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κύριος

kýrios

G2962 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

One who possesses authority, power, or ownership; master, lord, or ruler. In personal relationships, refers to one who has control or is owed respect, such as the head of a household, employer, or superior. In legal, political, or social contexts, denotes a person in a position of recognized authority or sovereignty. In religious contexts, used as a term of address or reference for deities, and as a respectful or honorific title. In Septuagint and New Testament, often used as a Greek equivalent for divine names or titles, especially in translation of Hebrew 'YHWH' or 'Adonai'.

Semantic Range

master (of a household or slaves), owner, ruler, guardian, sovereign, legitimate authority, respected person, sir (polite address), God, representative of the divine, legal agent

Root / Etymology

Rooted in κύριος (with stem κυρι-), which probably derives from an earlier word meaning 'power' or 'authority.' Related to the noun κύρος ('might, power, authority, valid force').

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, κύριος designates one who has legitimate authority over something or someone, such as a householder, owner, or lawful guardian, and sometimes a legal representative. In Hellenistic Greek, the meaning broadens to include rulers and divine beings. Within the Septuagint, κύριος is used to represent both 'Adonai' (Lord) and the Tetragrammaton ('YHWH'), leading to an association with the personal God of Israel. In Second Temple and New Testament contexts, κύριος can refer to human masters, respected persons ('sir'), or function as an honorific. When applied to Jesus in early Christian texts, κύριος indicates elevated status, often implying particular reverence or acknowledging authority, but not always necessarily identifying with deity as in later doctrinal developments. Its translation as 'Lord' in English is somewhat imprecise, as it may underrepresent the range from common polite address ('sir'), to owner or master, to sovereign, or to divine being. Contrasts with δεσπότης, which emphasizes absolute control or ownership, often of slaves; κύριος can be relational, legal, or social in sense. LXX usage strongly influenced subsequent Jewish and Christian liturgy and theology.

Translation Consistency

primary "lord" 50 occurrences

Most natural, widely recognized single-word rendering that covers the primary senses (sovereign, master, respected title) used throughout the Septuagint and NT. It functions well for both divine and human authority and is the common honorific form readers expect, enabling consistent, natural English across all forms of G2962.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title):-- God, Lord, master, Sir.

Root Family

κυρι- (Kyría) — authority, lordship, mastership, respect

Root κυρι- power, authority, ownership, mastery
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G2959 Κυρία to the lady
G2961 κυριεύω he/she/it exercises lordship
G2963 κυριότης lordship

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2962-08 Κυρίου kuriou N GEN M SG Lord of the master of the lord 243
G2962-07 κύριος kurios N NOM M SG Lord master lord 176
G2962-02 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord 120
G2962-03 Κυρίῳ kurio N DAT M SG Lord to the Master to the lord 100
G2962-06 Κύριον kurion N ACC M SG Lord master lord 70
G2962-04 κύριοι kurioi N NOM M PL masters masters lords 6
G2962-05 κυρίοις kuriois N DAT M PL masters to masters to lords 5
G2962-01 Ἰησοῦς iesous N NOM M SG Lord Yeshua 1

Occurrences in Scripture

721 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2962-08 Matthew 1:20 Κυρίου kuriou N GEN M SG of the Lord of the master of the lord
G2962-08 Matthew 1:22 Κυρίου kuriou N GEN M SG the Lord of the master of the lord
G2962-08 Matthew 1:24 Κυρίου kuriou N GEN M SG of the Lord of the master of the lord
G2962-08 Matthew 2:13 Κυρίου kuriou N GEN M SG of the Lord of the master of the lord
G2962-08 Matthew 2:15 Κυρίου kuriou N GEN M SG the Lord of the master of the lord
G2962-08 Matthew 2:19 Κυρίου kuriou N GEN M SG of the Lord of the master of the lord
G2962-08 Matthew 3:3 Κυρίου kuriou N GEN M SG Lord's of the master of the lord
G2962-06 Matthew 4:7 Κύριον kurion N ACC M SG Lord master lord
G2962-06 Matthew 4:10 Κύριον kurion N ACC M SG the Lord master lord
G2962-03 Matthew 5:33 Κυρίῳ kurio N DAT M SG Lord to the Master to the lord
G2962-05 Matthew 6:24 κυρίοις kuriois N DAT M PL masters to masters to lords
G2962-02 Matthew 7:21 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 7:21 Κύριε kurie-2 N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 7:22 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 7:22 Κύριε kurie-2 N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 8:2 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 8:6 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 8:8 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 8:21 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 8:25 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 9:28 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-08 Matthew 9:38 Κυρίου kuriou N GEN M SG Lord of the master of the lord
G2962-06 Matthew 10:24 κύριον kurion N ACC M SG lord master lord
G2962-07 Matthew 10:25 κύριος kurios N NOM M SG lord master lord
G2962-02 Matthew 11:25 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-07 Matthew 12:8 Κύριος kurios N NOM M SG Lord master lord
G2962-02 Matthew 13:27 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Sir O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 14:28 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 14:30 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 15:22 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 15:25 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 15:27 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-06 Matthew 15:27 κυρίων kurion N GEN M PL masters' master lord
G2962-02 Matthew 16:22 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 17:4 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 17:15 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 18:21 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-07 Matthew 18:25 κύριος kurios N NOM M SG lord master lord
G2962-02 Matthew 18:26 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-07 Matthew 18:27 κύριος kurios N NOM M SG lord master lord
G2962-03 Matthew 18:31 κυρίῳ kurio N DAT M SG lord to the Master to the lord
G2962-07 Matthew 18:32 κύριος kurios N NOM M SG lord master lord
G2962-07 Matthew 18:34 κύριος kurios N NOM M SG lord master lord
G2962-07 Matthew 20:8 κύριος kurios N NOM M SG lord master lord
G2962-02 Matthew 20:30 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 20:31 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-02 Matthew 20:33 Κύριε kurie N VOC M SG Lord O Master O Lord
G2962-07 Matthew 21:3 Κύριος kurios N NOM M SG Lord master lord
G2962-08 Matthew 21:9 Κυρίου kuriou N GEN M SG of the Lord of the master of the lord
G2962-02 Matthew 21:30 κύριε kurie N VOC M SG sir O Master O Lord
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