People called Lord?
So I was trying to build a list of all the people in the Bible called Lord (English term, not YHWH for example), except God (in any form)? For example, a conversation where one says to another, "Yes, my Lord", "Lord we have come bearing gifts..", etc.
I tried a few Smart searches but the results were not so great. Interestingly enough, when I struck out there, I asked ChatGPT 'Who are all the people in the Bible called Lord that are not God?", and I got a pretty good list. I am wondering if this is complete:
Rulers, Kings, and Nobles
These are often called “my lord” as a title of respect or submission:
• Pharaoh – Genesis 40:1; 44:18 (Joseph’s brothers call Pharaoh “my lord”)
• King Saul – 1 Samuel 24:8 (David says “my lord the king”)
• King David – 2 Samuel 1:10; Psalm 110:1 (“The Lord said to my lord” — here, David is likely being referred to)
• King Solomon – 1 Kings 1:17 (“my lord the king” used by Bathsheba)
• Ahab – 1 Kings 20:4 (his servants say “my lord, O king”)
• Nebuchadnezzar – Daniel 4:19 (“my lord” used by Daniel)
• Artaxerxes – Ezra 7:12 (“Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest… greetings” — though not called “lord” directly, treated with equivalent reverence)
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Respected Men or Masters
Servants or others often used “lord” for their earthly masters:
• Abraham – Called “lord” by Sarah in Genesis 18:12 and by his servant in Genesis 24:12.
• Joseph – Genesis 42:10 (“Nay, my lord” — his brothers speaking)
• Laban – Genesis 31:35 (Rachel refers to him as “my lord”)
• Boaz – Ruth 2:13 (Ruth refers to him as “my lord”)
• Naaman – 2 Kings 5:1–18 (his servants call him “my lord”)
• Elijah/Elisha – 2 Kings 2:16 (“Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men…” — called “my lord” out of respect)
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In Parables or Jesus’ Teachings
“Lord” is used for figures in stories symbolizing God or human authority:
• The master of the vineyard – Matthew 20:8 (called “lord” in some translations)
• The nobleman in Luke 19:11–27 (parable of the minas) is called “lord” by his servants
• The bridegroom in Matthew 25:11 (parable of the ten virgins)
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New Testament Usage
In Greek, kyrios means “lord” or “master,” and is used in these ways:
• Roman authorities – Acts 25:26 (“lord” used in reference to the emperor)
• Master/slave relationships – Ephesians 6:5 (slaves, obey your earthly lords—translated “masters”)
• Sarah to Abraham – 1 Peter 3:6 (reference back to Genesis)
Any ideas? Thanks!
Comments
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For this sort of search, start with the Bible Study Guide (BWS) in Logos and the English word, "Lord". Look at the translation wheel: it will show you the Hebrew and Greek words that normally translate "Lord." Then click on any of those to launch their own BWS. From the textual searches section of the BWS you should be able to find all occurrences and study them. If the occurrences are in a Hebrew or Greek text, just change the search Bible to an English one (provided it is tagged for lemmas).
You can also see how these terms have been translated from in a specific Bible translation, though that varies from translation to translation. Just yesterday, I encountered a passage in which kyrios (the main Greek term for "Lord") clearly means something like "sir" but was translated "Lord." In Hebrew, adon would be the main term.
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If you are concerned only with English in your translation(s), this is a simple precise search. Well, almost — "Angel of the Lord" is not tagged as I would expect so it provides false positives.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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