RIGHTEOUSNESS

The Hebrew tseʹdheq and tsedha·qahʹ as well as the Greek di·kai·o·syʹne have the thought of “rectitude,” “uprightness,” indicating a standard or norm determining what is upright. “Righteousness” is frequently used in connection with a judge, or with judgment, giving the term a somewhat legal flavor (hence, the original-language terms are at times translated “justice”). (Ps 35:24; 72:2; 96:13; Isa 11:4; Re 19:11) In the Mosaic Law, at Leviticus 19:36, tseʹdheq is used four times in connection with business transactions: “You should prove to have accurate [“just,” AT, KJ, Le] scales, accurate weights, an accurate ephah and an accurate hin.”

The Hebrew words tseʹdheq and tsedha·qahʹ and the Greek di·kai·o·syʹne appear frequently with reference to the rightness of God’s ways: as Sovereign (Job 37:23; Ps 71:19; 89:14), in administering and executing judgment and justice (Ps 9:8; 85:11; Isa 26:9; 2Co 3:9), in the punishing of his professed people (Isa 10:22), in vindication of himself in judgment (Ps 51:4; Ro 3:4, 5), and in vindication of his people (Mic 7:9).