Term:2022 06

Flow code:190 TEOL2725 1 O 2022 06

Candidate Number: 214

[ṣedeq] ‫צֶ דֶ ק‬

TEOL2725 – Methods and Tools for Biblical Exegesis

This word study is about the Hebrew word ‫צֶ דֶ ק‬, 'tsedeq' translated 'righteousness' in the

English language. The Bible, both the New and the Old Testament, provides a rich semantic
range concerning the words righteous or righteousness. The basic words in Hebrew are the
noun ‫ צֶ דֶ ק‬tsedeq, the adjective ‫ צַ ִּדיק‬tsaddiq, and the verb ‫ צָ דֵ ק‬tsadeq. If Righteousness is the
Way of Life, then what could be more important than making sure we fully understand its
original Hebrew meaning, origin and usage of the word ‫ צְ דָ קָ ה‬Tzedaqah/ṣedeq?

1. BACKGROUND AND ETYMOLOGY

The Hebrew ṣeḏeq is related from an Arabic root - meaning ‘straightness’, leading to the
notion of an action which conforms to a norm. There is, however, a considerable richness in
the biblical understanding of this term and it is difficult to render either the Hebrew or Greek
words concerned by a simple English equivalent. One basic ingredient in the Old Testament
idea of righteousness is relationship, both between between man and man (Dt. 24:13; Je.
22:3) and God and man (Ps. 50:6; Je. 9:24). The denominative verb[4] ‫ צָ דֵ ק‬tsadeq (160
times in 152 verses) most often means “to be just, righteous.”1 The root word “basically
connotes conformity to an ethical or moral standard.”2 The masculine noun ‫ צֶ דֶ ק‬tsedeq (160
times in 152 verses) refers to “accuracy, what is correct.”3 The feminine noun ‫ צְ דָ קָ ה‬tsedaqah

1
Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-
Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977), 842.
2
Harold G. Stigers, “‫צָ דֵ ק‬,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological
Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 752.
3
Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1005.
(159 times in 150 verses) is translated “honesty; justice; justness.”4 It is observed, “The
masculine ṣedeq [and] the feminine ṣĕdāqâ…do not differ in meaning.”5

The word ṣedeq or ‫ צֶ דֶ ק‬is derived from the 3-letter Hebrew verb root, ‫ק‬-ֶֶ‫ד‬-ֶֶ‫צ‬, Tz-d-q,
pronounced Tzedeq. In English it means, to do what is Upright, Morally Right, Equal, Fair,
Correct, and Just. ‫ק‬- ֶ‫ד‬- ֶ‫ צ‬Tzedeq contains a combination of sub-roots. ‫ד‬- ַ‫ צ‬Tza-d, means Side,
‫ צּוד‬Tz-oo-d means to Hunt, and ‫ק‬- ַ‫ ד‬Da-q means small. One interesting fact is when we break
down the meaning of Hebrew words like Melchizedek ‫מַ לְ כִּ י־צֶ דֶ ק‬, a combination of Malki -
Tzedeq means; “My King is Just”, or Righteous.

2. USAGE AND DISTRIBUTION

In here, I would like to dig deeper about its usage as a noun(‫צֶ דֶ ק‬

tsedeq), an adjective( ‫ צַ ִּדיק‬tsaddiq), and as a verb( ‫ צָ דֵ ק‬tsadeq).

Noun/Substantiv
The masculine substantiv ṣeḏeq occurs 119 times and refers to the ordered, divine
principle, though it can also evoke the notion of active intervention, an activity
evident in many passages. God’s righteousness (also in the sense of “deliverance” or
“vindication”) is near (Isa. 51:5); it both precedes and follows him (Ps. 85:14).

Adjective
With 206 occurrences, the adj. ṣaddîq is the most frequently occurring derivative of
the root ṣdq. It can be associated with both God and human beings, but not really with
things or actions. 6 When God is described as ṣaddîq, the context generally involves
actions through which he demonstrates his righteousness. It is not a character trait
inhering in God that is described, but rather his beneficent intervention. God is a just
and saving God as per (Isa. 45:21). In these bible verses, God is described as being
righteous (e.g., Pss 11:7; 119:137; 129:4; 145:17; Jer 12:1; Dan 9:14).7

4
Ibid., 1006.
5
Harold G. Stigers, “‫צָ דֵ ק‬,” et al, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 752.
6
Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (Revised Edition, Vol. I–XV)
7
Michael F. Bird, “Righteousness,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2016).
 Verb
The Hebrew Bible depicts righteousness not only as a divine quality but as a divine
action.8 The Song of Moses eulogizes God’s saving action in the exodus, noting that
“all his ways are just; he is a faithful God, and without injustice; righteous and upright
is he” (Deut 32:4). Metaphorically, ṣeḏeq is often identified with the blessing that
comes from heaven. It is often associated with movement, and can even be compared
with flowing water (Isa. 48:18; Am. 5:24). 9 Ps. 19:10 uses the verb ṣāḏaq to
characterize Yahweh’s mišpāṭîm as righteous.
The verb occurs 41 times, and in its 22 occurrences in the qal it means “be
just/righteous, emerge as just/righteous.” Subjects include God (Ps. 51:6) God’s
mišpāṭîm (Ps. 19:10), or people. ˆe context oʸen involves a dispute or comparison
between two parties; the party who wins, who is right or is shown to be right, is
righteous.

Comparable Terms in the Ancient Near East.

Terms comparable to the Hebrew word ṣeḏeq include in a.) Egypt (mʒʿ.t), in b.)
Mesopotamia (mī/ēšaru and ke˄u), Ugarit and West Semitic Languages (ṣdq), in Arabic
(ṣadaqa), and in Syriac (zedqāʾ).

In Egypt, mʒʿ.t is often translated as “truth,”. The term mʒʿ.t seems to originally have
referred concretely to “straightness” and “evenness”.10 (cf. Heb. yāšār). The noun ‫צֶ דֶ ק‬
Tzedeq, also parallels Evenness or ‫ מֵ ישָ ר‬Meshar, which is derived from the three letter verb
root ‫ יָשַ ר‬Yashar, which means Straight. It is the right order in nature and society, as
established by the act of creation, and hence means, according to the context, what is right,
what is correct, law, order, justice and truth. 11

In Mesopotamia, mī/ēšaru (from the stem → ‫ ישר‬yšr) means “righteousness,

justice,” while ke˄u (from the stem → ‫ כון‬kwn) means “truth, rightness, justice, loyalty.”12

8
Michael F. Bird, “Righteousness,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2016).
9
Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (Revised Edition, Vol. I–XV)
10
Ibid
11
Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (Revised Edition, Vol. I–XV)
12
See TDOT : I. Comparable Terms in the Ancient Near East: 1. Egypt; 2. Mesopotamia; 3. Ugarit and West
Semitic Languages; pages 1 and 2
However, these two words refer to the normal order within society and less to personal
virtues.

In Ugarit and West Semitic Languages, the term ṣdq occurs only a few times in the
Ugaritic texts. The title of the king of Ugarit is bʿl ṣdq, either means “Maintainer of Right”
or “Legitimate Prince.” In Aramaic inscriptions ṣdq generally exhibits the semantic nuance
“loyalty.” In an inscription from Tema ṣdqh refers to a fealty gift. All these examples deal
with the notion of loyalty within a vassal relationship. 13

In Arabic, ṣadaqa means “be true,” and in form II “believe, hold to be true”; ṣidq,
however, is not only “truth” as such, but also an expression of the bedouin male ideal in
ancient poetry, it also means “courage, dependability, competence.”

In Syriac, ṣ is replaced by z, yielding zedqāʾ, “what is right, responsible; instruction,

prescription; duty.”

The root ṣdq occurs 523 times in the Old Testament, to which one can add the PNs and
Aram. ṣiḏqâ (Dnl. 4:24[Eng. 27]). Most of the occurrences are found in the prophets (esp.
Deutero-Isaiah), the Psalms, and wisdom literature, while occurrences in the historical books
are sparser. 14

When the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek circa 250 B.C., the translators
chose δικαιοσύνη dikaiosune as the closest equivalent to ‫ צֶ דֶ ק‬tsedeq and ‫ צְ דָ קָ ה‬tsedaqah and is
frequently translated as righteousness or justice. The translation of the Hebrew Bible into
Greek led to words with the tsdq root being rendered most commonly with dikaiosynē for
“righteousness” and “justice,” though periodically other Hebrew words like “judgment”
(mishpat), “truth” (‫אֱמֶ ת‬, emeth), and “mercy” (‫חֶ סֶ ד‬, chesed) were also translated as
dikaiosynē.15

In the New Testament, the most common words denoting righteousness or justice are
δίκαιος dikaios (79 times in 74 verses) and δικαιοσύνη dikaiosune (92 times in 86 verses).
The adjective δίκαιος dikaios pertains “to being in accordance with high standards of
rectitude, upright, just, fair.” All three Persons of the Trinity are righteous and just. God the
Father is called “righteous” [δίκαιος dikaios] (John 17:25), as well as His laws (Rom. 7:25)

13
KAI 215 (ll. 1, 11, 19), also 216.4–5; 217.5; 219.4, all from Zenjirli; cf.ṣdqh in 226.2.
14
Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (Revised Edition, Vol. I–XV) page 14
15
Michael F. Bird, “Righteousness,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2016).
and judgments (Rom. 3:26; 1 John 1:9). Jesus is called “just” or “righteous” [δίκαιος
dikaios] (1 Pet. 3:18; cf. 1 John 2:1), and all His judgments are “just” [δίκαιος dikaios] (John
5:30; 2 Tim. 4:8). And God the Holy Spirit has a ministry that promotes “righteousness”
[δικαιοσύνη dikaiosune] (John 16:8).

However, the Hebrew word ṣeḏeq and ṣe ḏāqâ differ from Greek dikaiosýnē especially in
that ṣdq as a relational term describes the relationship between two parties whereas
dikaiosýnē as one of the four cardinal virtues describes a human habitus.

DIFFERENT USAGE OF ‫ צֶ דֶ ק‬IN THE BIBLE WITH BIBLE VERSES

1. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I w
ill strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the ri
ght hand of my righteousness(‫)צֶ דֶ ק‬.”— God, Isaiah 41:10
2. “But thou shalt have a perfect and just (‫)צֶ דֶ ק‬weight, a perfect and
just(‫ )צֶ דֶ ק‬measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the
land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”— Deuteronomy 25:15
3. “Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice(‫”?)צֶ דֶ ק‬
— Job 8:3

3. Meaning

There is a confusion about its usage. Scholars have long been studying if the word is an
expression of the divine or is a human activity. But depending upon how it is used, it can
either evoke the notion of correctness and order or emphasize action and activity rather than
condition. The Hebrew words tsdq, tsedaqah, and tsdyq are ordinarily translated as
“righteous” or “just,” as they pertain to doing right or being just. Scholars debate whether the
underlying root concept means adherence to a norm, or right relationship.16 The Hebrew
word-group translated by “righteous” and “righteousness” includes the verb ‫ ָ )דקֵ צ‬ṣādēq, “to
be righteous”) and related words. Somewhat similar in meaning but unrelated etymologically
is the Hebrew adjective ‫ ָ )שר ָ י‬yāšār), which means “straight” or “upright” and, like ṣādēq,
describes behavior and character that conforms to a norm. In Greek, “righteousness”

16
Michael F. Bird, “Righteousness,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary
(Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
translates words from the root δικ- (dik-), which carry the notion of “right,” “normal,” or
“fi˄ing” according to some standard. Originally, these Greek terms indicated that something
was in accord with social norms: “customary,” “fi˄ing,” or “civilized.” Eventually, the
vocabulary developed to take more of a moral and even legal, though not necessarily an
abstract or absolute, meaning: “right,” “fair,” “impartial,” and so on. The Septuagint largely
translates Hebrew ṣādēq and its relatives using Greek words from the dik- group; as a result,
the way the New Testament uses these Greek words is substantially colored by antecedent
biblical context and usage.

In the Hebrew Bible, righteousness is often attributed to key figures for their upright and
just behavior. For example, Noah “was a righteous man, without defect in his generations”
(Gen 6:9; compare Gen 7:1)17 The Hebrew Bible depicts righteousness not only as a divine
quality but as a divine action. 18 In the New Testament, References to the words
“righteousness” and “just” in the Gospels are fewest in Mark and John but more prevalent in
Matthew and Luke. When talking abou the righteousness of God, Ultimately, the meaning of
the phrase the “righteousness of God” depends on the context in which it occurs.

17
Michael F. Bird, “Righteousness,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary
(Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
18
Michael F. Bird, “Righteousness,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary
(Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brown, F., Driver, S. R., Briggs, C. A., Gesenius, W., & Strong, J. (1977). The enhanced
brown-driver-briggs hebrew and English lexicon: With an appendix containing the bi
blical aramaic. Logos Research Systems.

Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1005.

Stigers, H., G “‫צָ דֵ ק‬,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, (1999)
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press.

Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (Revised Edition, Vol. I–XV)