Hebrew, “Lord.” In the Jewish Bible this term is used rather than YHVH when reading the Hebrew text. Its root is “shalam,” meaning “to be complete” or “sound.” Adonai should not to be confused with “adon,” “mare,” or gebir, which also mean “Lord,” but in the sense of domineering, and in a master, or “rabreban,” which means “lord,” or “noble.” At times, people in the scriptures call the angel of the Lord Adonai. This is likely to show respect without worshipping the angel.
After the fall of Judea to Babylon, the people stopped using the name, YHVH, for God. Adonai was one of the replacement terms used in place of the name in the scriptures.