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.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 10:25

“When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more”: “Tempest” renders a word meaning a windstorm, destructive wind, or perhaps a whirlwind. It is used in Job 21.18 and 27.20, which describe the destruction of the wicked by God. “When the tempest passes” is ambiguous in English since it may mean when the storm is happening or after the storm has passed by. This phrase is to be understood as “when a storm blows up,” “when a storm strikes,” or as in Good News Translation “Storms come. . ..” “The wicked is no more” means that the wicked cease to exist, are destroyed, or disappear. The function of the storm image is to express the thought of trouble, destruction, or calamity. Therefore Bible en français courant says “Evil people are overcome by adversity.” We may also say, for example, “Trouble destroys the wicked.”

“But the righteous is established forever”: If we keep the storm or wind image in the first line, we will need to translate “established” as a parallel thought in the second line. See Good News Translation “are always safe.” “Established” translates a noun meaning foundation or base. The sense is that good people, in contrast to the wicked who are destroyed by the wind, are like a solid foundation, and therefore are permanent and unmovable. Most modern translations treat this expression as a clause; for example, New Jerusalem Bible “but the upright stands firm forever” and Revised English Bible “but the righteous are firmly established forever.” Bible en français courant, which replaced the storm image in the first line, says “but the good person always withstands.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

complete verse (Proverbs 10:25)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 10:25:

  • Kupsabiny: “When (a) storm comes, sinners faint/get lost,
    but nothing can move/sweep away the righteous people.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “When the whirlwind comes
    it will blow the wicked away,
    The righteous will never be shaken.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If trial in life comes like a storm, a wicked man will-be-destroyed, but a righteous man will-remain firm/strong.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If hardship arrives like a typhoon in a life, those who are-doing evil will-be-lost, but all who-are-obeying God, (they) like a foundation that remains-unchanged forever.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “When storms come, the wicked will be blown away/never be safe,
    but righteous people will be safe forever.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 10:25

10:25

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

25a When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more,

25b but the righteous are secure forever.

This verse contrasts the different ways in which the storms of life affect the wicked and the righteous.

10:25a

When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more: The word whirlwind often refers literally to a destructive wind storm, such as a hurricane or cyclone. Here it is used figuratively. It refers to any sudden and destructive event that may happen to people, including war and disease.

passes: For this verb, you may use any term that applies to a storm that strikes or passes through an area. English versions have used a variety of expressions. For example:

When the storm is over (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
when a storm strikes (Contemporary English Version)

Some ways to translate this metaphor are:

Keep the metaphor. For example:

A storm will blow the evil person away (New Century Version)

Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

Disaster strikes like a cyclone, whirling the wicked away (New Living Translation (1996))

are no more: In Hebrew, this phrase indicates that the wicked will no longer exist. They will be destroyed.

10:25b

but the righteous are secure forever: In Hebrew, this line is literally “but the righteous is a foundation forever.” This is a metaphor. It compares a righteous person to the firm foundation of a building that a storm cannot destroy.

The foundation remains undamaged. In the same way, a righteous person is able to endure hardship because of his permanent relationship with the LORD.

Most English versions do not use the figure of a foundation. For example:

but God will keep safe all who obey him (Contemporary English Version)

But if a foundation implies stability and permanence in your language, try to keep the figure. You may be able to use a simile. For example:

but those who are righteous are like a foundation that remains forever

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