WG: Hebrew Righteousness (צדק word family)¶
Overview¶
The צדק (tsadaq) word family in the OT forms the core vocabulary for righteousness and justice. The verb (tsadaq, 41x), adjective (tsaddiyq, 206x), and two nouns (tsedeq, 119x; tsedaqah, 157x) together appear 523 times. These cognates regularly co-occur with judgment vocabulary (mishpat, shaphat) and are contrasted with wickedness (rasha'). This group covers forensic, moral, covenantal, and cosmic dimensions of rightness.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H6663 | צָדַק | tsadaq | verb | 41 | The action (be righteous, justify, vindicate) | H6663 |
| H6662 | צַדִּיק | tsaddiyq | adj | 206 | The person (righteous one, just) | TODO(need H6662 study) |
| H6664 | צֶדֶק | tsedeq | noun-m | 119 | The standard (righteousness, justice as norm) | H6664-tsedeq |
| H6666 | צְדָקָה | tsedaqah | noun-f | 157 | The quality (righteousness as attribute/act) | H6666-tsedaqah |
| H4941 | מִשְׁפָּט | mishpat | noun-m | 406 | The context (judgment, justice, verdict) | H4941 |
| H8199 | שָׁפַט | shaphat | verb | 203 | The process (to judge, render verdict) | H8199-shaphat |
| H7563 | רָשָׁע | rasha' | adj | 248 | The antonym-person (wicked one) | H7563 |
| H7561 | רָשַׁע | rasha' | verb | 34 | The antonym-action (condemn, act wickedly) | H7561 |
Relationships¶
Shared Root¶
tsadaq (H6663), tsaddiyq (H6662), tsedeq (H6664), tsedaqah (H6666) — all from root צדק. The verb is the base; the adjective and nouns are derived forms.
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| tsaddiyq (H6662) | rasha' (H7563) | 81x | Righteous vs. wicked contrast (Proverbs, Psalms, Ezekiel) |
| tsedaqah (H6666) | mishpat (H4941) | 46x | "righteousness and judgment" hendiadys |
| tsedeq (H6664) | mishpat (H4941) | 30x | "justice and judgment" — God's throne foundations |
| tsaddiyq (H6662) | mishpat (H4941) | 19x | The righteous and their right to justice |
| rasha' (H7563) | mishpat (H4941) | 18x | The wicked perverting judgment |
| tsaddiyq (H6662) | tsedaqah (H6666) | 13x | The righteous person and the quality of righteousness |
| tsadaq (H6663) | mishpat (H4941) | 8x | Forensic justification in judicial context |
| tsadaq (H6663) | shaphat (H8199) | 8x | "justify" alongside "judge" |
| tsadaq (H6663) | tsaddiyq (H6662) | 7x | "justify the righteous" (Deut 25:1, 1 Ki 8:32) |
| tsadaq (H6663) | rasha' (H7563) | 6x | Justify vs. condemn antithesis |
| tsadaq (H6663) | rasha' (H7561) | 6x | Verb pair: "be righteous" vs. "be wicked/condemn" |
LXX Bridge to Greek¶
| Hebrew Words | Shared Greek | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| tsadaq + tsaddiyq | both → δίκαιος/δικαιόω | Greek δικ- family maps directly to Hebrew צדק family |
| tsedaqah + tsedeq | both → δικαιοσύνη | Hebrew distinguishes masculine (standard) from feminine (quality/act); Greek merges under one word |
| rasha' (adj + verb) | → ἀσεβής / κατακρίνω | Antonym pair preserved in Greek |
Roles in the Concept¶
- Action: tsadaq (צָדַק) — the verb of being/becoming/declaring righteous
- Person: tsaddiyq (צַדִּיק) — the one who is righteous
- Standard: tsedeq (צֶדֶק) — righteousness as the norm or measure ("a just weight," "judge in righteousness")
- Quality/Act: tsedaqah (צְדָקָה) — righteousness as attribute or concrete act of justice
- Context: mishpat (מִשְׁפָּט) — the judgment setting where righteousness is determined
- Process: shaphat (שָׁפַט) — the act of judging that produces the verdict
- Antonym-Person: rasha' (רָשָׁע, adj) — the wicked one, contrasted with the righteous
- Antonym-Action: rasha' (רָשַׁע, verb) — to condemn / act wickedly, opposite of tsadaq
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Deuteronomy 25:1 — tsadaq + tsaddiyq + rasha' (verb): "justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked"
- 1 Kings 8:32 — tsadaq + rasha' (verb) + tsaddiyq + tsedaqah: "condemning the wicked... justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness"
- Proverbs 17:15 — tsadaq + rasha' (adj) + tsaddiyq: "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just"
- Ezekiel 16:51-52 — tsadaq (Piel + Qal) + tsaddiyq: "thou hast justified thy sisters... they are more righteous than thou"
Generated from: search_strongs.py, strongs_translations.db co-occurrence queries Last updated: 2026-03-31