though many do fall into slavery as the Israelites did. They fell into the hands of cruel slave masters. Not all masters are evil though. The creator of all is Master - Adonai - above all creation and He is a just, kind, good, and righteous Master. Adonai by itself is not really a proper name but rather a title as is the case with Messiah. It is the plural form of Adon and means mister' or my lord, master or owner. People throughout the Old Testament used the word Adonai to address both God and humans who were masters or lords over them. In the sense of the LORD God Almighty, it showcases the Lord’s role in our lives. God has sovereignty over us.
THE MEANING OF THE WORD ADONAI
In the very heart of ancient Egypt amid all the flourishing and prosperity, the laughter and shouts of joy, every so often, if only one focused hard enough, a groan of pain they could hear.
That groan did not come from the Egyptian people. It came from a people not seen, nor heard. It came from a people enslaved and downtrodden. It came from the ancient Israelites.
Slavery. In slavery, they ended up after so many years of prosperity and favor they received. But a change of leadership came, and with it, Israel and his people fell into the hands of wicked masters who had zero shame. And the biggest slavemaster was the Pharaoh himself. Thinking he was a master alone, he soon realized he had to answer to a Master that rules over all - ADONAI.
Adonai by itself is not really a proper name but rather a title as is the case with Messiah. It is the plural form of Adon and means mister' or my lord, master, or owner (2, 4)
USAGE
People throughout the Old Testament used the word Adonai to address both God and humans who were masters or lords over them (3). In general, the word adon can refer to men and angels as well as the LORD God of Israel. (5)
In the human sense (and sometimes angelic) it appears to be acknowledging a person who has power or leadership over another person. (3)
In the sense of the LORD God Almighty, it showcases the Lord’s role in our lives. God has sovereignty over us.
ETYMOLOGY
The word Adonai comes from the unused root ‘dn ( אדן)('dn). The meaning of the word is disputed but some say it's comparable to the Assyrian word Adannu, meaning firm, and is associated with the adverb adannis meaning strongly or exceedingly. Others claim it might be connected to the Persian word meaning firm or fasten, and thus it means to determine, hence command, hence rule. Others still propose relations to an Arabic verb that means to be obedient or cause obedience, hence govern and rule. It also is thought to have to do with the Hebrew word din (דין), meaning to judge, from which the name Dan ( דן) comes from.
But judging from its derivations, our verb most likely had to do with supporting the superstructure of society as the verb means to provide support for a piece of superstructure. One of its derivates (‘eden; אדן) means foundation, base, or pedestal of pillars. It is heavily connected with the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle became personified by the human foundation known as ‘adon ( אדון) or ‘adon (אדן), roughly translatable with lord, sir or mister. (2)
WHY IT MATTERS
We must know the names of God because names have important meanings in the Bible. They carry an origin and purpose of someone’s life. Naming children used to be a bi deal and God renaming them was extremely important too. Through naming and renaming people God proclaims something important about their identity or about his plan for that person’s life. (3)
Knowing His name can help su acknowledge that God is the Master and sovereign over our lives. We cannot act outside his plan for us. (3)
CONCLUSION
The word Adonai is the plural form of Adon and means LORD, master, or owner. It has been used in the Old Testament to depict men, angels, and the LORD God Almighty. In the context of humans and angels, it speaks of a person who has power or leadership over another person. In the context of God Almighty, it speaks of Him being our Master and sovereign authority above all. We cannot act outside his plan for us.
SOURCES
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ABARIM Publications. Adonai meaning. Available at https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Adonai.html
Hope Bolinger. What Does Adonai Mean? Updated on Oct 12, 2023. Available at https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/what-does-adonai-mean.html
Hebrew4christians. The Hebrew name for Lord - Adonai. Available at https://hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/Adonai/adonai.html
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