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Adon sun imagery (2) - Adonai

Posted By: Naomi
Date: Saturday, 22 February 2003, at 6:33 a.m.

In Response To: Adon sun imagery (Naomi)

My second investigation was on the word Adonai (Strong's 0136) and I realised that Charles' examples mostly come from this group, and he is correct in saying there are not many examples in the first six books (Genesis to Joshua). I picked up a few more examples:

Genesis 15:2,8 Abram addresses YHWH as Adonai YHWH
Genesis 18: 27, 30-32 Abram addresses YHWH as Adonai
Genesis 20:4 Abimilech addresses YHWH as Adonai

A few more: Gideon, Manoah and Samson also address YHWH as Adonai (Judges 6:15, 22; 13:8; 16:28), David uses 'Adonai YHWH' (2 Samuel 7:18-20, 28, 29) and Solomon refers to the ark of Adonai YHWH (1 Kings 2:26).

In an earlier post I mentioned that Psalm 16 seems very much to fit in with Atenism, and I noticed in this word study that verse 2 reads "I have said to YHWH, you are Adonai (my Adon), I have no good beside you."

Sun imagery in connection with Adonai is found in the Psalms predictably. "Awake! Why do you sleep O Adonai? Arise!... Why do you hide your face?... Arise, be our help" Psalm 44:23-26. "Then Adonai awoke as one asleep, as a mighty man who shouts because of wine. And he smote his enemies backward" Psalm 78:65-66. "Adonai, when you awake you despise their (evildoers') image, as one does a dream after waking" Psalm 73:20. At sunrise the rays of light are revealers of whatever hides in darkness. The imagery suggests the rising sun as a symbol of strength and victory.

Elsewhere YHWH is depicted as "He who is guarding Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. YHWH is your guard; YHWH is your shade at your right hand. The sun does not strike you by day, nor the moon by night" Psalm 121:4-6. Here is a seeming contrast between Adonai and YHWH, yet others such as Isaiah and Jeremiah write "Adonai YHWH of hosts" and Ezekiel usually writes "Adonai YHWH". Here and throughout most of the examples, Adonai seems to be used as a title rather than a name. Of the 434 occurences, most refer to YHWH, and Ezekiel has the majority by far (around 250 mentions of Adonai YHWH!)

The following paragraph comes from Graham Phillips' recent book "The Moses Legacy: the evidence of history."

"In the Karnak Talatat inscriptions we find the Aten addressed in almost identical fashion [to the way YHWH is addressed by the Hebrews]. One reference is highly reminiscent of the ‘I am who I am’ in the burning bush episode: ‘Thou art what thou art, radiant and high over every land.’ Others refer to the Aten, just as the Bible repeatedly refers to God, as God almighty and God most high. For example: ‘O great Aten, god almighty, who furnishest man’s sustenance’ and ‘O great Aten, god most high, who drivest away the dark.’ The Aten is even referred to as lord of armies, just as the God of Israel is called the Lord of Hosts: ‘Thou who art Lord of all the armies of the world.’ Most frequently, however, the Aten is addressed in a similar fashion to the way God is addressed as Adonai, using the word neb, the Egyptian word for lord."

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