righteous, righteousness

Click here to view graphically

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 Hosea 14:9

Whoever is wise is literally “Who is wise?” This rhetorical question serves as a kind of challenge to the reader. The word for wise in Hebrew includes such things as being skillful at a trade, being a good administrator, being shrewd or cunning, being a learned person, being prudent and careful, and doing the right thing ethically and religiously. Translators should use a term for someone who can take these words of Hosea and apply them in a good and wholesome manner.

Let him understand these things: The Hebrew verb rendered understand comes from a root meaning “to know” or “to perceive” something. By using the words wise and understand, Hosea is telling his audience that they should see clearly what his words are saying and then put them to use in a wise manner.

The Hebrew text uses the masculine pronoun him, but the intention is obviously wider. This is clearly not an attempt to exclude women. Many languages only have one third person singular pronoun (for example, Kiswahili and related languages), so there is no problem of gender inclusiveness. Otherwise, an option to avoid the problem could be to use a plural pronoun, if it does not require a distinction between masculine and feminine (for example, “them” in English).

Whoever is discerning is literally “[Who is] discerning?” The Hebrew word for discerning comes from the same root as understand, so this rhetorical question can be taken as introducing the next logical step to take, once someone “understands” what is written.

Let him know them refers to gathering information in one’s memory. In other words, once a person truly understands what is good and right, he needs to keep this in his mind so that he can apply it whenever needed.

There are several ways in which leading translations have expressed these first two lines of the verse, which each begin with a rhetorical question that gives a challenge:

King James Version says “Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them?” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Zürcher Bibel). This rendering seems to imply that it is difficult to be wise enough and prudent enough to understand the things of this book. Or else, these questions may be a challenge to be wise enough and prudent enough to do this.
New International Version translates “Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them.” New International Version asks who is wise and discerning, and then states that they will understand and know these things.
Good News Translation expresses these lines as pious wishes, not as questions: “May those who are wise understand what is written here, and may they take it to heart” (similarly Biblia Dios Habla Hoy).
Revised English Bible‘s translation may be understood as giving advice, almost a command: “Let the wise consider these things and let the prudent acknowledge them.” Jerusalem Bible is similar with “Let the wise man understand these words. Let the intelligent man grasp their meaning.”
Bible en français courant takes these lines as two conditions with results: “If anyone is intelligent, he will understand the words of Hosea; if there is someone wise, he will understand its meaning.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh is similar with “He who is wise will consider these words, he who is prudent will take note of them” (similarly Revised Standard Version).

For the ways of the LORD are right: For renders the Hebrew word ki, which is most likely an emphatic particle in this context, so it is better translated “surely” or “indeed” (Bible en français courant).

In this context the ways of the LORD are right means that all the things Yahweh does are honest, good, and correct. Even if he has to bring judgment against people, he is right and fair to do so. The Hebrew word for right is literally “straight.”

And the upright walk in them: Yahweh’s ways are also paths that his people follow. He has set the path, and both he and those who follow him stay on that path. The Hebrew word for upright carries the idea of being straight, right, in all that one does. It is a close synonym to the word for right.

But transgressors stumble in them. When sinful people walk along Yahweh’s paths, they cannot remain straight and upright, but they stumble and fall. The Hebrew word for transgressors refers to people who rebel. Here they intentionally go against God. For the verb stumble, see the comments on 5.5.

If the figurative language in the last two lines of this verse is not understood in the receptor language, it may be necessary to drop the figures, as in Bijbel in Gewone Taal, which says “Live therefore according to his will. If you do not, it will be bad for you.” However, this translation loses the typical flavor of Old Testament wisdom literature.

A translation model for this verse is:

• Who is wise?
Let them understand these things.
Who is clever?
Let them consider these words.
The ways of the LORD are surely right,
so the righteous will walk in them,
but the rebellious will stumble in them.

Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .