Translating Κύριος after 600 Years of “the Lord’s” Faithful Service

Abstract

Much of Western Christianity continues to follow late medieval translation practices in translating yahweh and kurios. Since then, mainstream usage of “Lord” has slumped and evolved, with the little remaining usage often carrying a distinctly sinister connotation. The deep attachment to “Lord” within Christianity constitutes a second problem: although it creates methodological inconsistency, its historical super-sanctified status is likely the reason the terminology seems so impervious to change. Septuagint data highlight a further problem for sustaining “the LORD/Lord,” since doing so creates a grammatical mismatch with kurios (with regard to the definite article). These three problems call for reassessment of the ongoing suitability of “Lord” in English Bible translation and for a more context-driven methodology. This is defined and applied in a range of New Testament contexts for the purposes of demonstrating feasibility (rather than finality).