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δικαιόω

dikaióō

G1344 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To declare or consider just, to acquit in a judicial context; more broadly, to treat or regard as righteous, to vindicate. In Hellenistic and Koine usage, the term carries the sense of declaring someone to be in the right, often within legal, ethical, or covenantal frameworks. It can refer to both a formal judicial declaration and a more general act of showing or proving someone's uprightness or innocence.

Semantic Range

to declare justified, to acquit or vindicate, to treat as righteous or just, to prove right, to recognize or regard as in the right, to assert the justice of a cause, to show to be innocent or correct

Root / Etymology

From the adjective δίκαιος (just, righteous), formed with the causative verbal ending -όω. The verb thus literally means 'to make or declare righteous/just'. Related to the root δικ-/δικαι-, associated with justice, uprightness, conformity to a standard or norm.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, δικαιόω most often means 'to treat as just,' especially in a courtroom setting: to pronounce a verdict of acquittal or to assert someone's cause as right. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, the word expands to include non-judicial settings where a person, act, or statement is shown or proved to be right or justifiable. In the Septuagint, δικαιόω is frequently used to translate the Hebrew root צדק (ṣdq, to be righteous/just), often in legal or covenantal contexts, where it describes either God's or a human's actions. In the New Testament, the verb is commonly used in legal or relational contexts to denote being declared right in the sight of God, acquitted of wrongdoing, or vindicated. English translation as 'justify' or 'declare righteous' captures the judicial aspect but can obscure the broader usage; the verb does not mean 'to make morally righteous' in the sense of ethical transformation, but describes the act of declaring or recognizing that standing. Compared with ἀφιέναι ('to forgive'), δικαιόω emphasizes a declaration of status rather than the removal of guilt. In Roman and Greek legal culture, the term aligns with the formal acquittal and restoration of status, and in Jewish-Greek texts often includes covenant membership implications.

Translation Consistency

primary "justify" 2 occurrences

δικαιόω most commonly functions as ‘declare or treat as righteous/just, acquit or vindicate.’ ‘Justify’ is the natural, idiomatic English verb that captures the judicial and covenantal sense (declare righteous/acquit) and is the standard theological rendering in New Testament contexts. It allows consistent use across all forms while covering the full semantic range (declare, acquit, vindicate, regard as right).

Alternatives (37 occurrences):
"declared righteous" (14x) "justified" (11x) "having been declared righteous" (4x) "declaring righteous" (3x) "might be declared righteous" (2x) "those being declared righteous" (1x) "declare righteous" (1x) "justifies" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from δίκαιος; to render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent:--free, justify(-ier), be righteous.

Root Family

δικαι- (dikaiosýnē) — to be just, to conform to justice, to be upright

Root δικαι- to consider just, to declare righteous, to justify, to acquit
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G1343 δικαιοσύνη uprightness
G1347 δικαίωσις acquittal

Word Forms

24 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1344-23 ἐδικαιώθη edikaiothe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG justified was declared righteous was justified 6
G1344-20 δικαιοῦται dikaioutai V PRS PASS IND 3P SG is justified is being declared righteous is being justified 4
G1344-09 δικαιωθέντες dikaiothentes V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M PL having been justified having been declared righteous having been declared righteous 3
G1344-08 δικαιωθῆναι dikaiothenai V AOR PASS INF to be justified to be declared righteous to be declared righteous 2
G1344-12 δικαιωθήσεται dikaiothesetai V FUT PASS IND 3P SG will be justified will be declared righteous will be declared righteous 2
G1344-14 δικαιωθῶμεν dikaiothomen V AOR PASS SUBJ 1P PL we might be justified we might be declared righteous we might be declared righteous 2
G1344-16 δικαιοῦντα dikaiounta V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M SG justifier declaring righteous declaring righteous 2
G1344-22 ἐδικαίωσεν edikaiosen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG he justified he declared righteous he declared righteous 2
G1344-01 δεδικαίωμαι dedikaiomai V PRF PASS IND 1P SG am I justified I have been declared righteous I have been declared righteous 1
G1344-02 δεδικαιωμένος dedikaiomenos V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M SG justified having been declared righteous having been declared righteous 1

Occurrences in Scripture

39 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1344-23 Matthew 11:19 ἐδικαιώθη edikaiothe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG was-justified was declared righteous was justified
G1344-11 Matthew 12:37 δικαιωθήσῃ dikaiothese V FUT PASS IND 2P SG you will be justified you will be justified you will be justified
G1344-21 Luke 7:29 ἐδικαίωσαν edikaiosan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL justified they declared righteous they declared righteous
G1344-23 Luke 7:35 ἐδικαιώθη edikaiothe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG was justified was declared righteous was justified
G1344-06 Luke 10:29 δικαιῶσαι dikaiosai V AOR ACT INF to justify to declare righteous to justify
G1344-17 Luke 16:15 δικαιοῦντες dikaiountes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL justify declaring righteous ones declaring righteous
G1344-02 Luke 18:14 δεδικαιωμένος dedikaiomenos V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M SG justified having been declared righteous having been declared righteous
G1344-08 Acts 13:38 δικαιωθῆναι dikaiothenai V AOR PASS INF to be justified to be declared righteous to be declared righteous
G1344-20 Acts 13:39 δικαιοῦται dikaioutai V PRS PASS IND 3P SG is justified is being declared righteous is being justified
G1344-13 Romans 2:13 δικαιωθήσονται dikaiothesontai V FUT PASS IND 3P PL shall be justified they will be declared righteous they will be declared righteous
G1344-10 Romans 3:4 δικαιωθῇς dikaiothes V AOR PASS SUBJ 2P SG be justified you may be declared righteous you may be declared righteous
G1344-12 Romans 3:20 δικαιωθήσεται dikaiothesetai V FUT PASS IND 3P SG will be justified will be declared righteous will be declared righteous
G1344-15 Romans 3:24 δικαιούμενοι dikaioumenoi V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M PL being justified those being declared righteous those being declared righteous
G1344-16 Romans 3:26 δικαιοῦντα dikaiounta V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M SG justifier declaring righteous declaring righteous
G1344-18 Romans 3:28 δικαιοῦσθαι dikaiousthai V PRS PASS INF a man is justified to be declared righteous to be declared righteous
G1344-07 Romans 3:30 δικαιώσει dikaiosei V FUT ACT IND 3P SG will justify will declare righteous will declare righteous
G1344-23 Romans 4:2 ἐδικαιώθη edikaiothe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG was justified was declared righteous was justified
G1344-16 Romans 4:5 δικαιοῦντα dikaiounta V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M SG justifying declaring righteous declaring righteous
G1344-09 Romans 5:1 δικαιωθέντες dikaiothentes V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M PL having been justified having been declared righteous having been declared righteous
G1344-09 Romans 5:9 δικαιωθέντες dikaiothentes V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M PL having been justified having been declared righteous having been declared righteous
G1344-03 Romans 6:7 δεδικαίωται dedikaiotai V PRF PASS IND 3P SG is justified has been declared righteous has been declared righteous
G1344-22 Romans 8:30 ἐδικαίωσεν edikaiosen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG he justified he declared righteous he declared righteous
G1344-22 Romans 8:30 ἐδικαίωσεν edikaiosen-2 V AOR ACT IND 3P SG he justified he declared righteous he declared righteous
G1344-05 Romans 8:33 δικαιῶν dikaion V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG justifies upright one justifies
G1344-01 1 Corinthians 4:4 δεδικαίωμαι dedikaiomai V PRF PASS IND 1P SG am I justified I have been declared righteous I have been declared righteous
G1344-24 1 Corinthians 6:11 ἐδικαιώθητε edikaiothete V AOR PASS IND 2P PL you were justified you were declared righteous you were declared righteous
G1344-20 Galatians 2:16 δικαιοῦται dikaioutai V PRS PASS IND 3P SG is justified is being declared righteous is being justified
G1344-14 Galatians 2:16 δικαιωθῶμεν dikaiothomen V AOR PASS SUBJ 1P PL we might be justified we might be declared righteous we might be declared righteous
G1344-12 Galatians 2:16 δικαιωθήσεται dikaiothesetai V FUT PASS IND 3P SG will be justified will be declared righteous will be declared righteous
G1344-08 Galatians 2:17 δικαιωθῆναι dikaiothenai V AOR PASS INF to be justified to be declared righteous to be declared righteous
G1344-04 Galatians 3:8 δικαιοῖ dikaioi V PRS ACT IND 3P SG would justify upright ones would justify
G1344-20 Galatians 3:11 δικαιοῦται dikaioutai V PRS PASS IND 3P SG is justified is being declared righteous is being justified
G1344-14 Galatians 3:24 δικαιωθῶμεν dikaiothomen V AOR PASS SUBJ 1P PL we might be justified we might be declared righteous we might be declared righteous
G1344-19 Galatians 5:4 δικαιοῦσθε dikaiousthe V PRS PASS IND 2P PL are justified you are being declared righteous you are being declared righteous
G1344-23 1 Timothy 3:16 ἐδικαιώθη edikaiothe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG was vindicated was declared righteous was justified
G1344-09 Titus 3:7 δικαιωθέντες dikaiothentes V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M PL being justified having been declared righteous having been declared righteous
G1344-23 James 2:21 ἐδικαιώθη edikaiothe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG justified was declared righteous was justified
G1344-20 James 2:24 δικαιοῦται dikaioutai V PRS PASS IND 3P SG is justified is being declared righteous is being justified
G1344-23 James 2:25 ἐδικαιώθη edikaiothe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG justified was declared righteous was justified
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