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tyolilums wrote:

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I just want to clarify how to read verse 15:2 concerning the words Adoni and Adonai.

Adonai is used to replace the four letter name of God, correct?

And adoni simply means master or lord?

So really you have here 'my master, Adonai'. I notice in Rashi's comments he points out this four letter name has vowels associated with it and combines it with Elohim. He translates it as Hashem/Elohim. Is this the only place the four letter name has vowels in the scriptures?

When do you use Adonai and when do you use Hashem? Are they interchangeable?

There appears to be some confusion here. The two words to which you refer in Genesis 15:2 are, in transliterated form, Adonai Elohim. The first word, Adonai, is actually spelled out and vocalized as it literally appears, and it is identical to the four-letter Tetragrammaton, and is commonly translated into English as "Lord". The second word, Elohim, is literally spelled as the four-letter Tetragrammaton, BUT notice the vocalizations that are applied to it - hataf segol [é-sound] under the letter yod, holam haser [o-sound] following the letter heh, hiriq haser [i-sound] under the letter vav , and the letter heh at the end without a vowel - which causes it to be read as "e-lo-him". Elohim is commonly translated into English as "God".

This combination is not unique to Genesis 15:2. It occurs about 190 times in the Hebrew Bible. The next closest instance to Genesis 15:2 is at Genesis 15:8. It appears in Deuteronomy, Joshua, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel (many times here), in several of the minor prophets, in Psalms, and other books.

"Adonai" we use during in worship services, "HaShem" we use as a pseudonym when referring to the Creator in ordinary communications.

"Adoni" (pronounced ah-do-nee) simply means "my master/lord", and colloquially, it also means "sir", as in שָׁלוֹם אֲדוֹנִי, 'Hello, sir".

UriYosef

Said R. Nahman b. Isaac; Not like this world is the future world. [In] this world [His name] is written with a yod he(25) and read as alef daleth;(26) but in the future world it shall all be one: it shall be written with yod he and read as yod he. Now, Raba thought of lecturing it at the session, [whereupon] a certain old man said to him, It is written, le'alem.(27) R. Abina pointed out a contradiction: It is written, this is my name, to be hidden; [and it is also written],(28) and this is my memorial unto all generations?(29) The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Not as I [i.e., My name] and written am I read: I am written with a yod he, while I am read as alef daleth.(30)

(25) YHWH = yod he waw he, the letters of the Tetragrammaton.
(26) Adonay =alef daleth nun yod.
(27) To hide it. This is explained anon.
(28) The bracketed word is added in var. lec.
(29) Ex. III, 15. The actual reading is: this is my name for ever. (le'olam, לעולם); but it is written, to be hidden (le'alem, לעלם). Thus this indicates that God's name must be kept secret; whereas 'this is my memorial' etc. implies that He is to be known by this name. Another version, accepting the reading le'olam (for ever) explains the difficulty thus: since God states this is my name, it is obvious that He is to be known by it: why then add, 'and this is my memorial' etc.?
(30) The importance attributed to the Divine Name was owing to the fact that it was not regarded simply as a designation, but was held to express the essence of the Godhead. The right way of pronouncing the Tetragrammaton was not generally known, being preserved as an esoteric teaching. Cf. Kid., Sonc. ed. p. 361, n. 6. and Sanh., Sonc. ed. p. 407, n. 2.