Adonai adoni Misreporting List

All Known Documented Cases of Misreporting adoni as Adonai in Psalm 110:1

NOTE: The “Church Fathers” do not identify the second lord in Ps 110:1 as Adonai, mainly because they used the Septuagint Greek and, later, the Latin Vulgate translation.

1. c. 1180–1200 — Thomas Cisterciensis, Commentarium in Cantica Canticorum: “invocat Christum Adonai.”
2. c. 1498 — Jan Lubrański manuscript tradition
3. YHWH represented as speaking to Christ as “Adonai.” Secondary manuscript attestation.
4. 1555 — John Calvin, Gospel Harmony on Matt. 22:44: “not the essential name of God, but only Adonai.”
5. 1655 — John Owen, Vindiciæ Evangelicæ; or, The Mystery of the Gospel Vindicated and Socinianism Examined: “Adonai, Ps. cx. 1” among divine names applied to Christ.
6. 1683 — Thomas Goodwin, A Discourse of the Knowledge of God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ: “Jehovah unto Adonai.”
7. c. 1776 / 1784–1786 — Ambrose Serle, Horae Solitariae: “We find him addressed under this appellation by Jehovah the Father, in Psalm cx. 1: Jehovah said unto my Adonai.”
8. 1817 — Adam Clarke, The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments, with a Commentary and Critical Notes: “The Lord … said unto my Lord, Adni or Adonai…” Psalm commentary: “Jehovah said unto my Adoni.”
9. 1817 — Edward Bickersteth, A Scripture Help, Designed to Assist in Reading the Bible Profitably: “The word Lord in the common characters, is, in the original, Adonai… The distinction… may be observed, Psa. 110:1.”
10. 1828 — Robert Hawker, The Poor Man’s Concordance and Dictionary to the Sacred Scriptures: “JEHOVAH said unto my Adonai.”
11. 1834–1835 — Joseph Sutcliffe, A Commentary on the Old and New Testament: “Jehovah said to my Adonai.”
12. 1860 — A. A. Hodge (Archibald Alexander Hodge): “He is here called David’s Lord (Adonai), and invited to sit at the right hand of Jehovah…”
13. 1865–1885 (series) — Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: “‘The Lord said unto my Lord.’ Jehovah said unto my Adonai…”
14. “How condescending on Jehovah’s part to permit a mortal ear to hear, and a human pen to record his secret converse with his co-equal Son!”
15. “Though David was a firm believer in the Unity of the Godhead, he yet spiritually discerns the two persons, distinguishes them, and perceives that in the second he has a peculiar interest, for he calls him ‘my Lord.’”
16. 1866 — Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments: “The other word translated ‘Lord’ — אדני ’Adonāy — means one who has rule or authority…”
17. “The phrase ‘my Lord’ refers to someone who was superior in rank to the author of the psalm.”
18. 1874 — F. W. Farrar, Life of Christ: “The Lord (Jehovah) said unto my Lord (Adonai), Sit thou on my right hand.”
19. 1875 — William Burt Pope, The Person of Christ: Dogmatic, Scriptural, Historical: “The former ‘Lord’ is Jehovah, and the latter Adonai.”
20. 1889 — H. D. M. Spence-Jones and J. S. Exell (editors), The Pulpit Commentary: St. Luke: “The Hebrew runs thus: ‘Jehovah said to my Lord (Adonai).’”
21. c. 1890 / 1902 printing — F. W. Farrar, Luke: “Jehovah said to my Lord (Adonai).”
22. 1896 — Edward Dennett, The Name Above Every Name: “The Lord [Jehovah] said unto my Lord [Adonai]…”
23. 1896 — Alfred Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Luke: “In the Hebrew we have two different words for Lord: ‘Jehovah says to Adonai.’”
24. 1909–1922 — E. W. Bullinger, The Companion Bible: “my Lord = Adonai, Ap. 4.8: i.e. David’s Lord: i.e. the Messiah. Cp. Matt. 22.41-46.”
25. 1917 — C. I. Scofield: “The LORD (Jehovah) said unto my Lord (Adonai).”
26. 1924 — G. Campbell Morgan, The Acts of the Apostles: “it would be a good thing to retain the Hebrew form — ‘Jehovah saith to Adonai.’”
27. 1933 — William Childs Robinson, “Jesus Christ Is Jehovah,” Evangelical Quarterly: “the Lord Adonai at the right hand of Jehovah.”
28. 1947 — G. Campbell Morgan, Notes on the Psalms: “Jehovah said to Adonai.”
29. 1949 — Walter Drum, Encyclopedia Americana: “In Psalm 110:1 ‘Yahweh said to Adonai, Sit thou at my right hand.’” “This passage is cited by the Christ to prove that he is Adonai seated at the right hand of Yahweh…”
30. 1956 — V. A. Spence Little, The Deity of Jesus Christ: “The Lord (Jehovah) saith unto my Lord (Adonai).” The author subsequently describes this “Lord Adonai” as a “Divine Personage.”
31. 1965 — Reginald H. Fuller, The Foundations of New Testament Christology: “in the Hebrew the first ‘Lord’ is the tetragrammaton, the second [the king] is Adonai.”
32. 1975 — Herbert Lockyer, All the Divine Names and Titles in the Bible: “Here, Jehovah speaks to Adonai words that are properly applied to Christ.”
33. 1979 — Michael Green, Evangelism Now and Then: Jesus given “the name Adonai, Lord.”
34. 1983 — Robert Sumner, Jesus Christ Is God: David called Christ “‘my Lord’ using one of the names of deity, Adonai.” “Lord translates the Hebrew Adonai/adonay, used only of God.”
35. 1983/1985 — The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament (editors John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck): “‘Lord’ translates the Hebrew adonay, used only of God.” “If the Messiah were simply an earthly son of David, why did David ascribe deity to Him?”
36. 1983/1989 — Larry Hurtado, New International Biblical Commentary / later Understanding the Bible Commentary: “The first Lord is the Hebrew name for God [Yahweh]; the second Lord renders Adonai, roughly equivalent to the English ‘Sir’ or ‘Lord,’ and the Greek Kyrios.”
37. 1988, 2000 — Paula Fredriksen, From Jesus to Christ: The Origins of the New Testament Images of Jesus: “The Lord [kyrios; Heb. YHWH] said to my Lord [kyrios; Heb. Adonai]…” 2nd ed.: David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, declared, “The Lord [kyrios; Heb. YHWH] said to my Lord [kyrios; Heb. adonai], Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies at your feet.” David himself calls him Lord; so how is he his son?” (Mk 12:35–37).
38. 1990 — James D. G. Dunn, Unity and Diversity in the New Testament: “The Hebrew of Ps. 110.1 uses two different words — Yahweh and Adonai.”
39. 1992 — Craig Blomberg, Matthew, New American Commentary, vol. 22: “the second ‘Lord’ (Heb. adonai, not Yahweh) can only be the Messiah.”
40. 1993 — Ron Rhodes, Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah’s Witnesses: “David’s reference to ‘my Lord’… points to… Deity… since ‘Lord’ (Hebrew Adonai) was a title for deity.”
41. 1995 — Ryrie Study Bible: “David hears a conversation between the LORD (Yahweh, God the Father) and David’s Lord (Adonai, the Messiah)…”
42. 1998/1999 — Norman Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics: “Although the doctrine of the Trinity is not as explicit in the Old Testament as the New Testament, nonetheless, there are passages where members of the Godhead are distinguished. At times they even speak to one another (see Ps. 110:1).” “The Lord (Yahweh) speaks to my Lord (Adonai).”
43. 2003 — Thomas Constable, Dr. Constable’s Expository Notes on Psalms: “LORD (Yahweh) refers to God the Father and Lord (adonay) refers to God the Son, the Messiah or Anointed of God.”
44. 2004 — William Varner, The Messiah: Revealed, Rejected, Received: “A literal translation… ‘Yahweh said to my Adonai.’”
45. 2007 — R. C. Sproul: “Yahweh calling somebody else ‘Adonai.’”
46. 2013 — Charles Quarles, A Theology of Matthew: Says “Lord” may translate Hebrew Adonai.
47. 2013 — Bob Utley: “The second term… reflects the Hebrew Adonai.”
48. 2013 — TLV Psalms with Commentary: Hope and Healing in the Hebrew Scriptures: “‘my Lord’ is literally ADONAI.”
49. 2015 — Amplified Bible, note on the second “Lord” in Acts 2:34: “In Ps 110:1 Heb Adonai.”
50. 2019 — David Guzik, Psalms 81–118: “The fact that Yahweh — the LORD… spoke to one that David himself called Lord (Adonai) demonstrates that both Yahweh and Adonai mentioned in this verse are God.”
51. 2020 — Justin Dillehay / The Gospel Coalition: “my Lord [Hebrew, Adonai].” Contemporary — Matthew Emadi / The Gospel Coalition: “my Lord [Adonai]”; “David’s Lord (Adonai).”
52. 2023 — John Piper: Calls the generic second “Lord” adonai.
53. 2024 — Scott Brazil, Jesus and YHWH-Texts in the Synoptic Gospels: “in Psalm 110, the first ‘Lord’ translates YHWH and second translates Adonai…”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​