uprightness based on the law

δικαιοσύνη, ης, ἡ (s. δίκαιος; Theognis, Hdt.+) gener. the quality of being upright. Theognis 1, 147 defines δ. as the sum of all ἀρετή; acc. to Demosth. (20, 165) it is the opp. of κακία. A strict classification of δ. in the NT is complicated by freq. interplay of abstract and concrete aspects drawn from OT and Gr-Rom. cultures, in which a sense of equitableness combines with awareness of responsibility within a social context.

① the quality, state, or practice of judicial responsibility w. focus on fairness, justice, equitableness, fairness

ⓐ of human beings (a common theme in honorary ins, e.g. IPriene 71, 14f; 22f of a judge named Alexis; Danker, Benefactor 346–48; cp. Aristot., EN 5, 1, 8, 1129a τὸ μὲν δίκαιον ἄρα τὸ νόμιμον καὶ τὸ ἴσον ‘uprightness consists of that which is lawful and fair’; Ath. 34:2 ἔστι δὲ δ. ἴσα ἴσοις ἀμείβειν ‘uprightness means to answer like with like’; for association of δ. with judgment s. also Diog. L. 3, 79; in contexts of praise δ. suggests authority involving juridical responsibility FX 7, ’81, 255 n. 229) δ. κρίσεως ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος uprightness is the beginning and end of judgment B 1:6. Melchizedek as βασιλεὺς δικαιοσύνης Hb 7:2. ἐργάζεσθαι δικαιοσύνην administer justice Hb 11:33; κρίνειν ἐν δ. (Ps 71:2f; 95:13; Sir 45:26; PsSol 8:24) judge justly Ac 17:31, cp. Mk 16:14 v.l. (Freer ms. line 5 in N. app.); Ro 9:28 v.l. (Is 10:22). ποιεῖν κρίμα καὶ δ. practice justice and uprightness 1 Cl 13:1 (Jer 9:23). καθιστάναι τοὺς ἐπισκοπούς ἐν δ. appoint overseers in uprightness= who will serve justly 1 Cl 42:5 (Is 60:17). David rejoices in God’s δ. 1 Cl 18:15 (Ps 50:16; s. ἀγαλλιάω, end).

ⓑ of transcendent figures (Pla. τὴν δ. θεοῦ νόμον ὑπελάμβανεν ‘considered divine justice [i.e. apportionment of reward or retribution in accordance with behavior] a principle’ or ‘system’ that served as a deterrent of crime Diog. L. 3, 79). Of an apocalyptic horseman ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ κρινεῖ Rv 19:11.

② quality or state of juridical correctness with focus on redemptive action, righteousness. Equitableness is esp. associated w. God (cp. Paradoxogr. Vat. 43 Keller αἰτεῖται παρὰ τ. θεῶν οὐδὲν ἄλλο πλὴν δικαιοσύνης), and in our lit. freq. in connection w. exercise of executive privilege in conferring a benefit. Hence God’s δ. can be the opposite of condemnation 2 Cor 3:9 (s. below); in it God is revealed as judge Rom 3:5—in contrast to human wrath, which beclouds judgment—displaying judicial integrity 3:25 (on this pass. s. also below). Cp. ἐκάλεσά σε ἐν δ. B 14:7 (Is 42:6). Also of equitable privilege allotted by God 2 Pt 1:1.—In Pauline thought the intimate association of God’s interest in retaining a reputation for justice that rewards goodness and requites evil, while at the same time working out a plan of salvation for all humanity, complicates classification of his use of δικαιοσύνη. On the one hand, God’s δ. is pardoning action, and on the other a way of sharing God’s character with believers, who then exhibit righteousness in the moral sense. God achieves this objective through exercise of executive privilege in dispensing justice equitably without reference to νόμος by making salvation available to all humanity (which shares a common problem of liability to wrath by being unanimously in revolt against God Ro 3:9–18, 23) through faith in God’s action in Jesus Christ. The genitival constr. δ. θεοῦ accents the uniqueness of this δ.: Ro 1:17; 3:21f, 25, 26 (s. these pass. also below; Reumann, 3c end); 10:3, and δ. alone 5:21; 9:30 (3 times); 2 Cor 3:9 (opp. κατάκρισις; cp. Dg 9:3; 5). 2 Cor 5:21 may belong here if δ. is viewed as abstract for concrete=δικαιωθέντες (but s. below). All these refer to righteousness bestowed by God cp. ἡ δωρεὰ τῆς δ. Ro 5:17, also 1 Cor 1:30 (sim. 1QS 11, 9–15; 1QH 4, 30–37). In this area it closely approximates salvation (cp. Is 46:13; 51:5 and s. NSnaith, Distinctive Ideas of the OT ’46, 207–22, esp. 218–22; EKäsemann, ZTK 58, ’61, 367–78 [against him RBultmann, JBL 83, ’64, 12–16]). According to some interpreters hunger and thirst for uprightness Mt 5:6 perh. offers (but s. 3a below) a related eschatological sense (‘Kingdom of God’, FNötscher, Biblica 31, ’50, 237–41=Vom A zum NT, ’62, 226–30).—Keeping the law cannot bring about uprightness Ro 3:21; Gal 2:21; 3:21, because δ. ἐκ τοῦ νόμου uprightness based on the law Ro 10:5 (cp. 9:30f), as ἰδία δ. one’s own (self-made) upr. 10:3, is impossible. God’s δ. without ref. to νόμος is to be apprehended by faith Ro 1:17; 3:22, 26; 4:3ff, 13; 9:30; 10:4, 6, 10 (cp. Hb 11:7 ἡ κατὰ πίστιν δ. righteousness based on faith; s. B-D-F §224, 1), for which reason faith is ‘calculated as righteousness’ (Gen 15:6; Ps 105:31; 1 Macc 2:52) Ro 4:3, 5f, 9, 11, 13, 22; Gal 3:6 (cp. Hb 11:7; Js 2:23; AMeyer, D. Rätsel des Jk 1930, 86ff; 1 Cl 10:6; B 13:7). Of Jesus as our righteousness 1 Cor 1:30.—As gift and power Ro 5:17, 21, and because it is intimately associated with the δύναμις of Christ’s resurrection Phil 3:9f (s. below), this righteousness enables the redeemed to respond and serve God faithfully Ro 6:13 (in wordplay opp. of ἀδικία), 16, 18ff; cp. 1 Cor 1:30 of Christ as instrument of God’s gift of δ.; 2 Cor 3:9. Thus God’s δ. functions as δύναμις 6:7 within Christians 5:21 (i.e. the way God acts in justifying or restoring people to a relationship with God’s self serves as a model for Christian interaction; for a difft. view, s. above) through the Spirit (Ro 8:9) and assures them they will have life that will be fully realized at the end of the age Ro 8:10f; for the time being it is a matter of hope ἐλπὶς δικαιοσύνης Gal 5:5 (cp. Is 51:5); cp. ἡ ἐκ θεοῦ δ. Phil 3:9. Pol 8:1 shares Paul’s view: Christ as ἀρραβὼν τῆς δ.—God’s uprightness as gift τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς στάξαντος τὴν δ. who distills uprightness on you Hv 3, 9, 1.—Such perspectives offer a transition to specific ways in which the redeemed express uprightness.

③ the quality or characteristic of upright behavior, uprightness, righteousness

ⓐ of uprightness in general: Mt 5:6 (cp. 6:33; some interpret 5:6 in an eschatological sense, s. 2 above; on desire for δ. cp. ἐπιθυμία τῆς δ. Hm 12, 2, 4); Mt 5:10, 20 (s. b, below); Hm 10, 1, 5; Dg 10:8; λόγος δικαιοσύνης Hb 5:13; Pol 9:1 (s. also Epict., Fgm. Stob. 26; when a man is excited by the λόγος in meetings, he should give expression to τὰ τῆς δικαιοσύνης λόγια). πάσχειν διὰ δ. 1 Pt 3:14. ἄγγελος τῆς δ. Hm 6, 2, 1; 3; 8; 10. ῥήματα δ. 8:9. 10, 1, 5; Dg 10:8; Pol 2:3; 3:1; ἐντολὴ δ. commandment of upr. Pol 3:3; 9:1.—Mt 6:33 of the kind of δ. God expects (on δ. as characteristic required by God acc. to Jewish perspective s. Bousset, Rel.³ 387ff; 379ff; 423; cp. KFahlgren, Sẹdāḳā, nahestehende u. entgegengesetzte Begriffe im Alten Testament, diss. Uppsala ’32.—S. Diog. L. 3, 83 on Plato’s view of δικαιοσύνη περὶ θεούς or δ. πρὸς τοὺς θεούς=performance of prescribed duties toward gods; s. also ref. to 3, 79 at 1b above). Christ’s δ. Dg 9:3, 5. διαλέγεσθαι περὶ δ. Ac 24:25. Opp. ἀδικία (Hippol., Ref. 4, 43, 12; Did., Gen. 20, 27) 2 Cl 19:2; Dg 9:1. As ἀρετή Hm 1:2; Hs 6, 1, 4; 8, 10, 3. Opp. ἀνομία 2 Cor 6:14; cp. 2 Cor. 11:15 (ironical); Hb 1:9 (Ps 44:8); ἁμαρτία, which is the dominating power before δ. θεοῦ comes into play Ro 6:16, 18–20; cp. 1 Pt 2:24. ἐργάζεσθαι δ. (Ps 14:2) do what is right Ac 10:35; accomplish righteousness Js 1:20 (W-S. §30, 7g); Hv 2, 2, 7; 2, 3, 3; m 5, 1, 1; 12, 3, 1; 12, 6, 2; Hs 9, 13, 7. Also ἔργον δικαιοσύνης ἐργάζεσθαι 1 Cl 33:8. Opp. οὐδὲν ἐργάζεσθαι τῇ δ. Hs 5, 1, 4; ποιεῖν (τὴν) δ. (2 Km 8:15; Ps 105:3; Is 56:1; 58:2; 1 Macc 14:35 al.) do what is right 1J 2:29; 3:7, 10; Rv 22:11; 2 Cl 4:2; 11:7. Also πράσσειν τὴν δ. 2 Cl 19:3; διώκειν τὴν δ. (cp. Sir 27:8 διώκ. τὸ δίκαιον) seek to attain/achieve upr. Ro 9:30; 1 Ti 6:11; 2 Ti 2:22; 2 Cl 18:2; δ. ἀσκεῖν Hm 8:10. ὁδὸς (τῆς) δ. (ὁδός 3ab) Mt 21:32; 2 Pt 2:21; B 1:4; 5:4. προπορεύσεται ἔμπροσθεν σου ἡ δ. 3:4 (Is 58:8); cp. 4:12. κατορθοῦσθαι τὰς ὁδοὺς ἐν δ. walk uprightly Hv 2, 2, 6; τῇ δ. ζήσωμεν live uprightly 1 Pt 2:24. πύλη δ. gate of upr. 1 Cl 48:2 (Ps 117:19), cp. vs. 4. ἐν οἷς δ. κατοικεῖ (cp. Is 32:16) in which righteousness dwells 2 Pt 3:13. Of Christ’s body δικαιοσύνης ναο͂ς AcPlCor 2:17. παιδεία ἡ ἐν δ. training in uprightness 2 Ti 3:16. ἔργα τὰ ἐν δ. righteous deeds Tit 3:5. λαμπρότης ἐν δ. rejoicing in uprightness 1 Cl 35:2; ἐχθρὸς πάσης δ. enemy of every kind of upr. Ac 13:10. W. ὁσιότης (Wsd 9:3): holiness and upr. (as the relig. and moral side of conduct; cp. 1QS 1:5; 8:2; 11:9–15; 1QH 4:30f) Lk 1:75 (λατρεύειν ἐν δ. as Josh 24:14); Eph 4:24; 1 Cl 48:4. W. πίστις (OGI 438, 8; 1 Macc 14:35; Just., D. 110, 3) Pol 9:2; cp. 2 Pt 1:1. With εἰρήνη (Is 39:8; 48:18) and χαρά Ro 14:17; cp. 1 Cl 3:4; Hb 7:2 (but s. 1a, above). W. ἀλήθεια (Is 45:19; 48:1) Eph 5:9; 1 Cl 31:2; 62:2; Hs 9, 25, 2. W. ἀγάπη 2 Cl 12:1. W. ἀγαθωσύνη Eph 5:9. W. ἁγνεία Hs 9, 16, 7. W. γνῶσις κυρίου (cp. Pr 16:8) D 11:2. ὅπλα (τῆς) δ. tools or weapons of uprightness Ro 6:13; 2 Cor 6:7; Pol 4:1; θῶραξ τῆς δ. (Is 59:17; Wsd 5:18) breastplate of upr. Eph 6:14. τέκνα δικαιοσύνης (opp. ὀργῆς) AcPlCor 2:19. διάκονοι δικαιοσύνης servants of upr. 2 Cor 11:15; Pol 5:2; μισθός δ. D 5:2; B 20:2; μέρος δ. portion in (eternal salvation) which is meant for righteousness ApPt Rainer 6; καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης (Pr 3:9; 11:30; 13:2) produce of uprightness (ApcSed 12:5) Phil 1:11; Hb 12:11; Js 3:18; Hs 9, 19, 2; GJs 6:3. ὁ τῆς δ. στέφανος the crown of upr. (w. which the upright are adorned; cp. TestLevi 8:2; Rtzst., Mysterienrel.³ 258; a common theme in honorary ins recognizing distinguished public service, s. indexes SIG, OGI and other ins corpora; Danker, Benefactor 345–47; s. also the boast of Augustus, s.v. δίκαιος 1aα) 2 Ti 4:8; cp. ἡ τ. δικαιοσύνης δόξα the glory of upr. ending of Mk in the Freer ms. ln. 11f. Described as a characteristic to be taught and learned, because it depends on a knowledge of God’s will: κῆρυξ δ. preacher of upr. 2 Pt 2:5 (cp. Ar. 15:2 τῇ δ. τοῦ κηρύγματος). διδάσκειν δ. teach upr. (of Paul) 1 Cl 5:7. μέρος τι ἐκ τῆς δ. a portion of uprightness Hv 3, 1, 6; cp. 3, 6, 4; δ. μεγάλην ἐργάζεσθαι m 8:2.—ἐλέγχειν περὶ δικαιοσύνης convict w. regard to uprightness (of Jesus) J 16:8, 10 (s. WHatch, HTR 14, 1921, 103–5; HWindisch: Jülicher Festschr. 1927, 119f; HTribble, Rev. and Expos. 32, ’37, 269–80; BLindars, BRigaux Festschr., ’70, 275–85).

ⓑ of specific action righteousness in the sense of fulfilling divine expectation not specifically expressed in ordinances (Orig., C. Cels. 7, 18, 39; Did., Gen. 188, 27: οἱ κατὰ δ. ζῶντες) Mt 3:15=ISm 1:1; of a superior type Mt 5:20 (s. JMoffatt, ET 13, 1902, 201–6, OOlevieri, Biblica 5, 1924, 201ff; Betz, SM 190f); not to win plaudits 6:1. To please outsiders as well as oneself 2 Cl 13:1. W. characteristic restriction of mng. mercy, charitableness (cp. Tob 12:9) of God, whose concern for the poor 2 Cor 9:9 (Ps 111:9) is exemplary for the recipients of the letter vs. 10; participation in such activity belongs, according to Mt 6:1f (cp. δίκαιος 1:19: Joseph combines justice and mercy), to the practice of piety (on the development of the word’s mng. in this direction s. Bousset, Rel.³ 380). Pl. (B-D-F §142; W-S. §27, 4d; Rob. 408 δικαιοσύναι righteous deeds (Ezk 3:20; 33:13; Da 9:18) 2 Cl 6:9. δικαιοσύναι righteous deeds (Ezk 3:20; 33:13; Da 9:18; TestAbr A 12 p. 91, 12 [Stone p. 30]) 2 Cl 6:9. ἀρετὴ δικαιοσύνης Hm 1:2; Hs 6, 1, 4; cp. 8, 10, 3.

ⓒ uprightness as determined by divine/legal standards δ. θεοῦ upr. that meets God’s standard Js 1:20 (W-S. 30, §7g).—Ro 10:5; Gal 2:21; 3:21; Phil 3:6; 3:9.—ASchmitt, Δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ: JGeffcken Festschr. ’31, 111–31; FHellegers, D. Gerechtigkeit Gottes im Rö., diss. Tüb. ’39; AOepke, TLZ 78, ’53, 257–64.—Dodd 42–59; ADescamps, Studia Hellenistica, ’48, 69–92.—S. also JRopes, Righteousness in the OT and in St. Paul: JBL 22, 1903, 211ff; JGerretsen, Rechtvaardigmaking bij Pls 1905; GottfrKittel, StKr 80, 1907, 217–33; ETobac, Le problème de la Justification dans S. Paul 1908; EDobschütz, Über d. paul. Rechtfertigungslehre: StKr 85, 1912, 38–87; GWetter, D. Vergeltungsged. b. Pls 1912, 161ff; BWestcott, St. Paul and Justification 1913; WMacholz, StKr 88, 1915, 29ff; EBurton ICC, Gal. 1921, 460–74; WMichaelis, Rechtf. aus Glauben b. Pls: Deissmann Festschr. 1927, 116–38; ELohmeyer, Grundlagen d. paul. Theologie 1929, 52ff; HBraun, Gerichtsged. u. Rechtfertigungslehre b. Pls. 1930; OZänker, Δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ b. Pls: ZST 9, ’32, 398–420; FFilson, St. P.’s Conception of Recompense ’31; WGrundmann, ZNW 32, ’33, 52–65; H-DWendland, D. Mitte der paul. Botschaft ’35; RGyllenberg, D. paul. Rechtfertigungslehre u. das AT: Studia Theologica (Riga) I ’35, 35–52; HJager, Rechtvaardiging en zekerheid des geloofs (Ro 1:16f; 3:21–5:11) ’39; HHofer, D. Rechtfertigungsverk. des Pls nach neuerer Forschg. ’40; VTaylor, Forgiveness and Reconciliation ’41; RBultmann, Theologie des NT ’48, 266–80, Eng. tr. KGrobel ’51, I 270–85; SSchulz, ZTK 56, ’59, 155–85 (Qumran and Paul); CMüller, FRL 86, ’64 (Ro 9–11); JBecker, Das Heil Gottes, ’64; PStuhlmacher, Gerechtigkeit Gottes b. Paulus, ’65; JReumann, Int 20, ’66, 432–52 (Ro 3:21–31); HBraun, Qumran II, ’66, 165–80; JZiesler, The Mng. of Righteousness in Paul, ’72; ESanders, Paul and Palestinian Judaism, ’77 (s. index 625; appendix by MBrauch 523–42 rev. of discussions in Germany); SWilliams, JBL 99, ’80, 241–90.—CPerella, De justificatione sec. Hb: Biblica 14, ’33, 1–21; 150–69. S. also the lit. on πίστις and ἁμαρτία.—On the whole word s. RAC X 233–360; AKöberle, Rechtfertigung u. Heiligung 1930; EDNT I 325–30.—DELG s.v. δίκη. M-M. EDNT.TW. Sv.