Skip to content

Topics Research

Question

What does the Bible mean by righteousness? What are the Hebrew words (tsadaq H6663, tsedeq H6664, tsedaqah H6666, tsaddiyq H6662) and Greek words (dikaios G1342, dikaiosyne G1343, dikaioo G1344, dikaiosis G1347)? How is righteousness received, maintained, and lost? Cover forensic (declared), relational (covenant faithfulness), and character (conduct) dimensions.

Topics

RIGHTEOUSNESS

  • By faith: GEN 15:6; ROM 4:3,5,9,11,13,20,22,24
  • Garment of: JOB 29:14; MAT 22:11-14
  • Counted for the sake of obedience: DEU 6:25; JOB 33:26
  • FRUITS OF: DEU 6:25; JOS 22:31; PSA 1:3; 15:1-5; 24:3-5; 101:3,4; 106:3; 112:4-8; PRO 2:5-20; 10:2,16; 11:5,6,18,19,30; 12:28; 13:6; 14:34; 21:3; 29:7; ISA 28:17; 32:16-18; 33:15-17; 55:12,13; 58:6-14; 62:1; EZK 18:5-9; 33:15; DAN 12:3; HOS 10:12; MAL 3:3; 4:2; MAT 5:20; 12:35,50; MRK 3:33-35; LUK 3:10-14; 8:15; JHN 3:21,33; 8:47,49; 13:35; 14:21-24; 15:4,5,8,12; ACT 9:36; 11:29,30; 19:19; ROM 5:1-5; 6:19-22; 7:4-6; 8:4-6; 14:17-19; 15:1-7; 1CO 4:19,20; 12:3; 13:1-13; 2CO 2:17; 7:10,11; 9:10; 10:5; 13:5; GAL 4:6; 5:22,23; 6:7,8; EPH 1:13,14; 5:9; PHP 1:11,27-29; 2:13; 3:12-14; 4:11-13; COL 1:12,13; 3:3,5,9-17; 1TH 1:3,9,10; 2TH 1:3-5; 1TI 2:9,10; 5:9,10; 2TI 2:22; 4:6-8; TIT 2:2,11,12; 3:14; PHM 1:5,6; JAS 1:27; 2:14-26; 3:11-18; 1PE 3:1-11,14; 4:2; 2PE 1:5-9; 1JN 2:3-6,10,11,24,29; 3:3,6,7,9-11,14,17-24; 4:4-21; 5:1-5,10,13,18; 2JN 1:9; 3JN 1:11; REV 2:2,3,19
  • SYMBOLIZED: EZK 47:12; REV 22:2

JUSTIFICATION

General scriptures: GEN 15:6; PSA 32:2; 71:16; 89:16; ISA 42:21; 45:24,25; 46:12,13; 50:8; 51:5,6; 53:11; 54:17; 56:1; 61:10; JER 23:6; HAB 2:4; ZEC 3:4; JHN 5:24; ACT 13:39; ROM 1:16,17; 2:13; 3:21,22,24-26,28,30; 4:3-25; 5:1,9,11-21; 6:22; 7:1-25; 8:1,30,31,33,34; 9:30-32; 10:1-21; 1CO 1:30; 6:11; 2CO 5:19,21; GAL 2:14-21; 3:6,8,9,11,21,22,24; 4:21-31; 5:4-6; EPH 6:14; PHP 3:8,9; COL 2:13,14; TIT 3:7; HEB 11:4,7; JAS 2:20-23,26. Kindred subjects: ADOPTION, FORGIVENESS, REGENERATION, SANCTIFICATION.

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS

General scriptures: NUM 16:3; DEU 9:4-6; 1SA 2:9; JOB 6:13; 11:4-6; 12:2; 13:3,13,15,18,19; 16:17,18; 18:2-4; 21:27-29; 22:2,3; 32:1,2; 33:8,9; 35:2,7,8; PSA 10:5,6; PRO 12:15; 14:12; 16:2; 20:6; 21:2; 25:14,27; 26:12; 27:2,21; 28:13,26; 30:12,13; ISA 5:21; 28:17,20; 47:7; 50:11; 64:6; 65:3-5; JER 2:13,22,23,34,35; 7:4; 8:8; 17:5; 49:4,16; EZK 33:24-26; HOS 12:8; AMO 6:13; HAB 2:4; ZEP 3:11; MAT 7:22,23; 9:10-13; 16:6; 19:16-22; 22:12,13; 23:29-31; MRK 2:16; 8:15; 10:17-22; LUK 5:30; 7:36-50; 10:25-37; 15:2,25-32; 16:14,15; 18:9-14,18-23; JHN 9:34,39-41; ROM 2:17-20; 3:27; 10:3; 11:19-21; 2CO 1:9; 10:17,18; GAL 6:3; REV 3:17,18. Key contrast: ISA 64:6 "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."

RIGHTEOUS (DESCRIBED)

Characterized by: walking uprightly, doing justice, speaking truth (PSA 15:1-5; EZK 18:5-9). Contrasted with the wicked in 81+ verses (PRO 10-29 passim). The righteous compared to: sun (JDG 5:31), stars (DAN 12:3), salt (MAT 5:13), trees planted by water (PSA 1:3). Promises to righteous: extensive list spanning GEN 15:1 through REV 22:14.

JUSTICE

General scriptures: EXO 23:1-3,6-8; LEV 19:13-15; DEU 16:18-20; 25:1-4; PSA 72:1,2; 82:2-4; PRO 17:15,26; 18:5,17; 20:8; ISA 1:17; 56:1; 59:14,15; JER 22:1-4; MIC 7:3; HAB 1:4; ZEC 8:16; JHN 7:24,51.

FAITH

Key scriptures include: GEN 15:6 (the anchor); ROM 1:16,17; 4:1-25; 5:1; HAB 2:4; EPH 2:8; HEB 11:1-39. Faith enjoined extensively (EXO 14:13; DEU 1:21-31; ISA 26:4; MRK 1:15; JHN 3:14-16). Faith exemplified across both testaments (Abraham, Noah, Job, David, Daniel, etc.). Faith in Christ: ISA 28:16; MAT 7:24,25; JHN 1:12; 3:14-16,36; ROM 3:22-28; GAL 2:16; EPH 1:12-14.

SANCTIFICATION

Unclassified scriptures: EXO 31:13; 33:16; JER 1:5; EZK 37:28; JHN 17:17,19; ACT 26:17,18; ROM 15:16; 1CO 1:2,30; 6:11; 2CO 1:21,22; GAL 2:20; EPH 5:25-27; 1TH 4:3,4; 5:23; 2TH 2:13,14; HEB 2:11; 9:14; 10:10,14; 12:10; 13:12,21; 1PE 1:2; 1JN 1:9; REV 7:14. The Lord is the Sanctifier (EXO 31:13; LEV 20:8).

COVENANT

Sacred (JOS 9:18-21), binding (JER 34:8-21; EZK 17:14-18; GAL 3:15), confirmed with oath (GEN 22:16; PSA 89:35; HEB 6:13,17,18), everlasting (GEN 8:20-22; 9:1-17; ISA 54:10; 61:8). God faithful to covenant (LEV 26:44,45; DEU 4:31; 7:8,9; PSA 105:8-11; MIC 7:20). The Second Covenant: JER 31:31-34; HEB 8:4-13; 12:18-24.

OBEDIENCE

General scriptures: GEN 18:19; EXO 19:5; DEU 5:10; PSA 1:2; 103:17,18; MIC 6:8; ROM 6:17; 1JN 2:3-6; REV 22:14. Exemplified by: Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Zacharias (LUK 1:6).

FAITHFULNESS

Exhortation to: PSA 31:23; PRO 20:6; 28:20; MAT 10:22; 1CO 4:2; REV 2:10. Instances: Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Job.

  • GARMENT/ROBE imagery: ISA 61:10; REV 6:11; 7:9,13,14; MAT 22:11; REV 3:18; 19:8 — righteousness as a garment both given and lived
  • VERDICT: MAT 26:66; 27:24-26 — courtroom language connecting to forensic dimension
  • JUDGMENT: DAN 7:9,10; PSA 96:13; ROM 2:5-10; 2CO 5:10 — the eschatological setting for vindication