Why Do You Call Me ‘Lord’?: On the Origins of Jesus’ Dominical Title

How to cite this article: JP Staff Writer, “Why Do You Call Me ‘Lord’?: On the Origins of Jesus’ Dominical Title,” Jerusalem Perspective (2024) [https://www.jerusalemperspective.com/28281/]

According to Peter’s Pentecostal speech in Acts, God made Jesus both Lord and Messiah when he raised Jesus up from the dead (Acts 2:36). But if the Gospels are to be believed,^[19] people were addressing Jesus as “Lord!” long before that. To be sure, some scholars have maintained that the Gospel accounts in which people address Jesus as “Lord” are anachronistic, projecting a post-Easter perspective back into earlier stages of Jesus’ career. Such scholars typically regard “Lord” either as a messianic title or as a confession of Jesus’ divinity, neither of which would be appropriate for the Galilean miracle-worker. But although Peter’s speech links the titles “Lord” and “Messiah,” the title “Lord” is not inherently messianic nor intrinsically a claim of divinity. To demonstrate that this is so, we must examine the terminology that lies behind the title “Lord” in the Synoptic Gospels.

The Terminology

When discussing Jesus’ dominical title, “Lord,” in the Synoptic Gospels we are primarily concerned with the Greek noun κύριος (kūrios, “lord”) and especially its vocative form κύριε (kūrie, “Lord!”), the form used for direct address. In Luke’s Gospel there also appears the noun ἐπιστάτης (epistatēs, “commander,” “master”), a synonym for κύριος, which always occurs in the vocative form ἐπιστάτα (epistata, “Commander!” “Master!”).

Conclusion

Addressing Jesus as “Lord!” likely had humble beginnings, originating among those who came to Jesus seeking his aid as a healer. Greek and Hebrew sources reveal that it was customary to address healers as κύριε (kūrie, “Lord!”) / אֲדוֹנִי (’^adōni, “My lord!”). But what began as a polite form of address took on greater meaning as the significance of Jesus to his followers increased. As they came to regard Jesus not merely as a healer but as “both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36), addressing Jesus as “Lord!” became a declaration of faith and commitment. Eventually the confession “Jesus is Lord” was perceived as a direct challenge to the supremacy of Caesar, as Jesus’ followers swore their ultimate allegiance not to the State but to the Kingdom of Heaven. It may seem paradoxical in view of its mundane origins that addressing Jesus as “Lord!” could take on such cosmic proportions, but it is hardly ironic in view of Jesus’ own teachings. Greatness in God’s Kingdom requires becoming the servant of all.

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• ^[1] On Hebrew as a living, spoken language of Jesus, see Shmuel Safrai, “Spoken Languages in the Time of Jesus,” Jerusalem Perspective 30 (1991): 3-8, 13 [https://www.jerusalemperspective.com/2551/]; idem, “Literary Languages in the Time of Jesus,” Jerusalem Perspective 31 (1991): 3-8 [https://www.jerusalemperspective.com/2563/]. ↩
• ^[2] See David N. Bivin, “Jesus and the Oral Torah: The Unutterable Name of God,” Jerusalem Perspective 5 (1988): 1-2 [https://www.jerusalemperspective.com/2087/]. ↩
• ^[3] See Abrahami Trommii, Concordantiæ Græcæ Versionis Vulgo Dictæ Septuaginta Interpretum (2 vols.; Amsterdam, 1718), 1:944. ↩
• ^[4] See Marcus Jastrow, A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (2d ed.; New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1903; repr., Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 2005), 182. ↩
• ^[5] See Otto Eissfeldt, “אָדוֹן,” in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (15 vols.; ed. G. Johannes Botterweck et al.; trans. John T. Willis et al.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974-2006), 1:59-72, esp. 61. ↩
• ^[6] Thus Sarah refers to Abraham as אֲדוֹנִי in Gen. 18:12; the inhabitants of Hebron address Abraham as אֲדוֹנִי in Gen. 23:6, 11, 15; and Abraham’s servant refers to Abraham as אֲדוֹנִי in Gen. 24:12, 27, 36, 37, 39, 42, 44, 48, 49. Rachel addresses Laban as אֲדוֹנִי in Gen. 31:35. Jacob refers to Esau as אֲדוֹנִי in Gen. 32:5, 19; 33:8, 13, 14, 15. Joseph’s brothers address him as אֲדוֹנִי in Gen. 42:10; 43:20; 44:18, 24; and Egyptians address Joseph as אֲדוֹנִי in Gen. 44:5; 47:25. And Aaron addresses Moses as אֲדוֹנִי in Exod. 32:22; Num. 12:11. ↩
• ^[7] W. F. Moulton and A. S. Geden, A Concordance to the Greek Testament According to the Texts of Westcott and Hort, Tischendorf, and the English Revisers (4th ed.; Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1963 [repr. 1974]), 371. ↩
• ^[8] The matriarch Rachel addressed her father Laban as אֲדֹנִי (“My lord!”; LXX: κύριε [kūrie, “Lord!”]) in Gen. 31:35. Similarly, in Joseph and Aseneth Aseneth addresses her father as κύριε (“Lord!”; Jos. Aseneth 4:5), and in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs Levi addresses his father Jacob as κύριε (“Lord!”; T. Levi 7:1). In the Two Sons parable one of the sons addresses his father as κύριε (“Lord!”; Matt. 21:30). ↩
• ^[9] We find the expression אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ (’^adoni hamelech, “My lord, the king!”) over 60xx in the Hebrew Scriptures, which in LXX is usually translated as κύριε βασιλεῦ (kūrie basilev, “Lord king!”) or ὁ κυριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς (ho kūrios mou ho basilevs, “My lord, the king!”). This form of address persisted in Mishnaic Hebrew, as we see in Gen. Rab. 61:7 (ed. Theodor-Albeck, 2:666-668); cf. t. Sanh. 4:4.
  
  In Matt. 27:63 the chief priests and Pharisees address Pilate as κύριε (“Lord!”). And in Legat. §365 Philo addresses the Roman emperor as κύριε (“Lord!”). ↩
• ^[10] See Brad Young and David Flusser, “Messianic Blessings in Jewish and Christian Texts,” in David Flusser, Judaism and the Origins of Christianity (Jerusalem: Magnes, 1988), 280-300, esp. 290, where they attribute this observation to Robert L. Lindsey. But Dalman had already noted this pattern (see Gustaf H. Dalman, The Words of Jesus Considered in the Light of Post-Biblical Jewish Writings and the Aramaic Language: I. Introduction and Fundamental Ideas [trans. D. M. Kay ⟨Die Worte Jesu, 1898⟩; Edinburgh: T&T Clark, ⟨1902⟩, 327]). See also, David Flusser, Jesus (3d ed.; Jerusalem: Magnes, 2001), 32; idem, “Hillel and Jesus: Two Ways of Self-Awareness,” in Hillel and Jesus: Comparative Studies of Two Major Religious Leaders (ed. James H. Charlesworth and Loren L. Johns; Minneapolis: Fortress, 1997), 71-107, esp. 102. ↩
• ^[11] Cf. Günther Bornkamm, “End-expectation and Church in Matthew,” in Tradition and Interpretation in Matthew (ed. Günther Bornkamm, Gerhard Barth, and Heinz Joachim Held; trans. Percy Scott; London: SMC Press, 1963), 15-51, esp. 41; Ulrich Luz, Matthew: Hermeneia—A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible (3 vols.; trans. James E. Crouch [Das Evangelium nach Matthäus, 1985-2002]; Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2001, 2005, 2007), 2:6. ↩
• ^[12] The table below shows the instances of Lukan-Matthean agreement against Mark to portray individuals addressing Jesus as “Lord!”:

  Matt. 8:2 [κύριε] ∥ Luke 5:12 [κύριε]; cf. Mark 1:40 [--] Matt. 8:25 [κύριε] ∥ Luke 8:24 [ἐπιστάτα ἐπιστάτα]; cf. Mark 4:38 [διδάσκαλε] Matt. 17:4 [κύριε] ∥ Luke 9:33 [ἐπιστάτα]; cf. Mark 9:5 [ῥαββί] Matt. 20:31 [κύριε] ∥ Luke 18:41 [κύριε]; cf. Mark 10:51 [ῥαββουνι]

  Bornkamm (“End-expectation and Church in Matthew,” 41), overlooking the agreements with Luke in Matt. 8:25 and Matt. 17:4, attributed these and other instances of “Lord!” in Matthew's Gospel to Matthean redaction. ↩

• ^[13] The table below shows the instances of Lukan-Matthean agreement to portray individuals addressing Jesus as “Lord!” in DT pericopae:

  Matt. 7:21 [κύριε κύριε] ∥ Luke 6:46 [κύριε κύριε] Matt. 8:8 [κύριε] ∥ Luke 7:6 [κύριε]

  ↩

• ^[14] The Aramaic/Hebrew words and phrases in Mark 5:41 (ταλιθα κουμ [talitha koum]); 7:11 (κορβᾶν [korban]), 34 (εφφαθα [effatha]); 10:51 (ραββουνι [rabbouni]); 14:36 (αββα [abba]) are unique to Mark’s Gospel within the synoptic tradition. On these non-Greek terms and phrases, see the LOY Excursus: Greek Transliterations of Hebrew, Aramaic and Hebrew/Aramaic Words in the Synoptic Gospels. ↩
• ^[15] Cf. Rudolf Bultmann, The History of the Synoptic Tradition (trans. John Marsh [Die Geschichte der synoptischen Tradition, 1921]; New York: Harper & Row, 1963), 116 n. 2; Robert H. Gundry, Matthew: A Commentary on His Literary and Theological Art (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982), 131; John S. Kloppenborg, The Formation of Q: Trajectories in Ancient Wisdom Collections (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1987; repr. Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 1999), 186; Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: Hermeneia—A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1995), 545, 636 n. 3. ↩
• ^[16] Cf. John 1:38, which defines ῥαββί (“Rabbi!”) as meaning the same as διδάσκαλε (“Teacher!”). ↩
• ^[17] In Luke’s chronology Peter encountered Jesus as the healer of his mother-in-law (Luke 4:38-39) before becoming a disciple (Luke 5:1-11). Similarly, Luke 8:1-3 reports that some women whom Jesus had healed subsequently became his followers. ↩
• ^[18] On the dispirited tone of Luke 6:46, see Thomas Walter Manson, The Sayings of Jesus as Recorded in the Gospels According to St. Matthew and St. Luke (London: SCM Press, 1957; repr., Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979 [orig. pub. 1937]), 60. ↩
• ^[19] For doubts regarding the testimony of the Gospels in this regard, see Werner Foerster, “κύριος,” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (ed. Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich; trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley; 10 vols.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964-1976), 3:1039-1095, esp. 1094. ↩