Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for righteousness: dikaiosunē
Strong’s number: G1343
Greek Lexical Dictionary: Strong’s #1343 – δικαιοσύνη
Greek Word: δικαιοσύνη, ης, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: dikaiosuné
Phonetic Spelling: dik-ah-yos-oo’-nay
Quick Definition: righteousness, justice
Usage: justice, justness, righteousness, righteousness of which God is the source or author, but practically: a divine righteousness.
Etymology: From G1342;
NASB Translation: right (1), righteousness (90).
New Testament usage
δικαιοσύνη is used 86 verses (33 times in Romans).
Mat 3:15; Mat 5:6; Mat 5:10; Mat 5:20; Mat 6:1; Mat 6:33; Mat 21:32; Luk 1:75; Joh 16:8; Joh 16:10; Act 13:10; Act 17:31; Act 24:25; Rom 1:17; Rom 3:5; Rom 3:21; Rom 3:22; Rom 3:25; Rom 3:26; Rom 4:3; Rom 4:5; Rom 4:6; Rom 4:9; Rom 4:11 (2x); Rom 4:13; Rom 4:22; Rom 5:17; Rom 5:18; Rom 5:21; Rom 6:13; Rom 6:16; Rom 6:18; Rom 6:19; Rom 6:20; Rom 8:10; Rom 9:30 (3x); Rom 9:31; Rom 10:3 (2x); Rom 10:4; Rom 10:5; Rom 10:6; Rom 10:10; Rom 14:17; 1Co 1:30; 2Co 3:9; 2Co 5:21; 2Co 6:7; 2Co 6:14; 2Co 9:9; 2Co 9:10; 2Co 11:15; Gal 2:21; Gal 3:6; Gal 3:21; Gal 5:5; Eph 4:24; Eph 5:9; Eph 6:14; Php 1:11; Php 3:6; Php 3:9; 1Ti 6:11; 2Ti 2:22; 2Ti 3:16; 2Ti 4:8; Tit 3:5; Heb 1:9; Heb 5:13; Heb 7:2; Heb 11:7; Heb 11:33; Heb 12:11; Jas 1:20; Jas 2:23; Jas 3:18; 1Pe 2:24; 1Pe 3:14; 2Pe 1:1; 2Pe 2:5; 2Pe 2:21; 2Pe 3:13; 1Jn 2:29; 1Jn 3:7; 1Jn 3:10; Rev 19:11; Rev 22:11.
δικαιοσύνη is used 259 times in 252 verses in the Septuagint (LXX)
Gen 15:6; Gen 18:19; Gen 19:19; Gen 20:5; Gen 20:13; Gen 21:23; Gen 24:27; Gen 24:49; Gen 30:33; Gen 32:11; Exo 15:13; Exo 34:7; Lev 19:15; Dt 9:4; Dt 9:5; Dt 9:6; Dt 33:19; Dt 33:21; Jos 24:14; Jdg 5:11; 1Sa 2:10; 1Sa 12:7; 1Sa 26:23; 2Sa 8:15; 2Sa 22:21; 2Sa 22:25; 1Ki 3:6; 1Ki 3:9; 1Ki 8:32; 1Ki 10:9; 1Ch 18:14; 1Ch 29:17; 2Ch 6:23; 2Ch 9:8; Neh 2:20; Job 8:6; Job 22:28; Job 24:13; Job 27:6; Job 29:14; Job 33:26; Job 35:8; Psa 4:2; Psa 4:6; Psa 5:9; Psa 7:9; Psa 7:18; Psa 9:5; Psa 9:9; Psa 10:7; Psa 14:2; Psa 16:1; Psa 16:15; Psa 17:21; Psa 17:25; Psa 21:32; Psa 22:3; Psa 30:2; Psa 34:24; Psa 34:27; Psa 34:28; Psa 35:7; Psa 35:11; Psa 36:6; Psa 37:21; Psa 39:10; Psa 39:11; Psa 44:5; Psa 44:8; Psa 47:11; Psa 49:6; Psa 50:16; Psa 50:21; Psa 51:5; Psa 57:2; Psa 64:5; Psa 68:28; Psa 70:2; Psa 70:15; Psa 70:16; Psa 70:18; Psa 70:24; Psa 71:1; Psa 71:2; Psa 71:3; Psa 71:7; Psa 84:11; Psa 84:12; Psa 84:14; Psa 87:13; Psa 88:15; Psa 88:17; Psa 93:15; Psa 95:13; Psa 96:2; Psa 96:6; Psa 97:2; Psa 97:9; Psa 98:4; Psa 102:17; Psa 105:3; Psa 105:31; Psa 110:3; Psa 111:3; Psa 111:9; Psa 117:19; Psa 118:7; Psa 118:40; Psa 118:62; Psa 118:75; Psa 118:106; Psa 118:121; Psa 118:123; Psa 118:138; Psa 118:142; Psa 118:144; Psa 118:160; Psa 118:164; Psa 118:172; Psa 131:9; Psa 142:1; Psa 142:11; Psa 144:7; Pro 1:3; Pro 1:22; Pro 2:9; Pro 2:20; Pro 3:9; Pro 3:16; Pro 8:8; Pro 8:15; Pro 8:18; Pro 8:20; Pro 10:2; Pro 11:5; Pro 11:6; Pro 11:21; Pro 11:30; Pro 12:28; Pro 13:2; Pro 13:6; Pro 14:34; Pro 15:6; Pro 15:9; Pro 15:29; Pro 16:8; Pro 16:9; Pro 16:11; Pro 16:12; Pro 16:17; Pro 16:31; Pro 17:14; Pro 17:23; Pro 20:7; Pro 20:28; Pro 21:16; Pro 21:21; Pro 25:5; Ecc 5:7; Isa 1:21; Isa 1:26; Isa 5:7; Isa 5:16; Isa 9:6; Isa 10:22; Isa 11:5; Isa 16:5; Isa 26:2; Isa 26:9; Isa 26:10; Isa 32:16; Isa 32:17; Isa 33:5; Isa 33:6; Isa 33:15; Isa 38:19; Isa 39:8; Isa 41:2; Isa 42:6; Isa 45:8; Isa 45:13; Isa 45:19; Isa 45:23; Isa 45:24; Isa 46:12; Isa 46:13; Isa 48:1; Isa 48:18; Isa 49:13; Isa 51:5; Isa 51:6; Isa 51:8; Isa 54:14; Isa 56:1; Isa 57:12; Isa 58:2; Isa 58:8; Isa 59:9; Isa 59:14; Isa 59:17; Isa 60:17; Isa 61:3; Isa 61:8; Isa 61:11; Isa 62:1; Isa 62:2; Isa 63:1; Isa 63:7; Isa 64:5; Jer 4:2; Jer 9:23; Jer 22:3; Jer 22:13; Jer 22:15; Jer 23:5; Jer 27:7; Eze 3:20; Eze 14:14; Eze 14:20; Eze 18:5; Eze 18:17; Eze 18:19; Eze 18:20; Eze 18:21; Eze 18:22; Eze 18:24; Eze 18:26; Eze 18:27; Eze 33:12; Eze 33:13; Eze 33:14; Eze 33:16; Eze 33:18; Eze 33:19; Eze 45:9; Dan 8:12; Dan 9:7; Dan 9:18; Dan 9:24; Hos 2:21; Hos 10:12; Joe 2:23; Amos 5:7; Amos 5:24; Amos 6:12; Mic 6:5; Mic 7:9; Zep 2:3; Zec 8:8; Mal 2:17; Mal 3:3; Mal 3:20.
Englishman’s Concordance: δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosuné)
Lexicons
Thayer’s G1343: in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God; integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting; in a narrower sense, justice or the virtue which gives each his due.
Strong’s G1343: From G1342; equity (of character or act); specifically (Christian) justification: – righteousness.
Mounce G1343: righteousness, what is right, justice, the act of doing what is in agreement with God’s standards, the state of being in proper relationship with God
Related words: 1342 (dikaios); 1341 dikaiokrisia; 1344 dikaioó
Hebrew Equivalent Words: Strong #: 571 (אֱמֶת eh’‑meth); 2136 (זָכוּ zaw‑koo’); 2617 (חֶסֶד kheh’‑sed); 2896 (טוֹב tobe); 4066 (מָדוֹן maw‑dohn’); 4339 (מֵישָׁרִים may‑shawr’); 4941 (מִשְׁפָּט mish‑pawt’); 5356 (נִקָּיֹן nik‑kaw‑yone’, nik‑kaw‑yone’); 6612 (פְּתָאִי peth‑ee’, peh’‑thee,peth‑aw‑ee’); 6662 (צַדִּיק tsad‑deek’); 6664 (צֶדֶק tseh’‑dek); 7919 (שָׂכַל saw‑kal’).
PreceptsAustin: dikaiosune; dikaios
Righteousness
- Something is dikaios if it is “in the right” and therefore acceptable.
- Something is not dikaios if it is in the wrong and therefore rejected.
- “Rightness” versus “wrongness” is the unifying idea behind all the various uses of this word.
In biblical terms, the question “am I righteous?” (or am I δικαιοσ?) can have at least 3 different meanings. The same Greek word is used for all 3 meanings.
Am I righteous? Or am I δικαιοσ?
Asking in context: | Synonym | In this sense, the “righteous” are: | Example | |
Am I forgiven or condemned? | justification | right with God because their sins are forgiven | Paul’s use in Romans | |
Am I open to God or hard-hearted? | saved or born again; antonym: wicked | those whose hearts are rightly oriented to God | Psalms: the wicked vs the righteous | |
Am I morally perfect or morally corrupt? | holiness | right with God by virtue of a perfect moral character. Only Jesus is righteous in this sense. | Beatitudes: Matthew 5:6 |
Reference Works
19 Matthew 5:6 Hunger & thirst for righteousness
06 Romans 5:1-11 The Hope of the Gospel
06 1 John 2:29-3:12 Practicing Righteousness
13 Why do you call me good? Mark 10:17-31
45 1Corinthians 15:29-49 Sown in dishonor, raised in glory
12 Peter 3:1-7 The Point of it all
16 Jeremiah 50:1-20 Will the bad guys get what’s coming to them?
The Lord’s Prayer: we say it but what does it mean?
See also Word Study: righteous; dikaios
Dictionaries:
Nave Topical Bible Righteous Righteousness
Thompson Chain Reference Righteousness
The Topic Concordance Righteousness
Torrey Topical Textbook Righteousness of God, the Righteousness Imputed Righteousness
American Tract Society Righteousness
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Righteousness
Baker Evangelical Dictionary Righteousness
Charles Buck Dictionary Righteousness
Easton’s Bible Dictionary Righteousness
Holman Bible Dictionary Righteousness
Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible Righteousness
Hastings’ Dictionary of the NT Righteousness Righteous, Righteousness
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Righteousness
McClintock and Strong’s Bible Encyclopedia Righteousness
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