Health and Holiness

Ve Emet Le Adonai

Another Look at the Hebrew Word Adonai

Introduction

The following is not meant to be an exhaustive study. However, as the Torah states, “At the mouth of 2 or more witnesses let a truth be established (Deut. 19:15).” You will see that more than 2 witnesses are provided to show that the word Adonai is used in the Hebrew Scriptures.

First are 2 statistics:

אֲדֹנָ֑י (Adonai) - Occurs 439 times by itself in the Hebrew Tanach

אֲדֹנָ֑י יהוה (Adonai YHWH) - Occurs 310 times in the Hebrew Tanach

I have not ventured into the use of “adon” in this paper, which was a term used amongst Semitic peoples as a form of respect. Searching the Hebrew text, one will find many verses containing this word.

First, I am blessed that we are being immersed in the Hebrew language at this time. Needless to say, when reading the Hebrew we were quite surprised at what we found.

I pray that one would not call into question the validity of the Hebrew text. Doing this would merely give the enemy fuel he needs to cast doubt among Yah's sheep who are unaware.

The following Scriptures need to be read in Hebrew. The Sacred Name translators deliberately changed the אֲדֹנָ֑י to יהוה in many instances. These are some of the verses I am supplying as an example, providing plenty of witnesses of translator bias.

I will show you this bias in the “Halleluyah Scriptures” and “The Scriptures” by comparing them to the actual Hebrew text. Since these 2 translations are derived from the Chris Koster 1996 translation of “The Scriptures” differences were not found. After reading this, you will see how important it is to learn and comprehend Hebrew and hold the translators to account.

Reader Note: Where you see the English translation with YHWH in purple and underlined, the corresponding word Adonai appears in the Hebrew text below in red.

Genesis 18:3 and said, “יהוה, if I have now found favour in Your eyes, please do not pass Your servant by.

Hebrew Verse 3:

וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֗י אִם־נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ אַל־נָ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר מֵעַ֥ל עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃

Genesis 18:27 And Aḇraham answered and said, “Look, please, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to יהוה, v28 “Suppose there are five less than the fifty righteous, would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” And He said, “If I find there forty-five, I do not destroy it.” 29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there are found forty?” And He said, “I would not do it for the sake of forty.” 30 And he said, “Let not יהוה be displeased, and let me speak: Suppose there are found thirty?” And He said, “I would not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 And he said, “Look, please, I have taken it upon myself to speak to יהוה: Suppose there are found twenty?” And He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of twenty.” 32 And he said, “Let not יהוה be displeased, and let me speak only this time: Suppose there are found ten?” And He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of ten.”

Hebrew starting with Verse 27:

וַיַּ֥עַן אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הִנֵּה־נָ֤א הֹואַ֙לְתִּי֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔י וְאָנֹכִ֖י עָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר׃ 28 א֠וּלַי יַחְסְר֞וּן חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים הַצַּדִּיקִם֙ חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה הֲתַשְׁחִ֥ית בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אֶת־כָּל־הָעִ֑יר וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית אִם־אֶמְצָ֣א שָׁ֔ם אַרְבָּעִ֖ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה׃ 29 וַיֹּ֨סֶף עֹ֜וד לְדַבֵּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם אַרְבָּעִ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֔ה בַּעֲב֖וּר הָאַרְבָּעִֽים׃ 30 וַ֠יֹּאמֶר אַל־נָ֞א יִ֤חַר לַֽאדֹנָי֙ וַאֲדַבֵּ֔רָה אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִׁ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֔ה אִם־אֶמְצָ֥א שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִֽׁים׃ 31 וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּֽה־נָ֤א הֹואַ֙לְתִּי֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔י אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם עֶשְׂרִ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית בַּעֲב֖וּר הָֽעֶשְׂרִֽים׃ 32 וַ֠יֹּאמֶר אַל־נָ֞א יִ֤חַר לַֽאדֹנָי֙ וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה אַךְ־הַפַּ֔עַם אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם עֲשָׂרָ֑ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית בַּעֲב֖וּר הָעֲשָׂרָֽה׃

Exodus 4:10 And Mosheh said to יהוה, “O יהוה, I am not a man of words, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

Hebrew Verse 10:

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶל־יְהוָה֮ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנָי֒ לֹא֩ אִ֨ישׁ דְּבָרִ֜ים אָנֹ֗כִי גַּ֤ם מִתְּמֹול֙ גַּ֣ם מִשִּׁלְשֹׁ֔ם גַּ֛ם מֵאָ֥ז דַּבֶּרְךָ * אֶל־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֧י כְבַד־פֶּ֛ה וּכְבַ֥ד לָשֹׁ֖ון אָנֹֽכִי׃

Exodus 4:13 But he said, “O יהוה, please send by the hand of him whom You would send.”

Hebrew Verse 13:

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר בִּ֣י אֲדֹנָ֑י שְֽׁלַֽח־נָ֖א בְּיַד־תִּשְׁלָֽח׃

Exodus 5:22 And Mosheh returned to יהוה and said, “יהוה, why have You done evil to this people? Why did You send me?

Hebrew Verse 22:

וַיָּ֧שָׁב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֗י לָמָ֤ה הֲרֵעֹ֙תָה֙ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה שְׁלַחְתָּֽנִי׃

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore יהוה Himself gives you a sign: Look, the maiden conceives and gives birth to a Son, and shall call His Name Immanu’ĕl

Hebrew Verse 14:

לָ֠כֵן יִתֵּ֨ן אֲדֹנָ֥י ה֛וּא לָכֶ֖ם אֹ֑ות הִנֵּ֣ה הָעַלְמָ֗ה הָרָה֙ וְיֹלֶ֣דֶת בֵּ֔ן וְקָרָ֥את שְׁמֹ֖ו עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל׃

Verses with Adonai YHWH together (Master YHWH underlined in purple and Hebrew Adonai YHWH in red below):

Genesis 15:2 And Aḇram said, “Master יהוה, what would You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eli‛ezer of Damascus?”

Hebrew verse 2:

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָ֗ם אֲדֹנָ֤י יֱהוִה֙ מַה־תִּתֶּן־לִ֔י וְאָנֹכִ֖י הֹולֵ֣ךְ עֲרִירִ֑י וּבֶן־מֶ֣שֶׁק בֵּיתִ֔י ה֖וּא דַּמֶּ֥שֶׂק אֱלִיעֶֽזֶר׃

Genesis 15:8 And he said, “Master יהוה, whereby do I know that I possess it?”

Hebrew Verse 8:

וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהוִ֔ה בַּמָּ֥ה אֵדַ֖ע כִּ֥י אִֽירָשֶֽׁנָּה׃

Isaiah 7:7 ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “It is not going to stand, nor shall it take place.

Hebrew Verse 7:

כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה לֹ֥א תָק֖וּם וְלֹ֥א תִֽהְיֶֽה׃

Deut. 3:24 ‘O Master יהוה, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand, for who is a mighty one in the heavens or on earth who does according to Your works and according to Your might?

Hebrew Verse 24:

אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלֹּ֙ותָ֙ לְהַרְאֹ֣ות אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גָּדְלְךָ֔ וְאֶת־יָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִי־אֵל֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה כְמַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

Deut. 9:26 “And I prayed to יהוה, and said, ‘O Master יהוה, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance whom You have redeemed in Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Mitsrayim with a strong hand.

Hebrew Verse 26:

וָאֶתְפַּלֵּ֣ל אֶל־יְהוָה֮ וָאֹמַר֒ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אַל־תַּשְׁחֵ֤ת עַמְּךָ֙ וְנַחֲלָ֣תְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּדִ֖יתָ בְּגָדְלֶ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁר־הֹוצֵ֥אתָ מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם בְּיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃

Reader Note: Where you see the English translation with YHWH in purple and underlined, the corresponding word Adonai appears in the Hebrew text below in red.

Other verses to look at:

Exodus 15:17 “You bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place, O יהוה, which You have made for Your own dwelling, the set-apart place, O יהוה, which Your hands have prepared. (Part of the song the children of Israel sang after crossing the Sea of Reeds)

Hebrew Verse 17:

תְּבִאֵ֗מֹו וְתִטָּעֵ֙מֹו֙ בְּהַ֣ר נַחֲלָֽתְךָ֔ מָכֹ֧ון לְשִׁבְתְּךָ֛ פָּעַ֖לְתָּ יְהוָ֑ה מִקְּדָ֕שׁ אֲדֹנָ֖י כֹּונְנ֥וּ יָדֶֽיךָ׃

Numbers 14:17 “And now, I pray, let the power of יהוה be great, as You have spoken, saying, .....

Hebrew Verse 17:

וְעַתָּ֕ה יִגְדַּל־נָ֖א כֹּ֣חַ אֲדֹנָ֑י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ לֵאמֹֽר׃

Conclusion

Moses was the most humble man on the earth in his day.

Now the man Moses was very humble, above all the men who were on the surface of the earth. Numbers 12:3

This paper has highlighted many passages where the actual Hebrew text shows Moses referring to YHWH as Adonai. Is there a lesson in this for us?

Why did the translators in Sacred Name Bibles deliberately ignore the Hebrew text?

Hopefully, exposing these truths will put an end to division, criticism, contention, and strife in the Body of Messiah today. Mercy should also be extended to Beit Yehudah. Clearly, the examples I have shown in these Hebrew verses show that the use of Adonai is not pagan or a replacement, but used out of respect for the Set-Apart One of Yisrael. As long as the person using Adonai knows they are addressing Yud Hey Vav Hey, it cannot be construed as idolatrous.

Biblical linguistic experts have demonstrated that the Hebrew language predates all languages. This study is referred to as “Edenics”. Before the tower of Babel, a type of Hebrew was spoken. Pagan cultures prostituted Hebrew words to use them to refer to their elohim. The Greeks called one of their elohim adonis as a prostitution of the Hebrew word adonai. For further research on this topic please refer to www.edenics.org. Isaac Mozeson is the founder of edenics and has done significant research discovering the Hebraic origins of languages.

Shalom,

Tzefanyah Pappas

-- 

Chazak Chazak v'nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us
strengthen (encourage) one another!