Today's Hebrew term for God is Adonai, signifying God's role as the supreme master. Similar to Elohim, Adonai can refer to both God and human authorities (for instance, in Ezra 10:3). The term first appears in Genesis 15:2, where Abram asks God for a covenant sign. The ESV translates Adonai as "GOD" in Isaiah 10:16, although other Hebrew texts use Yahweh here. Generally, English Bibles render Adonai as "Lord" (with a capital "L" and lowercase "ord").

Referring to God as Adonai emphasizes his ultimate authority. While the Bible acknowledges other gods and lords, it declares him as the "God of gods and Lord of lords" (Deuteronomy 10:17). Though others possess legitimate, God-given authority, his authority is supreme, and he governs over all.

The highest title bestowed upon God by His people in the Old Testament is Adonai, a Hebrew term meaning "Lord," denoting someone with power and authority, someone who rules. This title appears over four hundred times throughout the Old Testament. For example:

• Isaiah 25: "He will swallow up death forever; and the [Adonai] GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth."
• Daniel 9: "O [Adonai], hear; O [Adonai], forgive. O [Adonai], pay attention and act."
• Zechariah 9: "The [Adonai] GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south."

Adonai is also used as a title for human rulers. For instance, in 1 Samuel, David refers to Saul as "my lord the king," using the term Adonai. Similarly, Judges 3 mentions the Philistines having five lords (Adonai), and Sarah calls Abraham her Adonai in Genesis 18.

As we discussed previously, the specific, personal name of the God of Israel is Yahweh, typically translated in English Bibles as "LORD" or "GOD" in capital letters. However, when God is referred to as Lord with lowercase letters, the word translated is Adonai.

Consider how Adonai is used in Psalm 8: "O LORD [Yahweh], our Lord [Adonai], how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

Adonai signifies God's absolute sovereignty over creation. In the New Testament, the Hebrew Adonai is translated into Greek as kyrios, retaining the meaning of "Lord" and the sense of God's complete sovereignty over all creation. This term is used about one hundred times for God the Father and approximately seven hundred times for Jesus. Many of these New Testament references are quotations from the Old Testament that originally included the name Yahweh, now applied to Jesus.

The concept of the complete sovereignty of Adonai or Kyrios is pervasive in the New Testament, perhaps most clearly in Philippians 2: "Therefore God has highly exalted [Jesus] and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Kyrios [Adonai, Lord], to the glory of God the Father."

One day, every tongue will acknowledge that Jesus is Adonai—the Lord of all, the Master of all, the Owner of all, the One to whom everything belongs.

The concept of being owned can evoke images of one person possessing another, and such forms of slavery are rightly condemned in today's world. However, understanding God as Adonai relates to His role as a benevolent leader in our lives, not an oppressive force.

Scripture consistently emphasizes that God is ever-present and remains the rightful Lord over all creation. Our call is to submit to Him, our loving Father, rather than to any human authority or idol. God's Word outlines why this submission aligns with His best plan for us:

1. We are designed to need Him as our Master. The notion that there is a God-sized void within each of us serves not to make us feel weak and hopeless but to draw us to the One who can fulfill that need. Seeking fulfillment elsewhere leads to poor judgment, insensitivity to God's guidance, and ultimately, a fall into sin.
2. God is a good Master. Life teaches us that everyone ends up serving someone, and we have the choice of whom we will serve. Imagine a master who responds to your loyalty with unconditional love, comfort, and abundant provision. This is the loving lordship God offers, and it is an opportunity we should embrace.
3. Jesus acknowledged God as His Master. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus consistently recognized God as Adonai. He willingly came to Earth in obedience to His Father: "Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." (John 14:10)

Jesus demonstrated to His disciples what complete submission to God as Master looks like. He taught that by following Him and surrendering to God, we would receive immense blessings: "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:11)