“Kyrios” is a Greek word for “lord.”
κύριος (kyrios)
Lord, master, owner
Why is this word important? It is the translation of the Hebrew word JHVH into Greek. For this reason, some people make the argument that Jesus, who is called ‘kyrios,’ is JHVH Himself. This note is not dealing with the question of whether Christ is JHVH or not; rather, it is intended to point out the issues regarding the Greek translation of the word ‘lord.’
It is true that the Hebrew word JHVH is translated as ‘kyrios’ in Greek. However, the Hebrew word Adonai is also translated as ‘kyrios’ in Greek. Consider this example:
1 The LORD [JHVH] said unto my Lord [Adonai], Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
1 נְאֻם יְהוָה, לַאדֹנִי—שֵׁב לִימִינִי; עַד-אָשִׁית אֹיְבֶיךָ, הֲדֹם לְרַגְלֶיךָ.
Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1:
44 The LORD [Kyrios] said unto my Lord [Kyrios], Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
44 Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου· κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἄν θῶ τούς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου.
This demonstrates that the word ‘kyrios’ is not unequivocal. It doesn’t necessarily mean JHVH. Sometimes it means ‘Adonai.’ The understanding of who JHVH is needs to be based strictly upon the Old Testament, where it is used, while the New Testament can interpret it.
Therefore, the easiest way to determine who is JHVH is to examine Old Testament verses where the Father and the Son are mentioned together. See Bible Verses About the Father and the Son Together, as well as The Old Testament Quoted in the New. The consistency shows that the Father is JHVH. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. In some cases, Jesus is called JHVH; see Jesus as JHVH. As well see God of Jews.
