Strong's Lexicon dikaioó: To justify, to declare righteous, to acquit Original Word: δικαιόω Word Origin: From the Greek adjective δίκαιος (dikaios), meaning "righteous" or "just." Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - H6663 (צָדַק, tsadaq): To be just or righteous, to justify or declare righteous. Usage: The verb δικαιόω primarily means to declare or pronounce someone as righteous. In a legal sense, it refers to the act of acquitting or vindicating someone, declaring them free from guilt or blame. In the New Testament, it is often used in the context of God's act of declaring a sinner righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. This justification is not based on the individual's own merit but on the righteousness of Christ imputed to them. Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, δικαιόω was a legal term used in the context of courtrooms and judicial proceedings. It involved the act of a judge declaring a defendant to be in the right, thus acquitting them of charges. In Jewish thought, righteousness was closely tied to adherence to the Law. However, the New Testament writers, particularly Paul, redefined justification in light of the gospel, emphasizing faith in Christ as the means of being declared righteous before God. HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 1344 dikaióō (from dikē, "right, judicial-approval") – properly, approved, especially in a legal, authoritative sense; to show what is right, i.e. conformed to a proper standard (i.e. "upright"). The believer is "made righteous/justified" (1344 /dikaióō) by the Lord, cleared of all charges (punishment) related to their sins. Moreover, they are justified (1344 /dikaióō, "made right, righteous") by God's grace each time they receive (obey) faith (4102 /pístis), i.e. "God's inwrought persuasion" (cf. the -oō ending which conveys "to bring to/out"). See 1343 (dikaiosynē). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom dikaios Definition to show to be righteous, declare righteous NASB Translation acknowledged...justice (1), acquitted (1), freed (3), justified (24), justifier (1), justifies (2), justify (4), vindicated (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1344: δικαιόωδικαιόω, δικαίῳ; future δικαιώσω; 1 aorist ἐδικαίωσα; passive (present δικαιοῦμαι); perfect δεδικαίωμαι; 1 aorist ἐδικαιωθην; future δικαιωθήσομαι; (δίκαιος); the Sept. for צִדֵּק and הִצְדִּיק; 1. properly, (according to the analogy of other verbs ending in , as τυφλόω, δουλόω) to make δίκαιος; to render righteous or such as he ought to be; (Vulg.justifico); but this meaning is extremely rare, if not altogether doubtful; ἐδικαίωσα τήν καρδίαν μου stands for לְבָבִי זִכִּיתִי in Psalm 72:13 2. τινα, to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered (Ezekiel 16:51f; τήν ψυχήν αὐτοῦ, Jeremiah 3:11, and, probably, δικαιοῦν δίκαιον, Isaiah 53:11): ἡ σοφία ἐδικαιώθη ἀπό τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς, the wisdom taught and exemplified by John the Baptist, and by Jesus, gained from its disciples (i. e. from their life, character, and deeds) the benefit of being shown to be righteous, i. e. true and divine (cf. Buttmann, 322 (277); others interpret, was acknowledged to be righteous on the part of (nearly, equivalent to, by) her children; cf. Buttmann, 325 (280); see ἀπό, II. 2 d. bb.), Luke 7:35; Matthew 11:19 (here T Tr text WH read ἔργων, i. e. by her works); passive, of Christ: ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι, evinced to be righteous as to his spiritual (divine ((?) cf. e. g. Ellicott at the passage or Meyer on Romans 1:4)) nature, 1 Timothy 3:16; of God: ὅπως δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου, Romans 3:4 from Psalm 50:6 3. τινα, to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be, (cf. ὁμοιόω to declare to be like, liken, i. e. compare; ὁσιόω, Wis. 6:11; ἀξιόω, which never means to make worthy, but to judge worthy, to declare worthy, to treat as worthy; see also κοινόω, 2 b.); a. with the negative idea predominant, to declare guiltless one accused or who may be accused, acquitted of a charge or reproach, (Deuteronomy 25:1; Sir. 13:22 (21), etc.; an unjust judge is said δικαιοῦν τόν ἀσεβῆ in Exodus 23:7; Isaiah 5:23): ἑαυτόν, Luke 10:29; passive οὐ δεδικαίωμαι, namely, with God, 1 Corinthians 4:4; pregnantly with ἀπό τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν added, to be declared innocent and therefore to be absolved from the charge of sins (cf. Buttmann, 322 (277)), Acts 13:38 (39) (so ἀπό ἁμαρτίας, Sir. 26:29; simply, to be absolved, namely, from the payment of a vow, Sir. 18:22 (21)); hence, figuratively, by a usage not met with elsewhere, to be freed, ἀπό τῆς ἁμαρτίας, from its dominion, Romans 6:7, where cf. Fritzsche or ((less fully) Meyer). b. with the positive idea predominant, to judge, declare, pronounce, righteous and therefore acceptable, (God is said δικαιοῦν δίκαιον, 1 Kings 8:32): ἑαυτόν, Luke 16:15; ἐδικαίωσαν τόν Θεόν, declared God to be righteous, i. e. by receiving the baptism declared that it had been prescribed by God rightly, Luke 7:29; passive by God, Romans 2:13; ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, got his reputation for righteousness (namely, with his countrymen (but see Meyer (edited by Weiss) at the passage)) by works, Romans 4:2; ἐκ τῶν λόγων, by thy words, in contrast with καταδικάζεσθαι, namely, by God, Matthew 12:37. Especially is it so used, in the technical phraseology of Paul, respecting God who judges and declares such men as put faith in Christ to be righteous and acceptable to him, and accordingly fit to receive the pardon of their sins and eternal life (see δικαιοσύνη, 1 c.): thus absolutely, δικαιοῦν τινα, Romans 3:26; Romans 4:5; Romans 8:30, 33 (namely, ἡμᾶς, opposed to ἐγκάλειν); with the addition of ἐκ (in consequence of) πίστεως, Romans 3:30; Galatians 3:8; of διά τῆς πίστεως, Romans 3:30; men are said δικαιοῦσθαι, δικαιωθῆναι, τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ, Titus 3:7; δωρεάν τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ, Romans 3:24 πίστει, Romans 3:28; ἐκ πίστεως, by means of faith, Romans 5:1; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:24; ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ (as the meritorious cause of their acceptance, as the old theologians say, faith being the apprehending or subjective cause), Romans 5:9; ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ καί ἐν τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, by confessing the name of the Lord (which implies faith in him, Romans 10:10, cf. 2 Corinthians 4:13), and by the Spirit of God (which has awakened faith in the soul), 1 Corinthians 6:11; ἐν Χριστῷ through Christ, Galatians 2:17; Acts 13:39; it is vehemently denied by Paul, that a man δικαιοῦται ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, Galatians 2:16 — with the addition ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, i. e. of God, Romans 3:20, cf. Romans 3:28; Romans 4:2, (see δικαιοσύνην, 1 c. under the end) — a statement which is affirmed by James in 1. equivalent to δίκαιον νομίζω, to deem right or fair: τί, often followed by the infinitive; to choose what is right and fair, hence, universally, to choose, desire, decide: Herodotus, Sophocles, Thucydides, others. 2. with the accusative of person, τό δίκαιον ποιῶ τινα to do one justice, in a bad sense, viz. to condemn, punish, one: Herodotus, Thucydides, Plato, others; hence, δικαιοῦσθαι, to have justice done oneself, to suffer justice, be treated rightly, opposed to ἀδικεῖσθαι, Aristotle, eth. Nic. 5, 9, 11, p. 1136{a}, 18ff (In like manner the German rechtfertigen in its early forensic use bore a bad sense, viz. to try judicially (so for ἀνακρίνειν, Acts 12:19 Luther), then condemn; execute judgment, especially put to death.) From dikaios; to render (i.e. Show or regard as) just or innocent -- free, justify(-ier), be righteous. see GREEK dikaios Englishman's Concordance Matthew 11:19 V-AIP-3SGRK: ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ ἐδικαιώθη ἡ σοφία NAS: wisdom is vindicated by her deeds. KJV: But wisdom is justified of her INT: of sinners And was justified the wisdom Matthew 12:37 V-FIP-2S Luke 7:29 V-AIA-3P Luke 7:35 V-AIP-3S Luke 10:29 V-ANA Luke 16:15 V-PPA-NMP Luke 18:14 V-RPM/P-NMS Acts 13:39 V-ANP Acts 13:39 V-PIM/P-3S Romans 2:13 V-FIP-3P Romans 3:4 V-ASP-2S Romans 3:20 V-FIP-3S Romans 3:24 V-PPM/P-NMP Romans 3:26 V-PPA-AMS Romans 3:28 V-PNM/P Romans 3:30 V-FIA-3S Romans 4:2 V-AIP-3S Romans 4:5 V-PPA-AMS Romans 5:1 V-APP-NMP Romans 5:9 V-APP-NMP Romans 6:7 V-RIM/P-3S Romans 8:30 V-AIA-3S Romans 8:30 V-AIA-3S Romans 8:33 V-PPA-NMS 1 Corinthians 4:4 V-RIM/P-1S Strong's Greek 1344 |