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  • From: Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Deu:10:17
  • Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 08:54:32 +0200

Dear Ethel,

That's what happens when you use a modern Hebrew dictionary, and not a very good one at that.

The basic meaning of the word "adon" is "master", "owner", "ruler". As such, it is a common title for human superiors and rulers, for gods in general and for God (YHWH) in particular. The English word "lord" has the same meaning, and as such is used to translate the Hebrew. As you know, God is often called "Adonai", "my Lords", the plural being a sign of respect. The same is true of Spanish "senior", which also has the meaning of "elder".

In MODERN Hebrew, English and Spanish, these words have additional meanings. In modern Hebrew, "adon" is used as a title of respect towards one's superior or supposed superior. A salesman will address a customer as "adoni". In modern English, saying "my lord" is archaic, since "lord" is also a title of nobility (although judges in court are addressed as "milord") - the equivalent is "sir". Spanish uses "Senor".

And yes, the modern Hebrew word for "lord" as a title of nobility - when referring to an English lord, is "lwrd".

Yigal Levin



----- Original Message ----- From: "Ethel Jean (Kowan) Saltz" <macnietspingal AT airmail.net>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 10:48 PM
Subject: [b-hebrew] Deu:10:17


יז כִּי, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם--הוּא אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים, וַאֲדֹנֵי הָאֲדֹנִים:
הָאֵל הַגָּדֹל הַגִּבֹּר, וְהַנּוֹרָא, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יִשָּׂא פָנִים, וְלֹא
יִקַּח שֹׁחַד.

Question:

All translations use "Lord" for adonee but I don't think the word "Lord"
existed
back then. It's funny to see it in Spanish "El Senor". Now maybe in early
English the word "Lord" was used the same way we say "Sir". I know in
Spanish that's what Senor means. Sir/Mr.

In fact, I looked up Lord in my Webster New World Hebrew/English and it's
written lamed-vav-resh-daled (Hebrew transliteration of the word Lord:) I
looked up Adonee and it's Sir/Mr. I would translate it "Sir of sirs". It
feels so natural to me and imparts such a rich poetic feeling to the
mysterious label "Y'H'W'H". "God of gods and Sir of sirs".


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