LORD: A term of address occurring in both the Old and the New Testament. In both A. V. and R. V. it occurs in three forms: "LORD," "Lord," and "lord," and represents both different words
and different usages of the same word. (1) In the Old Testament "Lord" represents
the divine name Yahweh or Yah
(cf.
I Kings viii. 39),
translated in the Septuagint by kurios.
It should be noted that in
Gen. xv. 2, 8;
Isa. xxv. 8,
and other passages the collocation 'Adonai Yahweh occurs in
the Hebrew, and in
Ex. xxiii. 17,
Ex. xxciv. 23, 'Adon Yahweh,
and in these cases Yahweh is rendered
" God " to avoid the collocation "Lord Lord."
(2) In the Old Testament "Lord" is employed to
render 'Adonay
(a plural of excellence) when referring to deity, especially in theophaniea (cf.
Gen. xviii. 3, xx. 4);
also to render 'Adon in such passages as
Ex. xxiii. 17
(Hebr. 'Adon Yahweh),
and the Aramaic Mare,
Dan, ii. 47, v. 23.
In the New
Testament the A. V. usually renders kurios
by "Lord" when referring to God or Christ; also
deapotes in
Luke ii. 29;
Acts iv. 24;
II Pet. ii. 1;
Rev. vi. 10
(the R. V. renders "Master" in the last two cases and in
Jude 4
and puts the same word in the margin in the first two cases; in
Jude 4
the A. V. translates "Lord God "). (3) In the Old
Testament "lord" translates ten words which express various kinds of superiority of
station or authority, including even the theophanic angel of
Josh. v. 14.
In the New Testament it translates
kurios, meegistan, and rabboni.
Also see
Jehovah;
and Yahweh.
