Justice

A principle of righteousness and equity, controlling our conduct, and securing a due regard to all the rights of others-their persons, property, character, and interests. It has to do, not with pecuniary transactions alone, but with all our intercourse with society. It forms a chief element of the character approved in God's word; and a truly just man has but to "love mercy, and walk humbly with God," to fulfil all righteousness. Justice in magistrates, rulers, and judges, must be fearless and impartial, and all its decisions such as will bear revision before the court of heaven, De 1:16,17 2 Samuel 23:3 2 Chronicles 19:6-10. Judgement is peculiarly the prerogative of God, and every earthly tribunal lies under the shadow of the "great white throne." A just judgment is the voice of God; and hence an unjust one is doubly hateful in his sight.

THE JUSTICE OF GOD is that essential and infinite attribute which makes his nature and his ways the perfect embodiment of equity, and constitutes him the model and the guardian of equity throughout the universe, De 32:4 Psalm 89:14. The justice of God could not leave the world without laws, and cannot fail to vindicate them by executing their penalties; and as all mankind perpetually break them, every human soul is under condemnation, and must perish, unless spared through the accepted ransom, the blood of Christ.

THE ADMINSITRATION OF JUSTICE among the Hebrews, was characterized by simplicity and promptitude. In early times the patriarch of each family was its judge, Genesis 38:24. Afterwards, in the absence of more formal courts, the elders of a household, tribe, or city, were its judges by natural right. In the wilderness, Moses organized for the Jews a regular system of judges, some having jurisdiction over ten families, others over fifty, one hundred, or one thousand. The difficult cases were referred to Moses, and he often sought divine direction concerning them, Exodus 18:21-26 Le 24:12. These judges were perhaps the "princes of the congregation," and the chiefs of the families and tribes of whom we afterwards read, Numbers 27:3. In the land of Canaan, local magistrates were appointed for every city and village; and these were instructed to cooperate with the priests, as being all together under the theocracy, the actual government of Jehovah, the supreme Judge of Israel, De 16:18 17:8-10 19:17 21:16. Their informal courts were held in the gate of the city, as the most public and convenient place, De 21:9 22:15 25:7; and in the same place contracts were ratified, Ruth 4:1,9 Jeremiah 32:7-15. Deborah the prophetess judged Israel beneath a palm-tree, Jud 4:5. Samuel established virtually a circuit court, 1 Samuel 7:16 8:1; and among the kings, Jehoshaphat made special provision for the faithful administration of justice, 2 Chronicles 19:1-11. The kings themselves were supreme judges, with almost unlimited powers, 1 Samuel 22:16 2 Samuel 4:9,10 1 Kings 22:26. They were expected, however, to see that justice was everywhere done, and seem to have been accessible to all who were wronged. Frequent complaints are on record in the sacred books of the maladministration of judges, of bribery and perjury, 1 Samuel 8:3 1 Kings 21:8-14 Isaiah 1:23 10:1 Mic 3:11 7:3.

There was no class among the Jews exactly corresponding to our lawyers. The accuser and the accused stood side by side before the judge, with their witnesses, and pleaded their own cause. The accuser is named in several places, Satan, that is, the adversary, Psalm 109:6 Zechariah 3:1-3. No one could be condemned without the concurring testimony of at least two witnesses, Numbers 35:30; and these failing, he was obliged to make oath of his innocence, Exodus 22:11 Hebrews 6:16. The sentence of the judge was instantly executed; and in certain cases the witnesses cast the first stone, De 17:5,7 25:2 Jos 7:24 1 Samuel 22:18 1 Kings 2:24 Proverbs 16:14. The same frightful celerity still marks the administration of justice in the East. The application of torture to extract evidence is only once mentioned, and that under the authority of Rome, Acts 22:24. See SANHEDRIM and SYNAGOGUE.

Is rendering to every one that which is his due. It has been distinguished from equity in this respect, that while justice means merely the doing what positive law demands, equity means the doing of what is fair and right in every separate case.

Justice of God

That perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. At first God imposes righteous laws on his creatures and executes them righteously. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature. His legislative justice is his requiring of his rational creatures conformity in all respects to the moral law. His rectoral or distributive justice is his dealing with his accountable creatures according to the requirements of the law in rewarding or punishing them (Psalm 89:14). In remunerative justice he distributes rewards (James 1:12; 2 Timothy 4:8); in vindictive or punitive justice he inflicts punishment on account of transgression (2 Thessalonians 1:6). He cannot, as being infinitely righteous, do otherwise than regard and hate sin as intrinsically hateful and deserving of punishment. "He cannot deny himself" (2 Timothy 2:13). His essential and eternal righteousness immutably determines him to visit every sin as such with merited punishment.

1. (n.) The quality of being just; conformity to the principles of righteousness and rectitude in all things; strict performance of moral obligations; practical conformity to human or divine law; integrity in the dealings of men with each other; rectitude; equity; uprightness.

2. (a.) Conformity to truth and reality in expressing opinions and in conduct; fair representation of facts respecting merit or demerit; honesty; fidelity; impartiality; as, the justice of a description or of a judgment; historical justice.

3. (n.) The rendering to every one his due or right; just treatment; requital of desert; merited reward or punishment; that which is due to one's conduct or motives.

4. (a.) Agreeableness to right; equity; justness; as, the justice of a claim.

5. (n.) A person duly commissioned to hold courts, or to try and decide controversies and administer justice.

6. (v. t.) To administer justice to.

JUSTICE

jus'-tis (tsedhaqah; tsedheq; dikaiosune): The original Hebrew and Greek words are the same as those rendered "righteousness." This is the common rendering, and in about half the cases where we have "just" and "justice" in the King James Version, the American Standard Revised Version has changed to "righteous" and "righteousness." It must be constantly borne in mind that the two ideas are essentially the same.

See RIGHTEOUSNESS.

1. Human Justice:

Justice had primarily to do with conduct in relation to others, especially with regard to the rights of others. It is applied to business, where just weights and measures are demanded (Leviticus 19:35, 36 Deuteronomy 25:13-16 Amos 8:5 Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 16:11 Ezekiel 45:9, 10). It is demanded in courts, where the rights of rich and poor, Israelite and sojourner, are equally to be regarded. Neither station nor bribe nor popular clamor shall influence judge or witness. "Justice, justice shalt thou follow" (Deuteronomy 16:20; compare Deuteronomy 16:18-20 Exodus 23:1-3, 6-9). In general this justice is contrasted with that wickedness which "feared not God, and regarded not man" (Luke 18:2).

In a larger sense justice is not only giving to others their rights, but involves the active duty of establishing their rights. So Israel waits upon God's justice or cries out: "The justice due to me (literally, "my justice") is passed away from my God" (Isaiah 40:27). Yahweh is to show her to be in the right as over against the nations. Justice here becomes mercy. To "seek justice" means to "relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:17; compare Isaiah 11:4 Jeremiah 22:15, 16 Psalm 82:2-4). The same idea appears in Deuteronomy 24:12, 13 Psalm 37:21, 26; Psalm 112:4-6, where the translation is "righteous" instead of "just."

In this conception of justice the full meaning of the New Testament is not yet reached. It does not mean sinlessness or moral perfection. Job knows the sin in his heart (Job 13:23, 26; Job 7:21), and yet speaks of himself as a just or righteous man (12:4; 13:18). The Psalmist confidently depends upon the righteousness of God though he knows that no man is righteous in God's sight (Psalm 143:1, 2; compare Psalm 7:8; Psalm 18:20-24). It is not a lack of humility or dependence upon God when the Psalmist asks to be judged according to his righteousness. In relation to God, the just, or righteous, man is the one who holds to God and trusts in Him (Psalm 33:18-22). This is not the later Judaistic legalism with its merit and reward, where God's justice is simply a matter of giving each man what he has earned.

The word "justice" does not occur in the New Testament, and in most cases where we find "just" in the King James Version it is changed to "righteous" in the American Standard Revised Version. The idea of justice or righteousness (remembering that these are essentially the same) becomes more spiritual and ethical in the New Testament. It is a matter of character, and God's own spirit is the standard (1 John 3:7 Matthew 5:48). The mere give-and-take justice is not enough. We are to be merciful, and that to all. The ideal is righteousness, not rights. As Holtzmann says, "The keynote of the Sermon on the Mount is justitia and not jus."

2. Justice of God:

God's justice, or righteousness, is founded in His essential nature. But, just as with man, it is not something abstract, but is seen in His relation to the world. It is His kingship establishing and maintaining the right. It appears as retributive justice, "that reaction of His holy will, as grounded in His eternal being, against evil wherever found." He cannot be indifferent to good and evil (Habakkuk 1:13). The great prophets, Isaiah, Micah, Amos, Hosea, all insist upon Yahweh's demand for righteousness.

But this is not the main aspect of God's justice. Theology has been wont to set forth God's justice as the fundamental fact in His nature with which we must reconcile His mercy as best we may, the two being conceived as in conflict. As a matter of fact, the Scriptures most often conceive God's justice, or righteousness, as the action of His mercy. Just as with man justice means the relief of the oppressed and needy, so God's justice is His kingly power engaged on behalf of men, and justice and mercy are constantly joined together. He is "a just God and a Saviour" (Isaiah 45:21). "I bring near my righteousness (or "justice").... and my salvation shall not tarry" (Isaiah 46:13; compare Psalm 51:14; Psalm 103:17; 71:15:00; 116:5 Isaiah 51:5, 6). The "righteous acts of Yahweh" mean His deeds of deliverance (Judges 5:11). And so Israel sings of the justice, or judgments, or righteousness of Yahweh (they are the same), and proclaims her trust in these (Psalm 7:17; Psalm 35:23, 24, 28; Psalm 36:6; Psalm 140:12, 13; Psalm 50:5, 6; 94:14, 15; 103:06:00; 143:1).

The New Testament, too, does not lack the idea of retributive justice. The Son of Man "shall render unto every man according to his deeds" (Matthew 16:27; compare Matthew 25:14-46 Luke 12:45-48 Romans 2:2-16; Romans 6:23 2 Corinthians 5:10 Colossians 3:24, 25 2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9 Hebrews 2:2, 3; Hebrews 10:26-31). But God's justice is far more than this. The idea of merit and reward is really superseded by a higher viewpoint in the teaching of Jesus. He speaks, indeed, of recompense, but it is the Father and not the judge that gives this (Matthew 6:1, 4, 6, 18). And it is no mere justice of earth, because the reward transcends all merit (Matthew 24:46, 47 Mark 10:30 Luke 12:37). This is grace not desert (Luke 17:10). And the parable of Matthew 20:1-15 gives at length the deathblow to the whole Judaistic scheme of merit and reward.

And God's justice is not merely gracious, but redemptive. It not simply apportions rights, it establishes righteousness. Thus, just as in the Old Testament, the judge is the Saviour. The difference is simply here: in the Old Testament the salvation was more national and temporal, here it is personal and spiritual. But mercy is opposed to justice no more here than in the Old Testament. It is by the forgiveness of sins that God establishes righteousness, and this is the supreme task of justice. Thus it is that God is at the same time "just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). "He is faithful and righteous (or "just"; see the King James Version) to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

LITERATURE.

See Comm., and Biblical Theologies under "Justice" and "Righteousness," and especially Cremer, Biblical-Theol. Lex. of New Testament Greek

Harris Franklin Rall

1349. dike -- right (as self-evident), justice (the principle, a ...
... right (as self-evident), justice (the principle, a decision or its execution). Part
of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: dike Phonetic Spelling: (dee'-kay ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1349.htm - 7k

1343. dikaiosune -- righteousness, justice
... righteousness, justice. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: dikaiosune
Phonetic Spelling: (dik-ah-yos-oo'-nay) Short Definition: justice, justness ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1343.htm - 7k

1933. epieikes -- seemly, equitable, yielding
... 1933 (an adjective, derived from 1909 , ", fitting" and , "equitable, fair"; also
see the noun-form, 1932 , "equity-justice") -- properly, ; "gentle" in the ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1933.htm - 7k

1556. ekdikeo -- to vindicate, to avenge
... to vindicate, to avenge. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: ekdikeo Phonetic
Spelling: (ek-dik-eh'-o) Short Definition: I give justice over, defend, avenge ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1556.htm - 7k

1342. dikaios -- correct, righteous, by impl. innocent
... Souter). See 1343 ("). [Righteous" relates to to (justice). For more on the
root-idea see the cognate noun, 1343 ("righteousness").]. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1342.htm - 8k

2920. krisis -- a decision, judgment
... Word Origin from krino Definition a decision, judgment NASB Word Usage court
(2), judgment (38), judgments (2), justice (4), sentence (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2920.htm - 7k

1557. ekdikesis -- vengeance, vindication
... 1557 (a feminine noun derived from 1537 , " and " and 1349 , "justice, judge") --
properly, judgment which fully executes the core-values (standards) of the ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1557.htm - 7k

1932. epieikeia -- fairness, gentleness
... Cognate: 1932 (from 1909 , ", fitting," which intensifies , "reasonable,
fair, equitable," ) -- justice-beyond-justice"). 1932 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1932.htm - 7k

94. adikos -- unjust, unrighteous
... Cognate: 94 (an adjective, derived from 1 "no" and 1349 , "justice") -- properly,
without justice; unjust, because what says is just; . See 93 (). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/94.htm - 7k

968. bema -- a step, raised place, by impl. a tribunal
... 968 (from , "to step, ascend") -- properly, a platform to which someone walked up
to receive ; (figuratively) the administration of justice -- literally, given ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/968.htm - 7k

4297. mutteh -- that which is perverted, perverted justice
... 4296, 4297. mutteh. 4298 . that which is perverted, perverted justice.
Transliteration: mutteh Phonetic Spelling: (moot-teh') Short Definition: perversion. ...
/hebrew/4297.htm - 6k

4941. mishpat -- judgment
... 4940, 4941. mishpat. 4942 . judgment. Transliteration: mishpat Phonetic
Spelling: (mish-pawt') Short Definition: justice. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/4941.htm - 7k

6666. tsedaqah -- righteousness
... Word Origin from the same as tsedeq Definition righteousness NASB Word Usage honesty
(1), justice (1), merits (1), right (2), righteous (1), righteous acts (3 ...
/hebrew/6666.htm - 6k

6663. tsadeq -- to be just or righteous
... Origin denominative verb from tsedeq Definition to be just or righteous NASB Word
Usage acquit (1), acquitted (1), declare you right (1), do justice (1), give ...
/hebrew/6663.htm - 6k

6664. tsedeq -- rightness, righteousness
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition rightness, righteousness NASB Word Usage
accurate (1), fairly (1), just (10), just cause (1), justice (3), righteous ...
/hebrew/6664.htm - 6k

1779. din -- judgment
... Word Origin from din Definition judgment NASB Word Usage case (1), cause (6), judgment
(4), justice (3), lawsuit or another (1), rights (4), strife (1). ...
/hebrew/1779.htm - 6k

6415. pelilah -- office of judge or umpire
... Word Origin from palal Definition office of judge or umpire NASB Word Usage decision
(1). judgment. Feminine of paliyl; justice -- judgment. see HEBREW paliyl. ...
/hebrew/6415.htm - 6k

139. Adoni-tsedeq -- "Lord of righteousness," king of Jer.
... NASB Word Usage Adoni-zedek (2). Adonizedec. From 'adown and tsedeq; lord of justice;
Adoni-Tsedek, a Canaanitish king -- Adonizedec. see HEBREW 'adown. ...
/hebrew/139.htm - 6k

4334. mishor -- a level place, uprightness
... with the article prefix) as a properly, name of certain districts); figuratively,
concord; also straightness, ie (figuratively) justice (sometimes adverbially ...
/hebrew/4334.htm - 6k

1783. Dinah -- daughter of Jacob
... Dinah. Fem. Of duwn; justice; Dinah, the daughter of Jacob -- Dinah. see HEBREW
duwn. 1782, 1783. Dinah. 1784 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1783.htm - 6k

Justice.
... JUSTICE. Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy; for thou renderest
to every man according to his work."Psalm 62:12. Some of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/unspoken sermons/justice.htm

The Justice of God
... 3. God and his creation 8. The Justice Of God. The next attribute is God's
justice. All ... essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/8 the justice of god.htm

Whether Justice is About the Passions?
... OF JUSTICE (TWELVE ARTICLES) Whether justice is about the passions? Objection
1: It would seem that justice is about the passions. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether justice is about the.htm

Whether Justice is in the Will as Its Subject?
... OF JUSTICE (TWELVE ARTICLES) Whether justice is in the will as its subject? Objection
1: It would seem that justice is not in the will as its subject. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether justice is in the.htm

Whether Justice is a virtue?
... OF JUSTICE (TWELVE ARTICLES) Whether justice is a virtue? Objection 1: It would
seem that justice is not a virtue. ... And yet it is an act of justice. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether justice is a virtue.htm

Justice Satisfied
... Justice Satisfied. A Sermon (No.255). ... It dreads at that time every attribute of
divinity. But most of all the sinner is afraid of God's justice. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/justice satisfied.htm

Unimpeachable Justice
... Unimpeachable Justice. A Sermon (No.86). ... In the case of a believer, when he is
condemned, there is no doubt about the justice of the punishment. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/unimpeachable justice.htm

Whether Truth is a Part of Justice?
... OF TRUTH (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether truth is a part of justice? Objection 1:
It seems that truth is not a part of justice. For it seems ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether truth is a part.htm

Whether "Epikeia" is a Part of Justice?
... OF "EPIKEIA" OR EQUITY (TWO ARTICLES) Whether "epikeia" is a part of justice?
Objection 1: It seems that "epikeia" is not a part of justice. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether epikeia is a part.htm

Whether Satisfaction is an Act of Justice?
... OF SATISFACTION, AS TO ITS NATURE (THREE ARTICLES) Whether satisfaction is an act
of justice? ... Therefore satisfaction is an act of charity and not of justice. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether satisfaction is an act.htm

Justice (212 Occurrences)
... It has been distinguished from equity in this respect, that while justice means
merely the doing what positive law demands, equity means the doing of what is ...
/j/justice.htm - 46k

Equity (19 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Equality of rights; impartiality; fairness in determination of conflicting
claims; natural justice or right; the giving, or desiring to give, to each ...
/e/equity.htm - 13k

Pervert (18 Occurrences)
... Exodus 23:2 "You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; neither shall you testify
in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice; (WEB JPS DBY NAS RSV NIV). ...
/p/pervert.htm - 12k

Justly (22 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) In a just manner; in conformity to law, justice,
or propriety; by right; honestly; fairly; accurately. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/j/justly.htm - 12k

Judicial (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Pertaining or appropriate to courts of justice, or to a judge; practiced
or conformed to in the administration of justice; sanctioned or ordered by a ...
/j/judicial.htm - 25k

Right (4703 Occurrences)
... 3. (a.) Conformed to the constitution of man and the will of God, or to justice
and equity; not deviating from the true and just; according with truth and duty ...
/r/right.htm - 14k

Judgment (430 Occurrences)
... Then the secrets of all hearts will be brought to light (1 Corinthians 4:5; Luke
8:17; 12:2, 3) to vindicate the justice of the sentence pronounced. ...
/j/judgment.htm - 52k

Judging (141 Occurrences)
... ing, juj'-ment: Often in the Old Testament for "to act as a magistrate" (Exodus
18:13 Deuteronomy 1:16; Deuteronomy 16:18, etc.), justice being administered ...
/j/judging.htm - 39k

Executes (11 Occurrences)
... Executes (11 Occurrences). Deuteronomy 10:18 He doth execute justice for the fatherless
and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. ...
/e/executes.htm - 9k

Deprive (17 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Proverbs 18:5 To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not
good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice. (WEB RSV NIV). ...
/d/deprive.htm - 11k

What does the Bible say about social justice? | GotQuestions.org

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Justice: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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