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 Psalm 72:3 - 72:4

In verse 3 the mountains and the hills represent the whole country; the verb translated bear means “to carry,” either in the sense of producing rich harvests or, as messengers, carrying a message of peace (so Briggs). The former seems preferable; the people’s well-being and justice will be the harvest that the country will produce as a result of the king’s righteous rule.

Prosperity (verse 3a) translates the Hebrew shalom (see 29.11 and comment), usually represented by “peace.” The parallel righteousness in verse 3b shows that the nation’s prosperity was not simply a matter of financial well-being but of conformity to the laws of God. The Masoretic text in line a has “peace” as the direct object, but in line b the parallel is “in (or, with) righteousness.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible translates the whole verse “As a result of justice, may the mountains and hills bear prosperity for the people!” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says two interpretations of the Masoretic text are possible: (1) “the mountains bring forth peace for the people and the hills (bring it forth) through righteousness”; (2) “the mountains bring forth peace for the people, and the hills (bring with them) righteousness” (“them” refers to the mountains, with which the hills participate in bringing forth righteousness). Some translations (Good News Translation, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant), following the ancient versions (the Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Jerome), omit the preposition and have “righteousness” as the direct object.

Mountains bear prosperity as well as “enjoy prosperity” and “experience righteousness” are expressions which will often require shifting to a more specific level. Therefore in some languages it will be clearer to say “I pray that the land will give the people good harvests” or “… produce good crops.” By substituting “land” for mountains and hills, the parallelism is reduced. The problem then is how to express line b in righteousness, since the prayer is that the land “experience righteousness.” In many languages righteousness will not be associated with land but rather with the people of the land. If in righteousness is understood as instrumentality, then the translator may say, for example, “may the land do this through righteousness,” an awkward expression in many languages, since it fails to show who is righteous–the land, the people, or God. Therefore it may be necessary to shift from instrumentality to cause; for example, “may the land … because your people are righteous” or “… because your people serve you.”

In verse 4a the poor of the people (see comments on “the afflicted” in 9.12) is parallel with the Hebrew phrase “the sons of the needy” in verse 4b (for which see “needy” and comment in 35.10). In verse 4b give deliverance translates the verb “to save” (see “Help” and comments at 12.1).

The needy may sometimes be rendered “people who do not have what they need.” Oppressor is sometimes rendered “those who hold other people down” or “those who take away other people’s rights.” In other languages an oppressor is “a person who derides others” or “one who eats on the backs of others,” meaning that he exploits them for his own advantage.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .