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Names of God in Judaism

Adonai (Hebrew: אֲדֹנָי, Modern: Adonai, Tiberian: ʾĂḏōnāy) is a Hebrew term meaning "my Lords" which is the plural of Adon (אֲדֹן) and refers to the singular form. It is one of the titles used for the God of Israel. In the Hebrew Bible, "Adonai" is used in place of the Tetragrammaton (the four-lettered name of God, YHWH) out of reverence, as the name was considered too sacred to be spoken. In Jewish tradition, when reading scripture, Adonai is substituted for the Tetragrammaton. In Christian Bibles, "Adonai" is often translated as "Lord." In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, "Adonai" is translated as "Kyrios" (Κύριος), which also means "Lord." In Arabic, the term is translated as "Rabbī" (رَبِّي), and in Spanish, it is "Señor." The use of "Adonai" underscores the monotheistic focus of Judaism and the reverence with which the name of God is treated.

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Names of God in Judaism
Names of God in Judaism
Judaism has different names given to God, which are considered sacred: יהוה, אֲדֹנָי, אֵל, אֱלֹהִים, שַׁדַּי, and צְבָאוֹת ; some also include I Am that I Am. Early authorities considered other Hebrew names mere epithets or descriptions of God, and wrote that they and names in other languages may be written and erased freely. Some moderns advise special care even in these cases, and many Orthodox Jews have adopted the chumras of writing "G-d" instead of "God" in English or saying Ṭēt-Vav instead of Yōd-Hē for the number fifteen or Ṭēt-Zayin instead of Yōd-Vav for the Hebrew number sixteen.
Last modified: 2025-10-31T04:02:15ZView full article on Wikipedia