Lexical Summary
tsedeq: Righteousness, justice, rightness
Original Word:צֶדֶק
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:tsedeq
Pronunciation:tseh'-dek
Phonetic Spelling:(tseh'-dek)
KJV: X even, (X that which is altogether) just(-ice), ((un-))right(-eous) (cause, -ly, -ness)
NASB:righteousness, righteous, just, righteously, justice, what is right, accurate
Word Origin:[fromH6663 (צָּדַק - righteous)]
1. the right (natural, moral or legal)
2. (abstractly) equity
3. (figuratively) prosperity
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
justice, righteous cause
Fromtsadaq; the right (natural, moral or legal); also (abstractly) equity or (figuratively) prosperity -- X even, (X that which is altogether) just(-ice), ((un-))right(-eous) (cause, -ly, - ness).
see HEBREWtsadaq
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionrightness, righteousness
NASB Translationaccurate (1), fairly (1), just (10), just cause (1), justice (3), righteous (15), righteously (6), righteousness (76), righteousness' (1), rightly (1), vindication (1), what is right (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Isaiah 1:21 ; —
Leviticus 19:36 87t.;
Isaiah 41:10 8t., etc.; —
what is right, just, normal; rightness, justness, of weights and measures, ,Deuteronomy 25:15a perfect and a just weight, ephah; ; , , ,Leviticus 19:36 (H)Job 31:6;Ezekiel 45:10;right pathsPsalm 23:3;right peace-offeringsDeuteronomy 33:19;Psalm 4:6;Psalm 51:21.
righteousness, in government:
,Leviticus 19:15(H);Deuteronomy 1:16;Proverbs 31:9;Deuteronomy 16:18;Deuteronomy 16:20;Proverbs 8:15;Isaiah 32:1;Psalm 58:2; alsoProverbs 25:5;Psalm 94:15;Ecclesiastes 5:7.
Isaiah 58:2;Psalm 119:7;Psalm 119:62;Psalm 119:75;Psalm 119:106;Psalm 119:160 (, but ),Psalm 119:164; asPsalm 119:138;Psalm 119:144; asPsalm 119:172.
Isaiah 11:4,5;Isaiah 16:5;Psalm 45:5,Psalm 72:2.
,Isaiah 1:26city of righteousness;Jeremiah 31:23;Jeremiah 50:7 (possibly these reflect an original god , see );Isaiah 1:21righteousness used to lodge in her; compareEcclesiastes 3:16the place of righteousness.
Job 36:3, husband of IsraelHosea 2:21; his personified agentPsalm 85:11;Psalm 85:12;Psalm 85:14, foundation of his thronePsalm 89:15 =Psalm 97:2; in his governmentPsalm 9:9;Psalm 65:6;Psalm 96:13 =Psalm 98:9, promiseIsaiah 45:19, administration of justiceJob 8:3;Jeremiah 11:20;Psalm 7:18;Psalm 48:11;Psalm 50:6 =Psalm 97:6, vindication of his peoplePsalm 9:5;Psalm 35:24;Psalm 35:28; raising up CyrusIsaiah 45:13, calling his servantIsaiah 42:6;Psalm 4:2 Godof my righteousness (who vindicates me); his is everlastingPsalm 119:142.
righteousness, justice, in a case or causeJob 6:29;Job 8:6;Job 29:14;Psalm 35:27;Isaiah 59:4; GodPsalm 7:9judges according to righteousness;Psalm 18:21;Psalm 18:25;Psalm 17:1Psalm 37:6.
rightness, in speech,Psalm 52:5 (opposed to );Proverbs 12:17;Proverbs 8:8;Proverbs 16:13.
righteousness, as ethically rightJob 35:2;Psalm 17:15;Psalm 45:8;Proverbs 1:3;Proverbs 2:9;Ecclesiastes 7:15;Jeremiah 22:13;Ezekiel 3:20;Hosea 10:12 (read , so We Now);Daniel 9:24;Isaiah 64:4;Psalm 119:121;Psalm 15:2;Isaiah 26:6,10;Zephaniah 2:3;Isaiah 51:1;Isaiah 51:7.
righteousness as vindicated,justification in controversy with enemies and troubles,deliverance, victory, prosperity:
,Isaiah 41:10, ""Isaiah 45:8;Isaiah 51:5, compareIsaiah 42:21;Psalm 40:10;Psalm 119:123.
, of Messianic king (vindicating people's cause and giving victory)Jeremiah 23:6; of cityJeremiah 33:16.
of salvation, ""Isaiah 62:1; ""Isaiah 58:8;Isaiah 62:2;Psalm 132:9;Psalm 118:19;Isaiah 61:3.
,Isaiah 41:2 (who)in victory calleth him at every step (CheHpton whose steps attends victory, so Di Du).
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scopeצֶדֶק (tsedeq) gathers into one term the ideas of what is right, straight, just, normal, and in full conformity with God’s moral order. It is used of character, speech, verdicts, measurements, social structures, and saving acts. Rather than a merely human ideal, tsedeq is the objective standard flowing from the Lord Himself and therefore remains immutable throughout redemptive history. About one-third of the occurrences describe God, one-third describe human obligation, and one-third speak of the righteous order God will finally establish.
Righteousness as Divine Attribute
The first note struck by tsedeq is doxological. “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne” (Psalm 97:2). He is “the Rock; His work is perfect; all His ways are justice, a God of faithfulness without iniquity, righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4). Divine righteousness guarantees that every promise, warning, and judgment in Scripture is trustworthy. When the psalmists appeal for vindication they ground their plea in the Lord’s tsedeq, not their own (Psalm 35:24;Psalm 50:6).
Covenantal Faithfulness
Righteousness is the relational fidelity God shows to His covenant and the fidelity He requires from His people. “The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His loving devotion” (Psalm 33:5). Judges in Israel were commanded, “Judge the people with righteous judgment” (Deuteronomy 16:18). By insisting that the redeemed community mirror His tsedeq, God reveals that covenant privileges can never be divorced from covenant responsibilities (Isaiah 1:21-27;Micah 6:8).
Honest Weights and Everyday Equity
Practical righteousness extends to commerce: “You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin” (Leviticus 19:36). Similar instructions appear inDeuteronomy 25:15 andProverbs 16:11. Tsedeq here guards the helpless from exploitation and places the fear of the Lord at the heart of economic life.
Righteousness in Worship
Acceptable worship is offered “in righteousness” (Psalm 4:5).Psalm 51:19 links “burnt offerings and whole offerings” with “righteous sacrifices,” teaching that ritual divorced from moral integrity is abhorrent (Isaiah 1:11-17;Amos 5:21-24). True worship involves aligning one’s life with God’s ethical demands so that sacrifice and righteousness harmonize.
Righteousness and Kingship
Royal ideology in Israel is saturated with tsedeq. The enthronement prayer ofPsalm 72 petitions, “May he judge Your people with righteousness and Your afflicted with justice” (verse 2). Ideal kings “detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness” (Proverbs 16:12). The “belt of righteousness” around the waist of the Davidic Messiah (Isaiah 11:5) anticipates the perfectly just reign of Jesus Christ, in whom the Old Testament hope is fulfilled (Romans 1:17;Revelation 19:11).
Prophetic Indictments and Promises
The prophets repeatedly expose unrighteousness:
• “They turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground” (Amos 5:7).
• “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands at a distance” (Isaiah 59:14).
Yet tsedeq also anchors prophetic comfort:
• “My righteousness draws near, My salvation is on the way” (Isaiah 51:5).
• “I have stirred him up in righteousness; I will make all his ways straight” (Isaiah 45:13).
The same word that convicts also consoles because God’s saving acts are themselves acts of righteousness.
Paths, Fruits, and Garments
Psalm 23:3 pictures the Lord guiding His sheep “in paths of righteousness.”Hosea 10:12 portrays it agriculturally: “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of loving devotion.”Isaiah 61:10 celebrates it sartorially: “He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness.” The diversity of metaphors underscores tsedeq as both direction and destination of the believer’s life.
Eschatological Realization
Old Testament hope culminates in a world where “righteousness and peace kiss” (Psalm 85:10) and the Judge “will judge the world in righteousness” (Psalm 96:13).Zechariah 8:8 foresees a restored Zion where the Lord reigns “in faithfulness and righteousness.” The New Testament explicitly locates that consummation in the return of Christ, but the foundation was laid in the Scriptures where tsedeq is a guaranteed future.
Ministry Implications
1. Preaching: Proclaim the gospel as the revelation of God’s righteousness (Romans 1:17) already sketched in tsedeq.
2. Discipleship: Call believers to walk “in the way of righteousness” (Proverbs 12:28), reflecting God’s character in every sphere.
3. Social Action: Promote equitable structures modeled on Israel’s just weights; defend the oppressed as mandated byIsaiah 1:17.
4. Worship: Encourage integrity in all offerings—praise, possessions, and service—so that worship is “in spirit and truth.”
5. Pastoral Care: Offer God’s righteous character as assurance to the afflicted and warning to the unrepentant.
Key Old Testament Passages (Representative Selection)
Leviticus 19:36;Deuteronomy 16:18-20;Deuteronomy 25:15
1 Samuel 12:7
2 Samuel 8:15
Job 8:3;Job 34:12
Psalm 4:5;Psalm 23:3;Psalm 45:7;Psalm 72:1-3;Psalm 85:10-13;Psalm 97:2
Proverbs 2:9;Proverbs 8:8;Proverbs 11:5-6;Proverbs 16:11;Proverbs 21:3
Ecclesiastes 3:16-17
Isaiah 11:5;Isaiah 32:16-17;Isaiah 45:19;Isaiah 51:5-6;Isaiah 54:14
Jeremiah 23:5;Jeremiah 33:15
Ezekiel 18:5-9;Ezekiel 33:12-16
Hosea 10:12
Amos 5:7, 24
Micah 6:8
Zechariah 8:8
Summary
Tsedeq binds the biblical account together: the righteous God creates a righteous order, calls a covenant people to live righteously, judges their unrighteousness, and in the fullness of time provides in the Messiah both the perfect display of righteousness and the means by which sinners may be declared righteous. Consequently, every pursuit of holiness, justice, and faithful ministry today is an echo of the Old Testament cry for tsedeq and an anticipation of the day when “the heavens will proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge” (Psalm 50:6).
Forms and Transliterations
בְּ֭צֶדֶק בְּצִדְק֔וֹ בְּצֶ֑דֶק בְּצֶ֖דֶק בְּצֶ֙דֶק֙ בְּצֶ֣דֶק בְּצֶ֥דֶק בְצֶ֑דֶק בְצֶ֔דֶק בְצֶ֖דֶק בַּצֶּ֣דֶק בצדק בצדקו הַצֶּ֔דֶק הַצֶּ֖דֶק הצדק וְ֝צֶ֗דֶק וָצֶ֑דֶק וָצֶ֖דֶק וָצֶ֙דֶק֙ וצדק כְ֭צִדְקְךָ כְּצִדְק֑וֹ כְּצִדְקִ֑י כְּצִדְקִ֖י כְצִדְקִ֑י כצדקו כצדקי כצדקך לְצֶ֖דֶק לצדק מִצִּדְקוֹ֙ מצדקו צִ֫דְקִ֥י צִדְק֑וֹ צִדְקִ֗י צִדְקִ֥י צִדְקִֽי׃ צִדְקִי֙ צִדְקִי־ צִדְקֵ֔ךְ צִדְקֵֽנוּ׃ צִדְקֶ֑ךָ צִדְקֶ֔ךָ צִדְקֶֽךָ׃ צִדְקָ֔הּ צֶ֑דֶק צֶ֔דֶק צֶ֖דֶק צֶ֗דֶק צֶ֙דֶק֙ צֶ֛דֶק צֶ֝֗דֶק צֶ֣דֶק צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֧דֶק צֶ֨דֶק ׀ צֶ֭דֶק צֶּֽדֶק׃ צֶּדֶק֮ צֶֽדֶק׃ צדק צדק׃ צדקה צדקו צדקי צדקי־ צדקי׃ צדקך צדקך׃ צדקנו׃ baṣ·ṣe·ḏeq baṣṣeḏeq batzTzedek bə·ṣe·ḏeq ḇə·ṣe·ḏeq bə·ṣiḏ·qōw bəṣeḏeq ḇəṣeḏeq bəṣiḏqōw beTzedek betzidKo Chetzidkecha chetzidKi haṣ·ṣe·ḏeq haṣṣeḏeq hatzTzedek ḵə·ṣiḏ·qə·ḵā kə·ṣiḏ·qî ḵə·ṣiḏ·qî kə·ṣiḏ·qōw ḵəṣiḏqəḵā kəṣiḏqî ḵəṣiḏqî kəṣiḏqōw ketzidKi ketzidKo lə·ṣe·ḏeq ləṣeḏeq leTzedek miṣ·ṣiḏ·qōw miṣṣiḏqōw mitztzidKo ṣe·ḏeq ṣeḏeq ṣiḏ·qāh ṣiḏ·qe·ḵā ṣiḏ·qê·nū ṣiḏ·qêḵ ṣiḏ·qî ṣiḏ·qî- ṣiḏ·qōw ṣiḏqāh ṣiḏqêḵ ṣiḏqeḵā ṣiḏqênū ṣiḏqî ṣiḏqî- ṣiḏqōw Tzedek tzidKah tzidKech tzidKecha tzidKenu tzidki tzidKo vaTzedek veTzedek wā·ṣe·ḏeq wāṣeḏeq wə·ṣe·ḏeq wəṣeḏeq
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