kyrios

Semantic range

1. 1owner, master of a household or slave
2. 2a respectful address: sir
3. 3the Septuagint's substitute for the divine name YHWH
4. 4the Roman emperor's title in imperial usage

Because the Septuagint renders YHWH as kyrios, every New Testament application of the title to Jesus carries a charge that is easy to miss. When Paul quotes Joel 2:32 — "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13) — the Hebrew original has the divine name, and Paul is applying it to Christ.

The confession "Jesus is Lord" (1 Corinthians 12:3; Philippians 2:11) was also politically loaded in an empire where Caesar was kyrios. To say it was to decline to say it of anyone else.

See also

• יהוהYHWH (Yahweh)
• אֲדֹנָיʾădōnāy
• ΧριστόςChristos