tsedek · righteousness, what is right

What it means

tsedek (צֶדֶק) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “righteousness, what is right”.

Righteousness: what is right, what is as it should be; just (weights, judgment).

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. What is honest: scales that do not cheat.
2. To govern and judge with justice.
3. Living uprightly before God.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Righteousness: what is right, what is as it should be, in law, in conduct or in nature. BDB: the right (natural, moral or legal); also abstractly equity, and figuratively prosperity. It comes from צָדַק, “to be righteous”; of the same family are צְדָקָה, “righteousness” (H6666), and צַדִּיק, “righteous” (H6662).

• Judging in righteousness Leviticus 19:15Deuteronomy 1:16Isaiah 11:4
• “Just scales, just weights” Leviticus 19:36
• “Righteousness, righteousness you shall pursue” Deuteronomy 16:20
• “Tracks of righteousness” Psalms 23:3
• “Righteousness and peace have kissed” Psalms 85:10
• “Offer sacrifices of righteousness” Psalms 4:5

How we translate it

“Righteousness” 100 times, “just” 9, “righteous” 7, “righteously” 3. This edition's glossary sets “righteousness” for צֶדֶק and צְדָקָה; with weights and measures, “just”.

How it is translated

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

• righteousness ×100
• just ×9
• righteous ×7
• righteously ×3

Related words

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

Where it appears

• Leviticus×5
• Deuteronomy×7
• Job×7
• Psalms×49
• Proverbs×9
• Ecclesiastes×3
• Isaiah×25
• Jeremiah×6
• Ezekiel×4
• Daniel×1
• Hosea×2
• Zephaniah×1

• Leviticus 19:15

  You shall not do injustice in judgment: you shall not show favor to the poor and you shall not honor the great; in righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

• Leviticus 19:36

  You shall have just scales, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am YHWH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

• Deuteronomy 1:16

  I commanded your judges at that time, saying, “Hear cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or his resident alien.

• Deuteronomy 16:18

  Judges and supervisors you shall appoint for yourself in all your gates that YHWH your Elohim is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

• Deuteronomy 16:20

  Righteousness, righteousness you shall pursue, so that you may live and possess the land that YHWH your Elohim is giving you.

• Deuteronomy 25:15

  A full and just weight you shall have; a full and just ephah you shall have; so that your days may be long on the land that YHWH your Elohim is giving you.

• Deuteronomy 33:19

  Peoples to the mountain they will call; there they will sacrifice sacrifices of righteousness, for they will suck the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand.”

• Job 6:29

  Turn back, please; let there not be injustice; and turn back; my righteousness is still in it.

• Job 8:3

  Does El twist justice? Or does Shaddai twist righteousness?

• Job 8:6

  if you are pure and upright, surely now he will rouse himself for you and restore the dwelling of your righteousness.

• Job 29:14

  Righteousness I put on, and it clothed me; like a robe and a turban was my justice.

• Job 31:6

  let him weigh me in scales of righteousness, and let Eloah know my integrity.

• Job 35:2

  “This do you count as justice? You said, ‘My righteousness is more than El’s.’

• Job 36:3

  I will bring my knowledge from afar, and to my Maker I will ascribe righteousness.

• Psalms 4:1

  For the director. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David. When I call, answer me, Elohim of my righteousness. In distress you gave me room; show me favor and hear my prayer.

• Psalms 4:5

  Offer sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in YHWH.

• Psalms 7:8

  YHWH judges the peoples. Judge me, YHWH, according to my righteousness and according to my integrity that is in me.

• Psalms 7:17

  I will give thanks to YHWH according to his righteousness, and I will sing psalms to the name of YHWH Elyon.

• Psalms 9:4

  For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on the throne, righteous judge.

• Psalms 9:8

  And he will judge the world in righteousness; he will judge the peoples with uprightness.

• Psalms 15:2

  He who walks blameless and does righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart;

• Psalms 17:1

  A prayer of David. Hear, YHWH, what is righteous; heed my cry; give ear to my prayer, which comes not from lips of deceit.

• Psalms 17:15

  As for me, in righteousness I will see your face; I will be satisfied, when I awake, with your form.

• Psalms 18:20

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

• Psalms 18:24

  And YHWH has returned it to me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.

• Psalms 23:3

  He brings back my soul; he guides me along tracks of righteousness for the sake of his name.

• Psalms 35:24

  Judge me according to your righteousness, YHWH my Elohim, and let them not be glad over me.

• Psalms 35:27

  Let them shout for joy and be glad, those who desire my righteousness, and let them say continually, “Magnified be YHWH, who desires the peace of his servant.”

• Psalms 35:28

  And my tongue will meditate on your righteousness, all the day your praise.

• Psalms 37:6

  And he will bring out like the light your righteousness, and your justice like the noonday.

• Psalms 40:9

  I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness in the great assembly; look, my lips I will not restrain; YHWH, you know it.

• Psalms 45:4

  And in your majesty prosper, ride for the sake of truth and humility, righteousness; and your right hand will teach you fearsome things.

• Psalms 45:7

  You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore Elohim, your Elohim, has anointed you with the oil of joy beyond your companions.

• Psalms 48:10

  Like your name, Elohim, so is your praise to the edges of the earth; of righteousness is full your right hand.

• Psalms 50:6

  And the heavens declare his righteousness, for Elohim himself is judge. Selah.

• Psalms 51:19

  Then you will delight in sacrifices of righteousness, burnt offering and whole offering; then bulls will go up on your altar.

• Psalms 52:3

  You love evil more than good, lies more than speaking righteousness. Selah.

• Psalms 58:1

  For the director. Do Not Destroy. Of David. A Miktam. Do you really speak righteousness in silence? With uprightness do you judge, human beings?

• Psalms 65:5

  With awesome things in righteousness you answer us, Elohim of our salvation, the confidence of all the ends of the earth and of the sea far off;

• Psalms 72:2

  May he judge your people with righteousness, and your afflicted with justice.

And 79 more times.