צָדַק
𐤑𐤃𐤒
tsâdaq
H6663 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be just, righteous, or in the right; to be in a state or condition of conformity to an ethical or legal standard. Can also mean to declare or recognize as right, to justify, to demonstrate innocence, or to acquit in a legal setting. Semantic range covers being in the right, being proven right (morally, ethically, or legally), acting in accordance with justice, or being deemed right by a judge or by society.
Semantic Range
to be right; to be justified; to be acquitted (in a dispute or legal sense); to act justly; to declare righteous; to make appear righteous; to prove innocence; to be or become just; to demonstrate conformity to ethics or law
Root / Etymology
The root צ-ד-ק (ts-d-q) conveys concepts of being right, just, or correct. צָדַק is a qal verb meaning 'to be just' or 'to be in the right.' The hifil stem (causative) expresses 'to declare righteous, to justify.' Related nouns (צֶדֶק, righteousness; צַדִּיק, righteous person) derive from the same root, all bearing the sense of uprightness or correctness. No certain cognate root in other Semitic languages, but parallels with Ugaritic and Akkadian suggest a Northwest Semitic origin denoting conformity with a standard.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In its earliest biblical usage, צָדַק expresses being right or just, either in conduct (ethical) or in a situation (legal/forensic). In legal settings, it most often refers to being vindicated or pronounced innocent by an authority (e.g., judge, God). As biblical texts progress into later periods, the verb takes on theological overtones, but always remains anchored in the concept of outwardly recognizable justice or rightness, not abstract or internal 'righteousness.' The causative forms (especially hifil) focus on the act of declaring or treating as righteous rather than causing the person to become virtuous in a modern sense. Caution should be exercised when translating, as modern English 'justify' or 'righteousness' often carries individualistic or theological connotations absent in the primary Israelite usage, which is anchored in public or communal standards of justice, especially in legal disputes. Contrast with עָוָה (to be perverse) and רָשַׁע (to be wicked), which represent the opposite end of the moral/legal spectrum. Later English renderings such as 'justification' or 'to justify' import later doctrinal meanings that do not always align with the original usage. During the monarchic and exilic periods, the verb increasingly appears in situations involving God's judgment or vindication, both of individuals and of Israel as a collective. In post-exilic and Second Temple literature, related forms continue to focus on public standards of virtue, justice, and rightness.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) right (in a moral or forensic sense); cleanse, clear self, (be, do) just(-ice, -ify, -ify self), (be turn to) righteous(-ness).
Bantu Hebrew
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צדק (ts-d-q) — rightness, justice, conformity to a standard
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H139 | אֲדֹנִי־צֶדֶק | righteousness |
| H3087 | יְהוֹצָדָק | and Yahweh-has-made-righteous |
| H3136 | יוֹצָדָק | Yah Is Righteous |
| H6659 | צָדוֹק | to Righteous-one |
| H6662 | צַדִּיק | the just one |
Word Forms
28 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6663-27 |
יִצְדַּ֖ק | yitsedaq | HVqi3ms |
be justified | he will be in the right | 6 |
H6663-09 |
תִּצְדָּֽק | titsedaq | HVqi2ms |
you-are-justified | you will be just | 4 |
H6663-01 |
אַצְדִּ֖יק | atsediq | HVhi1cs |
I will justify | I will declare right | 2 |
H6663-03 |
אֶ֭צְדָּק | etsedaq | HVqi1cs |
I justify myself | I will be in the right | 2 |
H6663-12 |
צָ֭דַקְתִּי | tsadaqeti | HVqp1cs |
I am righteous | I was in the right | 2 |
H6663-11 |
צָדַ֣קְתָּ | tsadaqeta | HVqp2ms |
you are right | you were in the right | 2 |
H6663-18 |
וּ/לְ/הַצְדִּ֣יק | ulehatsediq | HC/R/Vhc |
and-to-justify | and to justify | 2 |
H6663-16 |
צָֽדְק֥וּ | tsadequ | HVqp3cp |
righteous | they were in the right | 1 |
H6663-26 |
יַצְדִּ֥יק | yatsediq | HVhi3ms |
he will justify | he will declare right | 1 |
H6663-04 |
הַצְדִּֽיקוּ | hatsediqu | HVhv2mp |
justify | Declare righteous! | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
41 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6663-13 |
Genesis 38:26 | צָֽדְקָ֣ה | tsadeqah | HVqp3fs |
she is more righteous | she was in the right |
H6663-08 |
Genesis 44:16 | נִּצְטַדָּ֑ק | nitsetadaq | HVti1cp |
shall we clear ourselves | we will justify ourselves |
H6663-01 |
Exodus 23:7 | אַצְדִּ֖יק | atsediq | HVhi1cs |
I will justify | I will declare right |
H6663-22 |
Deuteronomy 25:1 | וְ/הִצְדִּ֨יקוּ֙ | vehitsediqu | HC/Vhq3cp |
and they shall justify | and they declared right |
H6663-21 |
2 Samuel 15:4 | וְ/הִצְדַּקְתִּֽי/ו | vehitsedaqetiv | HC/Vhp1cs/Sp3ms |
and I would do him justice | and I justified him |
H6663-18 |
1 Kings 8:32 | וּ/לְ/הַצְדִּ֣יק | ulehatsediq | HC/R/Vhc |
and-to-justify | and to justify |
H6663-06 |
Isaiah 5:23 | מַצְדִּיקֵ֥י | matsediqey | HVhrmpc |
who justify | justifiers of |
H6663-25 |
Isaiah 43:9 | וְ/יִצְדָּ֔קוּ | veyitsedaqu | HC/Vqi3mp |
that they may be justified | and they will be right |
H6663-09 |
Isaiah 43:26 | תִּצְדָּֽק | titsedaq | HVqi2ms |
you may be justified | you will be just |
H6663-28 |
Isaiah 45:25 | יִצְדְּק֥וּ | yitsedequ | HVqi3mp |
they-will-be-justified | they will be in the right |