Rouse yourself, wake up and vindicate me. My God and Lord, defend my just cause.[1]
If you believe productions such as The Chosen, the Name we are Musing about today was one of the most commonly used in everyday speech among the ancient Israelites. When they wanted to refer to God, either in everyday conversation or in a theological sense, this was the Name they chose to use: Adonai.
You see this trend in Scripture as well. A very brief search shows this Name being used about 400 times throughout the Old Testament. That number goes up to almost 700 if you include the root word, adon, though many of the uses of adon are not references to God (more on that in a minute).
What Does it Mean?
The base word, adon, simply means “a sovereign, a master, a lord.”[2] And this word was used frequently throughout Scripture to refer to anyone with authority over someone else. For example, in Genesis 24 when Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac, throughout the chapter, every time the servant refers to his “master Abraham,” the word used for “master” is adon.[3]
However, the plural, emphatic form of this word is Adonai, and this is one of the most frequently used Names of God in the Old Testament. But the meaning is essentially the same as the base word. In the emphatic plural, it simply means “The Lord.” So in a sense, this is really more of a title than a name. That seems to me to be how it is used in Psalm 35, printed above; David is calling on his God, Who is also his Lord. But in practice, Adonai was not viewed as a title; it was used to refer to God just like one of His Names.
However, in some ways, I think the full meaning of this Name is a bit difficult for us to completely understand today, especially those of you who are, like me, Americans. I mean, of course on one level we understand the concept of people having authority over us. Those of you who are, or were, in the military certainly understand what it means for an officer to have authority over you. But even us civilians understand the concept pretty well. In our jobs, our employer has authority over us. In our childhood homes, we remember our parents having authority over us. When the police officer pulls you over, they certainly have authority over you!
But the idea of Adonai goes much deeper than any of these. It implies the kind of authority that a king holds over his subjects. Look at this oath of fealty that Anglo-Saxon lords asked from their subjects:
By the Lord before whom this sanctuary is holy, I will to [my lord] be true and faithful, and love all which he loves and shun all which he shuns, according to the laws of God and the order of the world. Nor will I ever with will or action, through word or deed, do anything which is unpleasing to him, on condition that he will hold to me as I shall deserve it, and that he will perform everything as it was in our agreement when I submitted myself to him and chose his will.[4]
This is the kind of obedience and commitment that Adonai commands. He is the Lord, to Whom we have sworn our absolute allegiance.
Implications of the Name
There is, to me, one very obvious implication of the Name Adonai. When we acknowledge Him as the Lord, when we recognize Him as Adonai, that means that we have to obey Him.
After graduating from high school, several of my children chose to join the Marine Corps, and most of them are still on active duty. If I asked one of these Marines, “What would happen if you refused to obey an order from your superior?” I’m pretty sure their first reaction would be to laugh, because the premise of that question is simply absurd. But once they managed to stop laughing, likely their response would be something along the lines of, “That never happens!” And it would never happen because when they joined up, they took an oath (the importance of which was drilled into them during Boot Camp) where they promised, among other things, to always obey any lawful order that they are given. In other words, they promised that they would submit to the authority of those in command above them, and the consequences of refusing to submit to that authority would be pretty serious.
When we acknowledge God as Adonai, we are, in a sense, making that same oath. This Name, this title, implies that He has the right to command us. Because we are part of His creation and, more importantly, because we are His children, we have an obligation to obey Him. Because His is our Lord; He is Adonai.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t an idea I often dwell on. I mean, I know that “Christianese” talks very freely about accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but I tend to focus on the Savior part of that sentence. Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sins, so now I have eternal life and can look forward to spending eternity with Him in Heaven.
That is all true, of course, and very important. But what about the “Lord” part of that sentence? I have claimed Him as my Savior, because I know I need a Savior, and I don’t want to spend eternity separated from God. But if I’m honest, most days I don’t really want to think about Him being my Lord. I don’t like to dwell on, or even remember at all, the fact that I have sworn allegiance to Him. When He saved me and made me His child, I swore an oath of obedience. And that oath gives Him authority over me; it gives me an obligation to obey Him and His commands.
Musing about this Name has been a good reminder for me, and I hope it has been for you as well. I hope that all of you reading this have accepted Jesus as your Savior. If you haven’t, I pray that you will soon come to the point that you are ready and willing to make that step in your life!
But for those of you who have accepted Him as your Savior, you need to remember that accepting Him as Savior also means accepting Him as Adonai, as your Lord.
Are you living your life treating Jesus like someone Who gives good advice, like someone you can go to for guidance when you want it but someone Who, ultimately, you can ignore if you don’t like what He has to say? Or are you treating Him as your Lord?
Are you treating Him as a friend you can go to in a pinch, or as One to Whom you owe absolute obedience?
It is a wonderful, blessed truth that God is our Father, that Jesus is our Brother. But He is also the Lord of the Universe, One Who commands all authority over all of creation. One Who we are sworn to obey.
He is Adonai.
[1] Scripture quoted by permission. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture verses are quoted from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
[2] Unless otherwise noted, all definitions of Greek and Hebrew words taken from Strong’s Greek and Hebrew Dictionary (electronic copy included with The Power Bible CD software).]
[3] See particularly Genesis 24:12 – 14
[4] “’Feudal’ Oaths of Fealty.” Internet History Sourcebooks Project, Fordham University, 16 January, 2026, https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/feud-oath1.asp. Accessed 24 January 2026