ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA GRIEGA
Kyrios (κύριος) — Lord, Master in the Bible
Kyrios denotes supreme authority and is used as a title of respect for masters, the Roman emperor, and most importantly for God and the risen Christ.
Significado de la palabra
Kyrios (κύριος, -α, -ον) is a Greek adjective and noun meaning 'having power or authority,' from the root κῦρος (kyros, 'authority, supremacy'). As a noun, it designates a lord, master, or controller — someone who holds legitimate authority over persons or things.
In ordinary usage κύριος appears in the Septuagint for Hebrew words like יהוה (YHWH), אָדוֹן ('adon, 'lord'), and בַּעַל (ba'al, 'master/owner'). It functions as a respectful address to teachers, slaveholders, magistrates, and the Roman emperor (Acts 25:26), and can refer to a husband in relation to his wife (1 Peter 3:6).
As a divine title, κύριος is applied to God the Father — e.g., 'Lord of the Sabbath' (Matthew 12:8), 'Lord of heaven and earth' (Matthew 11:25), and 'Lord of lords' (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16). It is also the preeminent New Testament title for Jesus Christ, especially after the resurrection, where it marks his divine identity and sovereign status (Romans 14:8; Ephesians 4:5; Philippians 2:11).
Uso en las Escrituras
Kyrios is the most frequent Greek term for the divine name in the New Testament, occurring some 612 times across 548 distinct verses. In the Gospels it frequently appears as a respectful human address ('Sir,' Matthew 13:27; John 4:11) and is regularly applied to Jesus by those approaching him, yet Jesus' self-identification with the divine κύριος is fulfilled chiefly after the resurrection.
The early apostolic preaching (Acts 10:36) and the Pauline epistles consistently affirm that Jesus is κύριος in the fullest divine sense — the one who died and rose, to whom every knee will bow (cf. Isaiah 45:23; Philippians 2:11). The title thus bridges Old Testament YHWH-theology and New Testament Christology.
La palabra en detalle
- G2962 G2962 / κύριος / kyrios — 'supreme in authority; controller; master, lord.' Used as a respectful title for humans (employers, teachers, the emperor) and as the principal divine title for both God the Father and the exalted Christ in the New Testament. The Septuagint employs it chiefly to translate YHWH, linking Old Testament covenant Lordship directly to New Testament Christology.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Matthew 1:20 An angel of the Lord (ἄγγελος κυρίου) directs Joseph in a dream — κύριος here refers to God, the covenant Lord who sovereignly orders the events surrounding Christ's birth.
- Matthew 7:21 Jesus' warning that not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' (Κύριε, Κύριε) enters the kingdom underscores that a verbal acknowledgment of κύριος apart from obedience is insufficient.
- Matthew 11:25 'Lord of heaven and earth' (κύριε τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς) — a divine title for the Father, echoing the sovereignty language of the Old Testament and Jewish prayer.
- Romans 14:8 Paul states that believers live and die to the Lord (κυρίῳ) — κύριος as the risen Christ is the one to whom the believer's entire existence belongs.
Preguntas frecuentes
What is the difference between κύριος and δεσπότης (despotēs)?
Both denote master, but κύριος emphasizes legitimate authority and is used as a respectful title (including for God), while δεσπότης stresses absolute ownership and is rarer, typically referring to God or to a slaveholder in a more hierarchical sense.
Is κύριος always a divine title for Jesus?
No. Kyrios has a wide semantic range: an everyday polite address ('Sir'), a master of slaves, the Roman emperor, God the Father, and the risen Christ. Context alone determines which sense applies, though in the Pauline epistles it most often refers to Christ as Lord.
Why does the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) use κύριος for the divine name YHWH?
Jewish tradition rendered the ineffable name YHWH with κύριος ('Lord'), producing the striking textual result that early Christians could read passages like Isaiah 45:23 — 'every knee shall bow to κύριος' — and apply them directly to Jesus (Philippians 2:10-11).