Word Survey: Lord

The Name YHWH has been substituted in our translations of the Scriptures with the title “Lord” some 6823 times. The short form, Yah, has also been substituted 48 times with “Lord,” and only in one place was it retained as: Yah, in Psalm 68:4, in the older and more literal translations. Further, wherever we read “GOD” in capital letters, that too is a substituted for “YHWH.” This title, “Lord,” is applied to all heathen deities, if the word “god” is not used for them. In most cases “lord” and “god” are used interchangeably for pagan idols. For instance, Hare Krishna is popularly known as “Lord,” and nowadays we hear much about “Lord Maitreya.”

In 1 Cor 8:5 Paul says, “as there are many mighty one’s and many masters.”So, who then, do we worship? Surely there is only One that we should worship, with His Son sitting on His right side. “…What is His Name, and what is His Son’s Name, if you know?” (Prov 30:4). Why have Their Names been hidden from us?

Let us investigate this most common substitute for the Name YHWH, namely “Lord.” What is its etymology? Dictionaries tell us that it originated from the Old English “hlaford,” which in turn came from “half-weard” = loaf-keeper. This may be true, but you do have to stretch your imagination to see a connection between “lord” and half-weard.

Nevertheless, even if we do accept this explanation, I would like to propose that, in accordance with the spirit of syncretism, i.e. making your deity acceptable to others, we can readily see how the worshippers of three pagan deities with names similar to “lord,” were accommodated by means of compromise. These three pagan deities were “Larth”, “Loride” and “Lordo.” The Church, which evolved after Constantine fused the Messianic Belief with Sun-worship, was enthusiastic to win as many followers as they could, even if it meant compromise or assimilation.

Let us do some research on these three idols:

(1) LARTH: There was an Etruscan house deity whose name was Lar, which signified “Lord,” also know as Larth, who later on became very popular in Rome and became known as Lares (plural), because as idol statues they were usually in pairs. This deity was invoked together with Janus, Jupiter, Mars, Quirinus and Bellona. The Greek equivalent of this name was Heros, which was another name for Zeus. A feminine form was known as Lara, who was the beloved of Mercury, the Sun-deity. Another name for Zeus was Larissaeus, which also was another name for Apollo. Zeus was also known as Larasios or Lariseus, while Larasios was also a surname of Helios, Typical of the syncretism and polytheism of those days, we read of Emperor Alexander Severus (222-235 C.E.) who “had images of Abraham, Christ and Alexander the Great among his household Lares.” These Lares are to be found in the East as well, seen in niches in Hindu houses.

However, what is the analogy between Larth (Lar) and Lord? Firstly, all sources agree, that this Lar or Larth means: Lord. Secondly, it is well documented that “th” and “d” were virtually interchangeably used, varying from nation to nation. Thirdly, in Old English and Middle English it was common to find the “o” and “a” interchangeably used too.

In the Middle English Dictionary, editor S.M. Kuhn, we read that lord was earlier spelt lard; that lor became lord; that lor was spelt lar in Old English (meaning: the action or process of teaching or preaching); that Lore-fader was also spelt Larfaderr or Larefadir or larfadir (meaning: teacher); that lorspel was lar-spel in Old English (meaning: that which is taught in religion); and that lor-theu was previously also spelt lar-theow, lardewe, lardewen, lauerd, lordeau (meaning: teacher or spiritual or theological teacher). Thus we can easily see the ease of identifying Lard, Lord, Larth, Lor, Lar, Lortheu, Lartheow, Lardewe with one another. In fact, it is easier to trace the origin of “Lord” according to this well documented evidence, rather than the commonly held belief that it originated from half-weard.

(2) LORIDE: Thor was the well-known Teutonic war-deity. He was also known as a Sun-deity. His surname was Hlorridhi, as recorded in the Edda. This name or surname was also spelt Hloridi or Loride, the latter also taken to be Thor’s son, who had a wife with the name “Glora.” This Loride could easily have been contracted to the form “Lord,” or perhaps it could only have served to establish religious syncretism with Larth, and Lortheu, and Lard, and Lordeau, and Lord.

(3) LORDO: Lordo, or Lordon, was another deity or daimon, the daimon of “lordosis,” the curvature of the spine of body, which also had a sensual meaning.

If all this evidence is considered, one can resolve that, apart from the various names which contributed towards the assimilation or syncretism, the most likely origin of the word “Lord” is from Larth (Lard) and Lortheu (lardewe, lordeau, lauerd).

Thus, although the word “Lord” is not so clearly related to, or originated from, frank Sun-worship, we have enough evidence to trace its roots back to idolatrous worship in the form of Loride, being a surname for Thor (the Sun), and also Lortheu or Lardewe or lordeau (connected with theos or deos or deva), as well as Larth or Lar which was somehow linked with Mercury (the Sun-deity) and Zeus, the Sky-deity who later on became the Sun-deity.

As a confirmation of the conclusion to which we came, we afterwards discovered the following findings of the scholar of English names, Robert Ferguson, in his Surnames as a Science. In pp 157 and 189 he emphatically states that “Lord” could not have had its origin from hlaford, which was said to come from half-weard. Like us, he states that the origin of “Lord” is from lar, lore, and Loride.

What then, should we use instead of “Lord”? The word “Master” is an exact rendering of the Hebrew Adonai (actually the ‘ai’ at the end of the word means ‘my’ so Adonai means ‘my Master’) and the Greek Kurios. If we love the Name of YHWH, as is expected from us (Ps 69:36, ps 119:132, Isa 56:6), can we be content with this word “Lord” which many have dared to substitute His Name with? Can we say with David in Ps 5:11, “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You… let those also who love Your Name, be joyful in You.”

Elohim’s end-time prophecy of Isa 56:6-7 could mean a blessing, or an exclusion to us, “Also the sons of the foreigner, who joined themselves to YHWH, to serve Him, and to love the Name of YHWH, to be His servants – everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My Covenant – even them I will bring to My Set-Apart Mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer.”

Again, He prophecies about this time in Hosea 2:16-17,”’And it shall be, in the day’ says YHWH, ‘That you will… no longer call me: My Baal; for I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals, and they shall be remembered by their name no more.’”

The prophecy of Zeph 3:9 must be fulfilled, “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the Name of YHWH, to serve Him with one accord.”

(Article from a book called: "Come Out of Her My People" by Chris Koster)