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Adonai

English translation: My Lord

11:14 Jul 24, 2003
Hebrew to English translations [Non-PRO]
Religion / religion
Hebrew term or phrase: Adonai
in a christian song
Lauren
English translation:My Lord
Explanation:
After the return from the Babylonian exile in 537 B.C.E. that four-lettered name was gradually removed from circulation. In the later books of the Bible it appears with far less frequency. To preserve and heighten its numinous quality, the name was no longer pronounced as written but as if its consonants spelled the word "Adonai", meaning simply "my Lord," A beginner in Hebrew will always identify himself by trying to read YHVH as written, rather than as stipulated by tradition. Only in the precincts of the Second Temple on Yom Kippur did the rabbis permit the High Priest to pronounce God's proper name correctly on ten occasions in the Musaf service. Upon hearing the ineffable name the masses assembled in the Temple would fall on their faces, as we still do in our synagogues today when we reenact that ancient ceremony, though without presuming to use the Tetragrammaton.

Christians may have adapted it to signify a plural, but the original meaning and development is in the paragraph above.
Selected response from:

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 00:48
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +4My Lord
RHELLER
4 +3My Lord
judithyf
5God
David Swidler
5 -1Lord or my Lord
Anthony Indra


  

Answers


27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Lord or my Lord


Explanation:
The name Adonai, is translated "Lord" (only the "L" capitalized) in the Old Testament.

But it is also almost always used in the plural possessive form meaning "My Lords". (as a concept of The Trinity. This same word is also used of men, and is predominantly translated as "master". Note, however, that, when used of men, it is always used in the singular form.

The implication of The Trinity in this name is obvious in Psalms 110:1.

Ps 110:1

1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
("Jehovah said unto my Adonai, Sit thou on my right hand, til I make thine enemies thy footstool").

The true meaning of this name in the Hebrew language indicates "mastership" or "ownership". From this, we can clearly see God's outright ownership of all things in Heaven and Earth. This also clearly defines our role as servants to our Adonai.




Anthony Indra
United States
Local time: 23:48
Native speaker of: Native in IndonesianIndonesian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  EGB Translations
22 mins
disagree  Eynat: There is no implication of trinity whatsoever. You are trying to force a Catholic concept onto a Jewish one: it doesn't work. It's merey a grammatical form.
6 hrs
neutral  RHELLER: this is a Hebrew word - there is only one G-d
14 hrs
disagree  ashi: No plural and no trinity. This is a Hebrew word and while your translation might hint at the Trinity it just doesn't work here
1 day 16 hrs
neutral  David Swidler: The context is a Christian hymn. Depending on its specific usage, the hymn's composer might have had the trinity in mind.
2 days 6 hrs
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32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
My Lord


Explanation:
plural form of Adon - title, and the Tetragram became to holy for utterance, Adonai was substituted for it so that, as a rule, the name written YHWH (Jehovah) receives the points (diacritics) of Adonai.

Source:Jewish Encyclopedia.com

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Note added at 2003-07-24 11:48:43 (GMT)
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http://www.JewishEncyclopedia.com/index.jsp

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Note added at 2003-07-24 11:52:04 (GMT)
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should be: and when the Tetragram became too holy for utterance.

The Tetragram or Tetragrammaton is the word composed of four letters which is the Hebrew name for Jehovah (YHWH) considered too sacred to pronounce.

judithyf
Local time: 09:48
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 17

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Eynat
6 hrs
agree  Sue Goldian
8 hrs
agree  Daniel Isaacs: (YHWH is sometimes pointed "e-o-i" for Elohim, particularly when it follows the YY form or "Adonai" written in full (it is then pronounced "Elohim" as well)).
4 days
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
God


Explanation:
The simplest answer is usually the best...

This is a proper noun. Always capitalize the "g".

David Swidler
Local time: 09:48
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Eynat: No, that's elohim. Adon=Lord.
4 hrs
  -> You're missing the point. "Elohim" can mean "god" with a small "g". "Adonai" cannot. Yes, it comes from the word meaning "lord," but once it's a proper noun, there's no difference between "God" and "Lord"!
agree  ashi: Agree with David's comments. In modern Jewish religion Adonai is used as a name for God
1 day 14 hrs
neutral  Daniel Isaacs: Usually, though, "Adonai" is treated as Lord, whilst "Elohim" is treated as God - cf "Adonai Eloheinu" - The Lord, our God.
3 days 21 hrs
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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
My Lord


Explanation:
After the return from the Babylonian exile in 537 B.C.E. that four-lettered name was gradually removed from circulation. In the later books of the Bible it appears with far less frequency. To preserve and heighten its numinous quality, the name was no longer pronounced as written but as if its consonants spelled the word "Adonai", meaning simply "my Lord," A beginner in Hebrew will always identify himself by trying to read YHVH as written, rather than as stipulated by tradition. Only in the precincts of the Second Temple on Yom Kippur did the rabbis permit the High Priest to pronounce God's proper name correctly on ten occasions in the Musaf service. Upon hearing the ineffable name the masses assembled in the Temple would fall on their faces, as we still do in our synagogues today when we reenact that ancient ceremony, though without presuming to use the Tetragrammaton.

Christians may have adapted it to signify a plural, but the original meaning and development is in the paragraph above.


    Reference: http://learn.jtsa.edu/topics/parashah/5754/vaayra.shtml
RHELLER
United States
Local time: 00:48
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tal Ganani (X)
12 hrs
  -> todah Tal!
agree  Michal Circolone
15 hrs
  -> todah Michal!
agree  ashi
1 day 1 hr
  -> todah Ashi!
agree  Eynat: Note: David and Ashi's comments above are simply wrong. Adonai=my Lord and is the --NAME-- of God; it does not --TRANSLATE-- as God. A god (small g) is EL, --not-- elohim.
1 day 5 hrs
  -> todah Eynat
neutral  David Swidler: Re Eynat's comments: Refer to the Ten Commanments, where "Elohim" refers to gods with a small g.
1 day 15 hrs
neutral  Daniel Isaacs: "elohim" can often refer to small g gods, See I Chron. XVI, 26 - "ki kol elohei ha'amim elilim, va-Adonai shamayim asa."
3 days 9 hrs
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