righteous, righteousness

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The Greek, Hebrew, and Latin terms that are translated in English mostly as “righteous” as an adjective or personified noun or “righteousness” (also as “justice”) are most commonly expressed with concept of “straightness,” though this may be expressed in a number of ways. (Click or tap here to see the details)

Following is a list of (back-) translations of various languages:

  • Bambara, Southern Bobo Madaré, Chokwe (ululi), Amganad Ifugao, Chol, Eastern Maninkakan, Toraja-Sa’dan, Pamona, Batak Toba, Bilua, Tiv: “be straight”
  • Laka: “follow the straight way” or “to straight-straight” (a reduplicated form for emphasis)
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl, Kekchí, Muna: “have a straight heart”
  • Kipsigis: “do the truth”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “do according to the truth”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “have truth”
  • Yine: “fulfill what one should do”
  • Indonesian: “be true”
  • Navajo: “do just so”
  • Anuak: “do as it should be”
  • Mossi: “have a white stomach” (see also happiness / joy)
  • Paasaal: “white heart” (source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
  • Nuer: “way of right” (“there is a complex concept of “right” vs. ‘left’ in Nuer where ‘right’ indicates that which is masculine, strong, good, and moral, and ‘left’ denotes what is feminine, weak, and sinful (a strictly masculine viewpoint!) The ‘way of right’ is therefore righteousness, but of course women may also attain this way, for the opposition is more classificatory than descriptive.”) (This and all above from Bratcher / Nida except for Bilua: Carl Gross; Tiv: Rob Koops; Muna: René van den Berg)
  • Central Subanen: “wise-good” (source: Robert Brichoux in OPTAT 1988/2, p. 80ff. )
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “live well”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “goodness before the face of God” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl: “the result of heart-straightening” (source: Nida 1947, p. 224)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “entirely good” (when referred to God), “do good” or “not be a debtor as God sees one” (when referred to people)
  • Carib: “level”
  • Tzotzil: “straight-hearted”
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “right and straight”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “walk straight” (source for this and four previous: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22)
  • Aari: The Pauline word for “righteous” is generally rendered by “makes one without sin” in the Aari, sometimes “before God” is added for clarity. (Source: Loren Bliese)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “having sin taken away” (Source: Nida 1952, p. 144)
  • Nyamwezi: wa lole: “just” or “someone who follows the law of God” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Venda: “nothing wrong, OK” (Source: J.A. van Roy in The Bible Translator 1972, p. 418ff. )
  • Ekari: maakodo bokouto or “enormous truth” (the same word that is also used for “truth“; bokouto — “enormous” — is being used as an attribute for abstract nouns to denote that they are of God [see also here]; source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37ff. ).
  • Guhu-Samane: pobi or “right” (also: “right (side),” “(legal) right,” “straightness,” “correction,” “south,” “possession,” “pertinence,” “kingdom,” “fame,” “information,” or “speech” — “According to [Guhu-Samane] thinking there is a common core of meaning among all these glosses. Even from an English point of view the first five can be seen to be closely related, simply because of their similarity in English. However, from that point the nuances of meaning are not so apparent. They relate in some such a fashion as this: As one faces the morning sun, south lies to the right hand (as north lies to the left); then at one’s right hand are his possessions and whatever pertains to him; thus, a rich man’s many possessions and scope of power and influence is his kingdom; so, the rich and other important people encounter fame; and all of this spreads as information and forms most of the framework of the people’s speech.”) (Source: Ernest Richert in Notes on Translation 1964, p. 11ff.)

See also respectable, righteous, righteous (person), and She is more in the right(eous) than I.

Translation commentary on Ecclesiastes 7:16

This verse and the next are parallel in form and expression. Each consists of:
(1) two negative imperatives warning the wise (verse 16) and the fool (verse 17) against over-zealous action;
(2) a question form asking why one would wish destruction or an early death.

Our layout of the text can demonstrate these features.

Qoheleth often uses parallel sayings to demonstrate that there are two possible responses to a given situation or problem. We can see this feature, for example, in 3.17, 18. Neither of the views expressed in this form are necessarily those of Qoheleth himself; rather, his own view usually follows in the “better” saying. We need to appreciate this feature of Qoheleth’s literary style, otherwise we shall miss his point. The two parallel sayings express popular opinion. This means that we can put them inside quotation marks and, if required, additionally mark them by adding “It is said, …” or “Some would say, ….”

Be not righteous overmuch: the peculiar Hebrew of this command must be appreciated. It consists of the verb Be in the negative, together with the noun meaning “righteous person” and a word meaning “greatly, increasingly.” Here the word righteous refers to a person who considers himself just; he is a self-styled righteous person. The word for “greatly” does not mean “too much” in the sense of “excessive” or “overmuch”; nor does it contain a value judgment, for it modifies the verb “be,” not the noun “righteous person.” Overmuch refers to the tendency to self-righteousness. Qoheleth calls the reader to turn away from that kind of pretense. In translation we can say “Don’t be too sure of your righteousness” or “Don’t think of yourself as so righteous.”

And do not make yourself overwise: here the negative is attached to a form of the verb that can indicate a reflexive or reciprocal action; but neither applies here. It can also mark pretense, regarding yourself as something you are not. This latter sense fits the present context, giving a translation “do not pretend to be wise” or “don’t try to make yourself appear wise [when you aren’t].” An adverb modifying the verb warns against going too far in pretending to be wise.

A possible model for translation of the first part of the verse is:

• Some would say, “Do not make such a show of your self-righteousness, and don’t overdo a claim to be wise.”

Why should you destroy yourself?: this is a rhetorical question, a particularly powerful way of making a statement. We may preserve the question form, but in some languages Qoheleth’s point will probably be easier to grasp if we express it as an emphatic statement. In this way we can convey the certainty of the destruction that will come if we ignore Qoheleth’s warning.

Destroy yourself: this renders an unusual Hebrew verb form; of its two possible meanings, “be horrified” and “destroy oneself,” only the latter applies here. In the context of verse 15, with its concern about dying before reaching old age, destruction in this verse takes on a narrower sense; destroy yourself then refers to meeting an early death. This view is supported by the parallelism it shares with the following verse. However, in terms of Qoheleth’s actual presentation, the present verse offers a more general form, which is narrowed down in the next verse. In this context the translation should retain the idea of “destroying yourself” or “killing yourself,” and use “die” in the following verse. This is quite different from the sense that New English Bible gives, “… don’t make yourself a laughing-stock.”

In translation we may use a question form like:

• Why would you wish to kill yourself?

• Do you want to destroy yourself?

or a statement form:

• That way you would certainly destroy yourself.

• If you act that way, you will die an early death!

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Ecclesiates. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .