1E “Sovereign Lord”—Heb., ʼAdho·naiʹ

The Hebrew word ʼAdho·naiʹ without an additional suffix always refers to Jehovah God, denoting his sovereign power. Therefore, it is appropriate to render it as “Sovereign Lord.” ʼAdho·naiʹ occurs 439 times in BHK and BHS. We have restored the original reading in 133 places where the original reading “Jehovah” was changed by the Sopherim to ʼAdho·naiʹ. (See App 1B.) Therefore, this reduces from 439 to 306 the number of places where ʼAdho·naiʹ occurs. In these 306 places the New World Translation renders ʼAdho·naiʹ as “Sovereign Lord.”

The expression ʼAdho·naiʹ Yehwihʹ, “Sovereign Lord Jehovah,” is found 285 times in BHK and BHS, namely, in Ge 15:2, 8; De 3:24; De 9:26; Jos 7:7; Jg 6:22; Jg 16:28; 2Sa 7:18, 19, 19, 20, 22, 28, 29; 1Ki 2:26; 1Ki 8:53; Ps 71:5, 16; Ps 73:28; Isa 7:7; Isa 25:8; Isa 28:16; Isa 30:15; Isa 40:10; Isa 48:16; Isa 49:22; Isa 50:4, 5, 7, 9; Isa 52:4; Isa 56:8; Isa 61:1, 11; Isa 65:13, 15; Jer 1:6; Jer 2:22; Jer 4:10; Jer 7:20; Jer 14:13; Jer 32:17, 25; Jer 44:26; Eze 2:4; Eze 3:11, 27; Eze 4:14; Eze 5:5, 7, 8, 11; Eze 6:3, 3, 11; Eze 7:2, 5; Eze 8:1; Eze 9:8; Eze 11:7, 8, 13, 16, 17, 21; Eze 12:10, 19, 23, 25, 28, 28; Eze 13:3, 8, 8, 9, 13, 16, 18, 20; Eze 14:4, 6, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23; Eze 15:6, 8; Eze 16:3, 8, 14, 19, 23, 30, 36, 43, 48, 59, 63; Eze 17:3, 9, 16, 19, 22; Eze 18:3, 9, 23, 30, 32; Eze 20:3, 3, 5, 27, 30, 31, 33, 36, 39, 40, 44, 47, 49; Eze 21:7, 13, 24, 26, 28; Eze 22:3, 12, 19, 28, 31; Eze 23:22, 28, 32, 34, 35, 46, 49; Eze 24:3, 6, 9, 14, 21, 24; Eze 25:3, 3, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16; Eze 26:3, 5, 7, 14, 15, 19, 21; Eze 27:3; Eze 28:2, 6, 10, 12, 22, 24, 25; Eze 29:3, 8, 13, 16, 19, 20; Eze 30:2, 6, 10, 13, 22; Eze 31:10, 15, 18; Eze 32:3, 8, 11, 14, 16, 31, 32; Eze 33:11, 25, 27; Eze 34:2, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 20, 30, 31; Eze 35:3, 6, 11, 14; Eze 36:2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 22, 23, 32, 33, 37; Eze 37:3, 5, 9, 12, 19, 21; Eze 38:3, 10, 14, 17, 18, 21; Eze 39:1, 5, 8, 10, 13, 17, 20, 25, 29; Eze 43:18, 19, 27; Eze 44:6, 9, 12, 15, 27; Eze 45:9, 9, 15, 18; Eze 46:1, 16; Eze 47:13, 23; Eze 48:29; Am 1:8; Am 3:7, 8, 11, 13; Am 4:2, 5; Am 5:3; Am 6:8; Am 7:1, 2, 4, 4, 5, 6; Am 8:1, 3, 9, 11; Am 9:8; Ob 1; Mic 1:2; Zep 1:7; Zec 9:14.

The expression Yehwihʹ ʼAdho·naiʹ, “Jehovah the Sovereign Lord,” is found five times in BHK and BHS, namely, in Ps 68:20; 109:21; 140:7; 141:8; Hab 3:19.

The expression ʼAdho·naiʹ Yehwihʹ tseva·ohthʹ, “Sovereign Lord, Jehovah of armies,” is found 16 times in BHK and BHS, namely, in Ps 69:6; Isa 3:15; Isa 10:23, 24; Isa 22:5, 12, 14, 15; Isa 28:22; Jer 2:19; Jer 46:10, 10; Jer 49:5; Jer 50:25, 31; Am 9:5.