Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical terms, the concept of "right" encompasses notions of righteousness, justice, and moral integrity. It is often associated with the character and commandments of God, as well as the expected conduct of His followers. The term "right" is frequently used in the Bible to describe actions, thoughts, and attitudes that align with God's will and His divine law.
Righteousness and JusticeThe Bible frequently links the idea of "right" with righteousness and justice. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word "tsedeq" is often translated as "righteousness" or "justice," indicating a standard of moral and ethical behavior that is in accordance with God's nature. For instance, in
Deuteronomy 32:4, God is described as "The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He" . This verse highlights the inherent righteousness and justice of God, serving as a model for human conduct.
Right ConductThe Bible emphasizes the importance of right conduct among believers. In the New Testament, the Greek word "dikaios" is often used to denote righteousness or being right. In
Matthew 6:33, Jesus instructs His followers, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you" . This verse underscores the priority of pursuing a life that is right in the eyes of God, promising that such a pursuit will lead to divine provision and blessing.
Right RelationshipsThe concept of "right" also extends to relationships, both with God and with others. In
Micah 6:8, the prophet outlines what God requires of His people: "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" . This passage emphasizes the importance of justice, mercy, and humility in maintaining right relationships, reflecting God's character in interactions with others.
Right ThinkingThe Bible also addresses the importance of right thinking. In
Philippians 4:8, the Apostle Paul exhorts believers, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things" . This verse highlights the significance of aligning one's thoughts with what is right and virtuous, as a reflection of a transformed mind in Christ.
Right Standing with GodUltimately, the concept of being "right" in the biblical sense is closely tied to one's standing with God.
Romans 5:1 states, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" . Justification, or being declared right before God, is made possible through faith in Jesus Christ, underscoring the centrality of the gospel in achieving right standing with God.
Right Hand of GodThe "right hand" is a significant biblical symbol of power, authority, and favor. In
Psalm 110:1, it is written, "The LORD said to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet'" . This verse, often interpreted as a messianic prophecy, signifies the exalted position of Christ at the right hand of God, denoting His supreme authority and divine approval.
Throughout Scripture, the concept of "right" serves as a guiding principle for believers, calling them to live in a manner that reflects God's righteousness, justice, and truth.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
a.) Straight; direct; not crooked; as, a right line.
2. (a.) Upright; erect from a base; having an upright axis; not oblique; as, right ascension; a right pyramid or cone.
3. (a.) Conformed to the constitution of man and the will of God, or to justice and equity; not deviating from the true and just; according with truth and duty; just; true.
4. (a.) Fit; suitable; proper; correct; becoming; as, the right man in the right place; the right way from London to Oxford.
5. (a.) Characterized by reality or genuineness; real; actual; not spurious.
6. (a.) According with truth; passing a true judgment; conforming to fact or intent; not mistaken or wrong; not erroneous; correct; as, this is the right faith.
7. (a.) Most favorable or convenient; fortunate.
8. (a.) of or pertaining to that side of the body in man on which the muscular action is usually stronger than on the other side; -- opposed to left when used in reference to a part of the body; as, the right side, hand, arm. Also applied to the corresponding side of the lower animals.
9. (a.) Well placed, disposed, or adjusted; orderly; well regulated; correctly done.
10. (a.) Designed to be placed or worn outward; as, the right side of a piece of cloth.
11. (adv.) In a right manner.
12. (adv.) In a right or straight line; directly; hence; straightway; immediately; next; as, he stood right before me; it went right to the mark; he came right out; he followed right after the guide.
13. (adv.) Exactly; just.
14. (adv.) According to the law or will of God; conforming to the standard of truth and justice; righteously; as, to live right; to judge right.
15. (adv.) According to any rule of art; correctly.
16. (adv.) According to fact or truth; actually; truly; really; correctly; exactly; as, to tell a story right.
17. (adv.) In a great degree; very; wholly; unqualifiedly; extremely; highly; as, right humble; right noble; right valiant.
18. (a.) That which is right or correct.
19. (n.) The straight course; adherence to duty; obedience to lawful authority, divine or human; freedom from guilt, -- the opposite of moral wrong.
20. (n.) A true statement; freedom from error of falsehood; adherence to truth or fact.
21. (n.) A just judgment or action; that which is true or proper; justice; uprightness; integrity.
22. (a.) That to which one has a just claim.
23. (a.) That which one has a natural claim to exact.
24. (a.) That which one has a legal or social claim to do or to exact; legal power; authority; as, a sheriff has a right to arrest a criminal.
25. (a.) That which justly belongs to one; that which one has a claim to possess or own; the interest or share which anyone has in a piece of property; title; claim; interest; ownership.
26. (a.) Privilege or immunity granted by authority.
27. (n.) The right side; the side opposite to the left.
28. (a.) In some legislative bodies of Europe (as in France), those members collectively who are conservatives or monarchists. See Center, 5.
29. (n.) The outward or most finished surface, as of a piece of cloth, a carpet, etc.
30. (v.) To bring or restore to the proper or natural position; to set upright; to make right or straight (that which has been wrong or crooked); to correct.
31. (v.) To do justice to; to relieve from wrong; to restore rights to; to assert or regain the rights of; as, to right the oppressed; to right one's self; also, to vindicate.
32. (v. i.) To recover the proper or natural condition or position; to become upright.
33. (v. i.) Hence, to regain an upright position, as a ship or boat, after careening.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
RIGHTrit (yashar, mishpaT; dikaios, euthus): Many Hebrew words are translated "right," with different shades of meaning. Of these the two noted are the most important: yashar, with the sense of being straight, direct, as "right in the sight" of Yahweh (Exodus 15:26Deuteronomy 12:25, etc.), in one's own eyes (Judges 17:6), "right words" (Job 6:25 the King James Version, yosher), "right paths" (Proverbs 4:11 the King James Version); and mishpaT "judgment" "cause" etc., a forensic term, as "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25). InJob 34:17, the Revised Version (British and American) has "justice" (34:6, "right"), etc. The word tsedheq, tsedhaqah, ordinarily translated "righteousness," are in a few cases rendered "right" (2 Samuel 19:28Nehemiah 2:20Psalm 9:4;Psalm 17:1;Psalm 119:75Ezekiel 18:5, etc.). In the New Testament the chief word is dikaios, primarily "even," "equal" (Matthew 20:4Luke 12:57, etc.); more generally the word is rendered "just" and "righteous." Euthus, used by Septuagint for yashar (1 Samuel 12:23Hosea 14:9), occurs a few times (Acts 8:21;Acts 13:102 Peter 2:15); so orthos, "straight," "upright" (Luke 10:28). "Right-hand" or "side" represents Hebrew yamin and kindred forms (Genesis 48:13, 14, 17Exodus 15:6, etc.); the Greek, in this sense, is dexios (Matthew 6:3;Matthew 20:21, etc.).
Revised Version, among other changes, has "right" for the King James Version "judgment" inJob 27:2;Job 34:5, and for "right" in the King James Version substitutes "straight" inEzra 8:21, "skillful" inEcclesiastes 4:4, margin "successful," etc. InJohn 1:12 the Revised Version (British and American) reads, "the right to become children of God" for the King James Version "the power" (exousia); inMatthew 20:7, 15 "right" is omitted, with the larger part of the verse. In2 Timothy 2:15 "rightly dividing" (orthotomeo) is changed to "handling aright" with margin "holding a straight course in the word of truth. Or, rightly dividing the word of truth."
W. L. Walker
Greek
1188. dexios -- theright hand or side... the
right hand or side. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: dexios Phonetic
Spelling: (dex-ee-os') Short Definition: on the
right hand,
right hand,
right...1349. dike --right (as self-evident), justice (the principle, a...
...right (as self-evident), justice (the principle, a decision or its execution). Part
of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: dike Phonetic Spelling: (dee'-kay...
15. agathopoieo -- to do good
... Word Origin from agathos and poieo Definition to do good NASB Word Usage do what
isright (2), do good (4), doright (1), does good (1), doing what isright (1...
1342. dikaios -- correct, righteous, by impl. innocent
... Cognate: 1342 (an adjective, derived from , "right, judicial approval") -- properly, ""
(J. Thayer); ; " in the eyes of God" (Souter). See 1343 (")....
1344. dikaioo -- to show to be righteous, declare righteous
... Cognate: 1344 (from , "right, judicial-approval") -- properly, , especially in a
legal, authoritative sense; to show what isright, ie conformed to a proper...
1187. dexiolabos -- probably a spearman or slinger
... or slinger. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: dexiolabos Phonetic
Spelling: (dex-ee-ol-ab'-os) Short Definition: one posted on theright hand, a...
4993. sophroneo -- to be of sound mind, ie to be temperate
... Word Origin from sophron Definition to be of sound mind, ie to be temperate NASB
Word Usage have sound judgment (1),right mind (2), sensible (1), sound...
1849. exousia -- power to act, authority
... 1849 (from 1537 , "out from," which intensifies 1510 , ", as aright or privilege")
-- authority, power; ("authorization"), operating in a ....
1828. exelko -- to draw out or away
... away. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: exelko Phonetic Spelling: (ex-el'-ko)
Short Definition: I entice Definition: (lit: I draw out of theright place, or...
2570. kalos -- beautiful, good
... 1), better (5), better* (2), commendable manner (1), excellent (1), fair (1), fine
(2), good (79), high (1), honest (1), honorable (1),right thing (1), sound...
Strong's Hebrew
3231. yaman -- to go to or choose theright, to use theright hand... 3230, 3231. yaman. 3232 . to go to or choose the
right, to use the
right hand.
Transliteration: yaman Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-man') Short Definition:
right...3233. yemani --right hand,right
... 3232, 3233. yemani. 3234 .right hand,right. Transliteration: yemani
Phonetic Spelling: (yem-aw-nee') Short Definition:right....
3225. yamin --right hand
... 3224, 3225. yamin. 3226 .right hand. Transliteration: yamin Phonetic
Spelling: (yaw-meen') Short Definition: hand. Word Origin...
3474. yashar -- to be smooth, straight, orright
... yashar. 3475 . to be smooth, straight, orright. Transliteration: yashar Phonetic
Spelling: (yaw-shar') Short Definition: pleased. Word Origin a prim....
5228. nakoach -- straight,right, straightness
... 5227, 5228. nakoach. 5229 . straight,right, straightness. Transliteration:
nakoach Phonetic Spelling: (naw-ko'-akh) Short Definition:right....
3477. yashar -- straight,right
... 3476, 3477. yashar. 3478 . straight,right. Transliteration: yashar Phonetic
Spelling: (yaw-shawr') Short Definition: upright. Word...
3227. yemini -- on theright hand
... 3226, 3227. yemini. 3228 . on theright hand. Transliteration: yemini Phonetic
Spelling: (yem-ee-nee') Short Definition:right.... on theright hand...
3653a. ken --right, veritable, honest
... 3653, 3653a. ken. 3653b .right, veritable, honest. Transliteration:
ken Short Definition:right. Word Origin from kun Definition...
541. aman -- turn to theright
... aman. 542 . turn to theright. Transliteration: aman Phonetic Spelling: (aw-man')
Short Definition: turn. Word Origin the same as yaman, qv. turn to theright...
4442. Malki-tsedeq -- "my king isright," an early king of Salem
... "my king isright," an early king of Salem. Transliteration: Malki-tsedeq Phonetic
Spelling: (mal-kee-tseh'-dek) Short Definition: Melchizedek....
Library
TheRight of Entry
... ZECHARIAH THERIGHT OF ENTRY.... What should we say of a subject who never presented
himself in the court to which he had theright of free entree?...
EyesRight
... EyesRight. A sermon (No.2058) by CH Spurgeon "Let thine eyes lookright on, and
let thine eyelids look straight before thee."""Proverbs 4:25....
Whether theRight of Nations is the Same as the NaturalRight?
... OFRIGHT (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether theright of nations is the same as the
naturalright? Objection 1: It would seem that theright...
OfRight (Four Articles)
... OFRIGHT (FOUR ARTICLES).... Four points will have to be considered about justice:
(1)Right; (2) Justice itself; (3) Injustice; (4) Judgment....
WhetherRight is the Object of Justice?
... OFRIGHT (FOUR ARTICLES) Whetherright is the object of justice? Objection
1: It would seem thatright is not the object of justice....
TheRight Kind of Fear
... TheRight Kind of Fear. A Sermon (No.2971) published on Thursday, January
18th, 1906, delivered by CH Spurgeon at the Metropolitan...
Of theRight of Bishops not to be Accused or Hurt by Detraction.
... II. Of theright of bishops not to be accused or hurt by detraction. Of the
right of bishops not to be accused or hurt by detraction....
The Importance of Doing what isRight
... THE NEW TESTAMENT THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING WHAT ISRIGHT. James, a servant
of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the true Israelites...
If in the Cause ofRight I Must,
... ASPIRATIONS If in the cause ofright I must,. tr., John Brownlie 8,6,8,6. I.
If in the cause ofright I must,. Do battle with the sword,....
TheRight Understanding of the Law
... 1. INTRODUCTION 1.4 TheRight Understanding of the Law. Thou shalt have
no other Gods before me.' Exodus 20:3. Before I come to the...
Thesaurus
Right (4703 Occurrences)... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Straight; direct; not crooked; as, a
right line. 2. (a.) Upright; erect from a base; having an
...Birth-right (9 Occurrences)
Birth-right. Birthright, Birth-right. Births . Multi-Version
Concordance Birth-right (9 Occurrences). Hebrews 12:16...
Right-hand (3 Occurrences)
Right-hand. Rightfully,Right-hand.Right-handed . Noah Webster's
Dictionary 1. (a.) Situated or being on theright; nearer the...
Right-handed (1 Occurrence)
Right-handed.Right-hand,Right-handed. Rightly . Noah Webster's Dictionary
1. (a.) Using theright hand habitually, or more easily than the left....
Right-minded (2 Occurrences)
Right-minded. Rightly,Right-minded. Rights . Noah Webster's Dictionary
(a.) Having aright or honest mind. Multi-Version Concordance...
Right-doers (1 Occurrence)
Right-doers.Right,Right-doers.Right-doing . Multi-Version Concordance
Right-doers (1 Occurrence). Romans 13:3 For judges and...
Right-doing (1 Occurrence)
Right-doing.Right-doers,Right-doing. Righted . Multi-Version
ConcordanceRight-doing (1 Occurrence). Romans 2:7 to...
Slaughtered (72 Occurrences)
... Exodus 29:20 and thou hast slaughtered the ram, and hast taken of its blood, and
hast put on the tip of theright ear of Aaron, and on the tip of theright ear...
Citizenship (4 Occurrences)
... Theright of citizenship under the Roman government was granted by the emperor to
individuals, and sometimes to provinces, as a favour or as a recompense for...
Sprinkled (55 Occurrences)
... Exodus 29:20 and thou hast slaughtered the ram, and hast taken of its blood, and
hast put on the tip of theright ear of Aaron, and on the tip of theright ear...
Resources
What is the divine right of kings? | GotQuestions.orgWhy does Scripture emphasize the right hand of God? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the right hand of fellowship (Galatians 2:9)? | GotQuestions.orgRight: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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