Why Does Isaiah Refer to God as 'Master' in Isaiah 6?

Direct Answer

Yes—Isaiah calls God 'Master' in Isaiah 6 because the King James Bible's small-lettered 'Lord' renders the Hebrew Adon, meaning 'Master,' and the passage presents Isaiah as God's servant.

In Isaiah 6:1, the KJV reads 'the Lord' with a capital L and lower-case remaining letters, which corresponds to the Hebrew Adon, meaning 'Master.' Les Feldick teaches that this small-lettered 'Lord' consistently indicates a master-servant relationship. When Isaiah answers 'Here am I; send me' in verse 8, he is responding the way a servant would to his Master.

Key Scriptures

Isaiah 6:1 — The exact verse where the KJV uses 'Lord' (Adon/Master) rather than 'LORD' in Isaiah's vision.

Isaiah 6:8 — Shows the Master asking for a messenger and Isaiah answering as a servant: 'Here am I; send me.'

What Does the Bible Say?

In the opening verse of Isaiah 6, the King James Version reads: "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." Here the word "Lord" with a capital L and lower-case letters is not the covenant title "LORD" (Jehovah) but the Hebrew Adon, which means "Master." The passage confirms the master-servant setting. The Lord asks, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" and Isaiah answers, "Here am I; send me." In verse 5 Isaiah confesses, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips... for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

What Does Les Feldick Teach About God as Master?

Les Feldick shows from Exodus 4:10 that when Moses speaks to God, the text says he spoke to "the LORD" (Jehovah), but Moses himself addresses God as "my Lord" (Adon, Master)—and immediately calls himself God's "servant." Les explains that this is the whole concept behind the small-lettered "Lord": it places God as Master and the speaker as His servant. Applying this to Isaiah 6, the figure on the throne is the Master, and Isaiah is the servant. When the Master asks, "Whom shall I send?" Isaiah's reply—"Here am I; send me"—is the response of a servant ready to obey. The title "Master" fits because God is over His servant and Isaiah is being called into service.

Why Does the King James Bible Use 'Lord' Instead of 'LORD' in Isaiah 6?

In the King James Version, "LORD" in all capitals represents Jehovah (YHWH), while "Lord" with only the L capitalized represents the Hebrew Adon, meaning "Master." Les Feldick explains from Exodus 4:10 that when Moses addresses God as "my Lord," he immediately calls himself "thy servant." This same pattern applies in Isaiah 6: the Lord on the throne is the Master, and Isaiah answers as a servant.

What Is the Master-Servant Relationship in Isaiah 6?

Isaiah 6 takes place in a throne room. After Isaiah sees the Lord high and lifted up, he hears the Master's call: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Isaiah's reply—"Here am I; send me"—is the language of a servant responding to his Master. Les Feldick teaches that whenever the small-lettered "Lord" (Adon) is used, the emphasis is on God's position as Master and the believer's position as servant.

From the Teaching

Adon Means Master

Les explains that the KJV's small-lettered 'Lord' translates the Hebrew Adon, meaning 'Master,' and that the relationship is always master-servant—as in Exodus 4:10, where Moses calls himself God's servant immediately after saying 'my Lord.'

Why the Apostles Stayed in Jerusalem: Israel vs. The Church

In Isaiah 42, beginning with verse 1, Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment. Or in this case, it's rule. He shall bring forth a rule to what people? The Gentiles. See? Plain as day. Now, if you'll come on over to chapter 49 in Isaiah, chapter 49, verse 6. And I'm not exhausting these verses by any means.

Why Israel Failed to Evangelize the World — Isaiah to Acts

And He says, "...Behold My servant, who I uphold, Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth, I have put My Spirit upon him." Now these are pronouns, so who are we talking about? We're talking about Christ, the Messiah. "...I shall put My Spirit upon him, and he shall bring forth judgment.

Why Jesus Told Peter "Feed My Sheep" — John 21 Explained

Isaiah chapter 42, Isaiah 42, and let's just start, verse 1. "...Behold My servant, whom I uphold, Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth, I have put My Spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment or rule through the Gentiles." Who's the pronoun He? It's Christ, the Messiah, see, the Messiah of Israel. All right, let's go on over to chapter 49, chapter 49, and drop down to verse 6, 7.

Is Jesus God? The Prophecies of the Coming King Explained

Well, Isaiah the prophet is addressing the nation, and as such he says in verse 6, "...for unto us," the nation of Israel, "...a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the..." What's the next word? "...government," see, "...and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called." Now, watch these because they're all capitalized.

Is Jesus God? The Prophecies of the Coming King Explained

"...God." Now, here again, how many theologians aren't trying to tell us that Jesus never claimed to be God, that He was not deity, that He was not the preexistent Creator God? But He is, and He was, and He always will be. So, "...he shall be called the Mighty God.

Why Peter Said "Whom You Crucified" — Acts 3 & 4 Explained

See? Thus saith the Lord, verse 7, The Redeemer of Israel, and His Holy One, the Messiah. To him whom man despitheth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord who is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and He shall choose thee. All right, staying in Isaiah, go to chapter 59. Chapter 59.

Will God Restore the Kingdom to Israel? Acts 1:6 Explained

But the forever end of it, of course, refers to when the Messiah, the Eternal Son of God, would come to be the king over this kingdom. Now let's come on up through your Old Testament quickly if you will to the book of Isaiah. And of course Isaiah speaks so much of the coming glory of Israel.

Bible Verses

Isaiah 6:1: In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

This is the verse where the KJV uses 'Lord' (Adon, meaning Master) rather than 'LORD.'

Isaiah 6:5: Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah confesses his unworthiness in the presence of the King, the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah 6:8: Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

The Master asks for a messenger, and Isaiah responds as a servant: 'Here am I; send me.'

Exodus 4:10: And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

Les uses this verse to show that when Moses addresses God as 'my Lord' (Adon), he immediately calls himself God's 'servant.'

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'Lord' with a lowercase 'ord' in Isaiah 6 the same as 'LORD' in all caps?

No. In the King James Version, 'LORD' in all capitals represents Jehovah (YHWH), while 'Lord' with only the L capitalized represents the Hebrew Adon, meaning 'Master.' Les Feldick teaches that this small-lettered 'Lord' signals the master-servant relationship.

What does the title 'Master' tell us about God's relationship to believers?

The title 'Master' places God over His people as servants. Les Feldick shows from Exodus 4:10 that when people use the small-lettered 'Lord,' they immediately identify themselves as God's servants.

Does Les Feldick teach that 'Lord' and 'LORD' are different?

Yes. Les points out that the all-caps 'LORD' is Jehovah, while the small-lettered 'Lord' is Adon, meaning Master. He says whenever you see that small-lettered form, the emphasis is on the master-servant relationship.

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Source Video

Watch the Teaching: The Meaning of Adonai: Understanding God as Master