The Difference Between “Lord”, “lord” and “LORD”
Blog Contents
Lord vs lord vs LORD – The Basics
While this video gets the basics right, it doesn’t go anywhere near deep enough. However, start here.
Lord vs lord vs LORD For Newbies
– Lowercase “lord”: Generally, a title of respect for authority, used for humans or deities.
– Capitalised “Lord”: Often used to refer to God or Jesus in a respectful manner.
– All caps “LORD”: Specifically refers to the divine name YHWH (H3068), the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible. And it is here that it gets super interesting. Stick with us.
Lord vs lord vs LORD For Not-So-Newbies
- All caps LORD (YHWH) (H3068):
- When you encounter “LORD” (H3068), people use the specific name YHWH (H3068) to refer to God Himself.
- Lowercase lord (Adon) (H113):
- When you see the term “lord” (H113), Bible writers use the Hebrew word “אָדוֹן” (adon) to refer to a human master or lord.
- For example, in Genesis 45:8-9, Joseph refers to himself as a master or lord over Egypt: “So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord (H113) of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”
- Capitalised Lord (Adonai) (H136):
- When Bible writers use the term “Lord” (H136), they employ the Hebrew word “אֲדֹנָי” (adonai), but it specifically refers to the true God.
- For example, in Psalm 136:3, we find: “Give thanks to the Lord (H136) of lords (H113), for his steadfast love endures forever.”
- God (Elohim (H430), El (410), or Eloah (H433):
- “God” uses the Hebrew words “elohim” (H430), “el” (H410), or “eloah” (H433) to refer to the one true God.
- It encompasses God’s creative power and majesty.
- “god” or “gods” (Elohim H430), el H410), or Eloah (433):
- “god” or “gods” also uses “elohim” (H430), “el” (H410), or “eloah” (H433), but in different contexts.
- It refers to idols, spiritual beings, or objects of other nations’ worship.
- Did you notice however, that ALL the concordance numbers are the same as for God in point 4 above? Here it might be worth your while to check out our “Elohim: Yahweh is not the only elohim“-post.
- Lord GOD (“aonai H316) and YHWH (H3068) together:
- When you encounter “Lord GOD”, the author has used both “adonai” (H136) and YHWH (H3068) together.
- It combines God’s authority and personal name.
- For example, in 2 Samuel 7:28 (NKJV), we read: “And now, O Lord (H136) GOD (H3068), You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.”
Now You Have To Concentrate
Let’s Look At The Hebrew Old Testament
- lord: Translated from Hebrew words such as “adon” (H113). Strong’s Concordance: H113 (adon)
- Lord: Often a translation of “Adonai” (H136) when referring to God. Strong’s Concordance: H136 (adonai)
- LORD: Translated from the Tetragrammaton YHWH (H3068). Strong’s Concordance: H3068 (YHWH)
Moving On To The Septuagint (Greek Old Testament)
- lord: Usually translated from Hebrew “adon” (H113) or “adonai” (H136) into Greek “kyrios” (G2962). Strong’s Concordance: G2962 (kyrios)
- Lord: Translated from Hebrew “adonai” (H136) into Greek “kyrios” (G2962). Strong’s Concordance: G2962 (kyrios)
- LORD: Translated from YHWH (H3068) into Greek “kyrios” (G2962). Strong’s Concordance: G2962 (kyrios)
Now For The Greek In The New Testament
- lord: Translated from Greek “kyrios” (G2962 pronounced “keerios”). Strong’s Concordance: G2962 (kyrios)
- Lord: Also translated from “kyrios” (G2962) but contextually refers to God or Jesus. Strong’s Concordance: G2962 (kyrios)
- LORD: Not typically differentiated in the Greek NT since the focus is more on “kyrios” (G2962) for both Lord and LORD.
What Do You See?
Can you see that ALL of the OT Hebrew terms were translated into “kyrios” (G2062) in the 286BC Greek Septuagint (a translation of the Hebrew Bible, used and read by Jesus at the time?).
Comparative Analysis: Hebrew OT vs Greek NT vs Greek OT
- Hebrew OT: Distinguishes between “adon” (H113) / “adonai” (H136) (lord/Lord) and YHWH (H3068) (LORD) explicitly.
- Greek NT: Primarily uses “kyrios” (G2962) for all instances, relying on context for differentiation.
- Septuagint: Follows the Greek NT pattern, using “kyrios” (G2962) for both “Lord” (H136) and “LORD” (H3068), translating both “adonai” (H136) and YHWH (H3068) from Hebrew into Greek “kyrios” (G2962). So EVERYTHING is simply “Kyrios”. God.
The critical difference lies in the Hebrew text where “LORD” (H3068) specifically denotes YHWH (H3068), a distinction that gets blurred in the Greek translations due to the use of the single term “kyrios” (G2962). This necessitates careful contextual reading to understand the specific reference.
Kyrios in the New Testament
Let’s explore how “Kyrios” (G2962) unfolds in the New Testament:
- Philippians 2:11 declares: “And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (“Kyrios”, G2962), to the glory of God the Father.”
- Romans 10:9 emphasises: “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord (Kyrios, G2962) Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:3 reinforces: “No one can say that Jesus is Lord (Kyrios, G2962) except by the Holy Spirit.”
Now, while in the New Testament, the Greek word “Kyrios” (κύριος, G2962) primarily refers to Jesus Christ as Lord, there are instances where it refers to God the Father. Here are a few examples:
- Luke 1:32: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord (Kyrios, G2962) God (Theos, G2316) will give Him the throne of His father David.
- Acts 4:24: “So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: ‘Lord (Kyrios, G2962), You are God (Theos, G2316), who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,”
- Revelation 11:15: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord (Kyrios, G2962) and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'”
- Revelation 4:11: “You are worthy, O Lord (Kyrios, G2962), To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Theological Implications
Early Christians recognised Jesus as both Kyrios (G2962) and Yahweh (H3068), bridging the Old and New Covenants.
The deduction that Jesus is God, based on the usage of “Kyrios” (Lord) in these contexts, especially in relation to the attributes and actions ascribed to God (Theos), is grounded in the theological understanding of the New Testament texts.
The deduction that Jesus is God emerges from these verses because:
- Bible writers use the term “Kyrios” (Lord) in a manner that reflects divine attributes and actions.
- The same attributes and actions are elsewhere attributed explicitly to God (“Theos”).
- Therefore, the identification of Jesus as “Kyrios” in these passages signifies his divine nature and identity.
This theological deduction has support from the broader context of New Testament teachings about Jesus Christ, affirming his deity alongside the Father and the Holy Spirit as the triune God.
- Continuity of Kyrios throughout the New Testament, “Kyrios” (G2962) consistently corresponds to the same Greek word and concept as “YHWH” (H3068) in the Old Testament. This is important. Don’t miss it. ALL the terms point to Yahweh.
- The Strong’s Greek Lexicon number for “Kyrios” remains G2962.
Conclusion
The term “Kyrios” (κύριος, G2962) in the New Testament predominantly refers to Jesus Christ as Lord.
Furthermore, this usage is significant because it reflects divine attributes and actions traditionally ascribed to God (“Theos” in Greek). While “Kyrios” primarily points to Jesus Christ, there are instances where it also refers to God the Father, particularly in contexts emphasising divine sovereignty, creation, and worship.
This usage underscores the theological understanding that Jesus shares in the divine nature with the Father and the Holy Spirit as part of the triune Godhead. The deduction that Jesus is God emerges from these contexts where “Kyrios” is used in ways that align with attributes uniquely belonging to God, affirming Jesus’ deity alongside the Father throughout the New Testament.
Finally, in short, all terms refer to Yahweh, and Jesus is God.
