righteous, righteousness

The Greek, Hebrew, and Latin terms that are translated in English mostly as “righteous” as an adjective or personified noun or “righteousness” (also as “upright(ness)” and “just(ice)”) are most commonly expressed with concept of “straightness,” though this may be expressed in a number of ways. (Click or tap here to see the details)

Following is a list of (back-) translations of various languages:

  • Bambara, Southern Bobo Madaré, Chokwe (ululi), Amganad Ifugao, Chol, Eastern Maninkakan, Toraja-Sa’dan, Pamona, Batak Toba, Bilua, Tiv: “be straight”
  • Laka: “follow the straight way” or “to straight-straight” (a reduplicated form for emphasis)
  • Sayula Popoluca: “walk straight”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl, Kekchí, Muna: “have a straight heart”
  • Kipsigis: “do the truth”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “do according to the truth”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “have truth”
  • Yine: “fulfill what one should do”
  • Indonesian: “be true”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “do just so”
  • Anuak: “do as it should be”
  • Mossi: “have a white stomach” (see also happiness / joy)
  • Paasaal: “white heart” (source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
  • (San Mateo del Mar Huave: “completely good” (the translation does not imply sinless perfection)
  • Nuer: “way of right” (“there is a complex concept of “right” vs. ‘left’ in Nuer where ‘right’ indicates that which is masculine, strong, good, and moral, and ‘left’ denotes what is feminine, weak, and sinful (a strictly masculine viewpoint!) The ‘way of right’ is therefore righteousness, but of course women may also attain this way, for the opposition is more classificatory than descriptive.”) (This and all above from Bratcher / Nida except for Bilua: Carl Gross; Tiv: Rob Koops; Muna: René van den Berg)
  • Central Subanen: “wise-good” (source: Robert Brichoux in OPTAT 1988/2, p. 80ff. )
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “live well”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “goodness before the face of God” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl: “the result of heart-straightening” (source: Nida 1947, p. 224)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “entirely good” (when referred to God), “do good” or “not be a debtor as God sees one” (when referred to people)
  • Carib: “level”
  • Tzotzil: “straight-hearted”
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “right and straight”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “walk straight” (source for this and four previous: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22)
  • Makonde: “doing what God wants” (in a context of us doing) and “be good in God’s eyes” (in the context of being made righteous by God) (note that justify / justification is translated as “to be made good in the eyes of God.” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Aari: The Pauline word for “righteous” is generally rendered by “makes one without sin” in the Aari, sometimes “before God” is added for clarity. (Source: Loren Bliese)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “having sin taken away” (Source: Nida 1952, p. 144)
  • Nyamwezi: wa lole: “just” or “someone who follows the law of God” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Venda: “nothing wrong, OK” (Source: J.A. van Roy in The Bible Translator 1972, p. 418ff. )
  • Ekari: maakodo bokouto or “enormous truth” (the same word that is also used for “truth“; bokouto — “enormous” — is being used as an attribute for abstract nouns to denote that they are of God [see also here]; source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37ff. ).
  • Guhu-Samane: pobi or “right” (also: “right (side),” “(legal) right,” “straightness,” “correction,” “south,” “possession,” “pertinence,” “kingdom,” “fame,” “information,” or “speech” — “According to [Guhu-Samane] thinking there is a common core of meaning among all these glosses. Even from an English point of view the first five can be seen to be closely related, simply because of their similarity in English. However, from that point the nuances of meaning are not so apparent. They relate in some such a fashion as this: As one faces the morning sun, south lies to the right hand (as north lies to the left); then at one’s right hand are his possessions and whatever pertains to him; thus, a rich man’s many possessions and scope of power and influence is his kingdom; so, the rich and other important people encounter fame; and all of this spreads as information and forms most of the framework of the people’s speech.”) (Source: Ernest Richert in Notes on Translation 1964, p. 11ff.)
  • German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): Gerechtheit, a neologism to differentiate it from the commonly-used Gerechtigkeit which can mean “righteousness” but is more often used in modern German as “fairness” (Berger / Nord especially use Gerechtheit in Letter to the Romans) or Gerechtestun, also a neologism, meaning “righteous deeds” (especially in Letter to the Ephesians)
  • “did what he should” (Eastern Highland Otomi)
  • “a clear man, good [man]” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter 2004)

See also respectable, righteous, righteous (person), devout, and She is more in the right(eous) than I.

complete verse (Isaiah 46:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 46:13:

  • Kupsabiny: “I am close to release/redeem you and it is not far away.
    I will rescue you without dragging my feet.
    I will rescue the people of Zion
    and make my people of Israel be honored.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I am bringing my righteousness near.
    It is not far, it is near you.
    My salvation will not be delayed.
    I will give salvation to Zion.
    and show my glory to Israel."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “In not a-long-time, I will- now -give Jerusalem victory with righteousness. Yes, I am now close/[lit. near] to save it, and I will-honor Israel.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Isaiah 46:13

I bring near my deliverance, it is not far off: Like Revised Standard Version, many versions use the present tense for I bring near my deliverance. However, the Hebrew verb rendered bring near is in the perfect form, so it affirms the certainty of this future event by treating it as if it has happened already. Yahweh’s deliverance of his people is both sure and near. It is not far off emphasizes that he will rescue them soon.

My salvation will not tarry repeats that Yahweh will rescue his people soon. He will not tarry or delay doing it. My salvation refers to God’s salvation/rescue of his people, not his own salvation. Good News Translation and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh render salvation as “triumph,” but we prefer the sense of “rescue” here. For languages that have difficulty with the abstract idea of salvation as the subject, this line may be rendered “I will rescue you without delay.”

I will put salvation in Zion is literally “and I will give in Zion salvation.” The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. Some believe it means the LORD will save the city of Jerusalem itself, either by rescuing those who are in the city or by rebuilding it. Good News Translation follows this sense with “I will save Jerusalem,” and so does New International Version with “I will grant salvation to Zion.” Others believe it means God will save the world through Jerusalem. Translators may follow either sense here. Revised English Bible says “In Zion I shall grant deliverance,” which allows for both meanings. For Zion as another name for Jerusalem, see the comments on 1.8.

For Israel my glory: The meaning of this line is also uncertain. It may mean that Yahweh saves Jerusalem for the benefit of Israel, the people who reflect his glory (so Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible; see also the first example below), or it may mean that he will give Israel a glory that reflects his own; for example, New International Version has “[I will grant] my splendor to Israel” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible; see also the second example below). Translators may choose either sense here. Glory translates a Hebrew word that can also mean “splendor” or “beauty” (see the comments on 13.19, where it is translated “splendor”). For Good News Translation and Bible en français courant my glory refers to the honor Yahweh will give to Israel, but it more likely points to his own glory.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• I have brought my deliverance near,
it is not distant;
I will rescue you without delay.
I will rescue Zion
for the benefit of Israel, my beauty.”

• My deliverance is now near,
it is not far off;
I will hasten to save you.
In Zion I will show my salvation,
in Israel my glory.”

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .