tsedaka · righteousness

What it means

tsedaka (צְדָקָה) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “righteousness”.

Being right with God and acting rightly with others; justice.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. The rightness with which God rules and saves.
2. Doing what is just, upright deeds.
3. Someone's right in a dispute.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Righteousness: what is right, both a person's uprightness and the right that is done for others. BDB: rightness, abstractly; subjectively, rectitude; objectively, justice; morally, virtue; figuratively, prosperity. It comes from צָדַק, “to be righteous”; of the same family is צַדִּיק, “righteous” (H6662).

• “He counted it to him as righteousness” Genesis 15:6
• “Doing righteousness and justice” Genesis 18:192 Samuel 8:15
• “Righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” Amos 5:24
• The righteousness of YHWH Psalms 33:5Isaiah 45:8
• “To do righteousness and justice is preferred by YHWH over sacrifice” Proverbs 21:3

How we translate it

“Righteousness” 146 times, “righteous acts” 6, “righteous deeds” 3, “right” 2. This edition's glossary sets “righteousness” for צֶדֶק and צְדָקָה, also in Jacob's mouth (Genesis 30:33). עָשָׂה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה is translated “doing justice and righteousness”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• righteousness ×146
• righteous acts ×6
• righteous deeds ×3
• right ×2

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×3
• Deuteronomy×6
• Judges×2
• 1 Samuel×2
• 2 Samuel×4
• 1 Kings×3
• 1 Chronicles×1
• 2 Chronicles×2
• Nehemiah×1
• Job×4
• Psalms×34
• Proverbs×18
• Isaiah×36
• Jeremiah×8
• Ezekiel×20
• Daniel×3
• Hosea×1
• Joel×1
• Amos×3
• Micah×2
• Zechariah×1
• Malachi×2

• Genesis 15:6

  And he believed in YHWH, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

• Genesis 18:19

  For I have known him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of YHWH by doing righteousness and justice, so that YHWH may bring upon Abraham what he has spoken about him.”

• Genesis 30:33

  So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when you come to look over my wages before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, or dark among the lambs, if it is with me, will be counted as stolen.”

• Deuteronomy 6:25

  And it will be righteousness for us if we are careful to carry out all this commandment before YHWH our Elohim, as he has commanded us.”

• Deuteronomy 9:4

  Do not say in your heart, when YHWH your Elohim pushes them out from before you, saying, “Because of my righteousness YHWH has brought me in to take possession of this land”; but because of the wickedness of these nations YHWH is dispossessing them from before you.

• Deuteronomy 9:5

  Not because of your righteousness or because of the uprightness of your heart are you going in to take possession of their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations YHWH your Elohim is dispossessing them from before you, and in order to establish the word that YHWH swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

• Deuteronomy 9:6

  Know that it is not because of your righteousness that YHWH your Elohim is giving you this good land to take possession of it, for you are a stubborn people.

• Deuteronomy 24:13

  You shall surely return the pledge to him when the sun goes down, so that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and it will be righteousness for you before YHWH your Elohim.

• Deuteronomy 33:21

  He chose the first part for himself, for there the portion of a commander was reserved; and he came with the heads of the people; he carried out the righteousness of YHWH and his judgments with Israel.”

• Judges 5:11

  Away from the sound of the archers, among the watering places, there they recount the righteous acts of YHWH, the righteous acts of his villages in Israel. Then the people of YHWH went down to the gates.

• 1 Samuel 12:7

  And now, present yourselves, and I will enter into judgment with you before YHWH concerning all the righteous acts of YHWH that he did with you and with your fathers.

• 1 Samuel 26:23

  YHWH will repay each man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for YHWH gave you into my hand today, but I was not willing to stretch out my hand against the anointed of YHWH.

• 2 Samuel 8:15

  David reigned over all Israel, and David was doing justice and righteousness for all his people.

• 2 Samuel 19:28

  For all my father’s house were nothing but men deserving death before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What right do I still have to cry out any more to the king?”

• 2 Samuel 22:21

  YHWH repaid me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he returned it to me.

• 2 Samuel 22:25

  So YHWH has returned it to me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness before his eyes.

• 1 Kings 3:6

  And Solomon said, “You have shown your servant David my father great loyal love, because he walked before you in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great loyal love and have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

• 1 Kings 8:32

  then you listen in the heavens, and act, and judge your servants, declaring wicked the wicked, putting his way on his head, and declaring righteous the righteous, giving him according to his righteousness.

• 1 Kings 10:9

  May YHWH your Elohim be blessed, who took pleasure in you to set you on the throne of Israel; through the love of YHWH for Israel forever, he has set you as king, to do justice and righteousness.”

• 1 Chronicles 18:14

  David reigned over all Israel, and he was doing justice and righteousness for all his people.

• 2 Chronicles 6:23

  then you listen from the heavens, and act, and judge your servants, repaying the wicked by putting his way on his head, and declaring righteous the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

• 2 Chronicles 9:8

  Blessed be YHWH your Elohim, who delighted in you to set you on his throne as king for YHWH your Elohim! Because of the love of your Elohim for Israel, to keep it firm forever, he has set you over them as king, to do justice and righteousness.”

• Nehemiah 2:20

  And I returned a word to them and said to them, “The Elohim of the heavens, he will give us success, and we his servants will arise and build; but you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”

• Job 27:6

  To my righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

• Job 33:26

  He prays to Eloah, and he is pleased with him, and he sees his face with acclamation, and he restores to the mortal his righteousness.

• Job 35:8

  To a man like yourself is your wickedness, and to a son of man your righteousness.

• Job 37:23

  Shaddai, we have not found him; he is great in strength, and justice and abundant righteousness he does not afflict.

• Psalms 5:8

  YHWH, guide me in your righteousness because of those who lie in wait for me; make straight before me your way.

• Psalms 11:7

  For YHWH is righteous; he loves acts of righteousness; the upright will see his face.

• Psalms 22:31

  They will come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet to be born, that he has done it.

• Psalms 24:5

  He will receive a blessing from YHWH, and righteousness from the Elohim of his salvation.

• Psalms 31:1

  For the director. A psalm of David. In you, YHWH, I have taken refuge; let me not be ashamed ever; in your righteousness bring me to safety.

• Psalms 33:5

  He loves righteousness and justice; of the loyal love of YHWH the earth is full.

• Psalms 36:6

  Your righteousness is like the mountains of El; your judgments are a great deep; human beings and livestock you save, YHWH.

• Psalms 36:10

  Prolong your loyal love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright in heart.

• Psalms 40:10

  Your righteousness I have not covered within my heart; your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken; I have not hidden your loyal love and your truth from the great assembly.

• Psalms 51:14

  Deliver me from bloodguilt, Elohim, Elohim of my salvation; my tongue will shout for joy at your righteousness.

• Psalms 69:27

  Put iniquity upon their iniquity, and let them not come into your righteousness.

• Psalms 71:2

  In your righteousness deliver me and bring me to safety; turn your ear to me and save me.

• Psalms 71:15

  My mouth will recount your righteousness, all the day your salvation, though I do not know their numbers.

And 117 more times.