δίκαιος G1342
Righteous, just, upright; of persons in right standing with God, of actions that are fair, and as a messianic title.
A foundational moral term in the New Testament describing alignment with God's standard. When applied to persons (as in Matt 1:19, where Joseph is called dikaios), it conveys habitual uprightness and covenant faithfulness — Spanish 'justo' and German 'gerecht' both capture this legal-moral blend. Applied to actions (Eph 6:1), it shifts to mean fair or proper conduct. Most strikingly, in Acts 3:14, 7:52, and 22:14, it becomes a christological title — 'the Righteous One' — where the adjective crystallizes into a proper designation for Jesus as the uniquely sinless person.
1. righteous, upright (of persons) — Describes a person who consistently lives in moral alignment with God's will and ethical norms. The Greek dikaios in this personal sense spans Hebrew tsaddiq territory — the covenant-keeper, the one whose life matches profession. In Matt 5:45, God sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous alike; in Matt 13:43, the righteous shine like the sun. Spanish 'justo' and French 'juste' both preserve the legal-ethical double register that makes this word so rich. 70×
AR["البارُّ", "العادِلُ", "الْبَارُّ", "بارًّا", "بارٌّ", "بارٍّ", "بارّاً", "بَارًّا", "بَارٌّ", "بَارّ", "عادِلاً", "عَادِلَةٌ"]·ben["δίκαιος-ধার্মিক", "ধার্মিক", "ধার্মিক,", "ধার্মিকের", "ন্যায়পরায়ণ"]·DE["gerecht"]·EN["righteous"]·FR["juste"]·heb["צַדִּיק", "צַדִּיקָה"]·HI["और", "धरमिक", "धरमिक,", "धर्मी", "धर्मी,", "धर्मी-ने", "धार्मिक"]·ID["adil,", "benar", "benar,", "orang-benar", "yang-adil", "yang-benar"]·IT["giusto"]·jav["adil", "adil,", "bener", "ingkang-leres", "leres", "mursid", "tiyang-leres", "tiyang-leres,"]·KO["의로우신-이여", "의로운", "의로운-자", "의로운-자-라", "의로운-자가", "의로운-자는", "의로운-자라", "의롭고"]·PT["justo", "justo,"]·RU["-праведника", "праведная", "праведник", "праведного", "праведный", "праведный,", "праведным"]·ES["justa", "justo"]·SW["hadhari", "iliyomwagwa", "mwadilifu", "mwenye-haki", "ya-haki"]·TR["adil", "adil,", "doğru", "doğru-kişi", "doğru-olan", "doğru-olanım", "doğru-olanın", "âdil"]·urd["بے-گناہ", "راست", "راست-باز", "راستباز"]
Matt 1:19, Matt 5:45, Matt 9:13, Matt 13:17, Matt 13:43, Matt 13:49, Matt 23:28, Matt 23:29, Matt 23:35, Matt 25:37, Matt 25:46, Mark 6:20 (+38 more)
▼ 2 more sense(s) below
Senses
2. right, just, fair (of actions) — Applied to actions, judgments, or standards rather than persons, marking them as morally correct or procedurally fair. In Matt 20:4, the vineyard owner promises 'whatever is right' (dikaion) — a fair wage. In Luke 12:57, Jesus challenges the crowd to judge 'what is right' for themselves. The shift from character (sense 1) to conduct is subtle but consistent across the multilingual evidence: all translations use the same root word, yet context makes the action-oriented reading unmistakable. 7×
AR["حَقًّا", "حَقٌّ", "صَوابًا", "عَادِلٌ", "عَدلٌ", "عَدْلِ"]·ben["ন্যায়", "ন্যায়সঙ্গত", "ন্যায্য", "ন্যায্য।"]·DE["gerecht"]·EN["just", "right"]·FR["juste"]·heb["יָשָׁר", "צֶדֶק", "צַדִּיק", "צַדִּיק.", "צוֹדֶק"]·HI["-परमेश्वर-के", "उचित", "न्याय"]·ID["Benar", "adil", "benar", "benar.", "yang-benar"]·IT["giusto"]·jav["Leres", "adil", "leres", "leres."]·KO["마땅한", "옥다면", "옮은-것을", "옳은-것", "의로운", "정당한-것-을"]·PT["Justo", "justo", "justo,", "justo."]·RU["праведно-", "праведно.", "праведное", "справедливо", "справедливо,", "справедливым"]·ES["justo"]·SW["haki", "mtapokea", "nitawapa"]·TR["dogru", "dogrudur", "doğru", "doğrudur", "doğruyu"]·urd["درست", "سچ", "صحیح", "مناسب", "مُناسب"]
3. the Righteous One (title) — A messianic and christological title — 'the Righteous One' — used exclusively in Acts (3:14, 7:52, 22:14) as a proper designation for Jesus. Stephen's speech (Acts 7:52) accuses the Sanhedrin of betraying 'the Righteous One,' echoing prophetic expectation. Here dikaios is no longer a general adjective but a name-like title, set apart from ordinary usage. German 'gerecht' and French 'juste' lack capitalization conventions that would distinguish this, making context the only differentiator. 3×
AR["البَارَّ", "البَارِّ", "الْبَارَّ"]·ben["ধার্মিক", "ধার্মিককে", "ধার্মিকের"]·DE["gerecht"]·EN["Righteous-One"]·FR["juste"]·heb["צַדִּיק"]·HI["और", "धर्मी-को", "धार्मिक"]·ID["Benar", "Yang-Benar,"]·IT["giusto"]·jav["Ingkang-Adil,", "Ingkang-Leres", "Ingkang-Mursid,"]·KO["의로운-분을", "의로운-이-를", "의로운-자-의"]·PT["Justo"]·RU["Праведного"]·ES["Justo"]·SW["Mwenye-Haki", "Mwenye-haki"]·TR["Doğru", "Doğru'yu", "Doğru-Olanı"]·urd["راستباز", "راستباز-کو"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)H3477 1. upright, righteous (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
δίκαιος [ῐ], α, ον, also ος, ον Refs 5th c.BC+: (δίκη): __A in Refs 8th c.BC+ and all writers, of persons, observant of custom or rule, Refs 8th c.BC+; especially of social rule, well-ordered, civilized, ὑβρισταί τε καὶ ἄγριοι οὐδὲ δ. Refs 8th c.BC+; δ. πολίτης a good citizen, Refs 4th c.BC+: metaphorically of the sea, Refs 6th c.BC+; δικαίη ζόη a civilized way of living, Refs 5th c.BC+ adverb…