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 11:18

Verses 18-21 express the same observation by expanding the thought of verse 17.

“A wicked man earns deceptive wages”: “A wicked man” renders the masculine singular adjective “wicked”. See the comment on “man” in verse 17. “Earns” translates the common Hebrew verb meaning to do or make. “Deceptive wages” refers to wages, rewards, or income that is different from what it appears to be. His wages are illusive, unreal, or worthless and so are not what the wicked had expected to get.

“But one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward”: “Sows righteousness” is a figure for doing good, living uprightly, or acting justly. “A sure reward” is literally “reward of truth,” meaning a genuine or certain reward. We may translate this verse, for example, “The wages of the wicked are an illusion, but the reward of the person who works for justice is real.”

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 11:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 11:18:

  • Kupsabiny: “What (a) sinner thinks he had gotten is worth nothing,
    but the righteous person gets true blessings.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The wicked become rich only for a time.
    The righteous
    will have [their] reward forever.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A wicked man can- not -receive the true reward, but the (one)-who-is-doing right can-receive the true reward.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Those who are doing evil, what they are able-to-gain is of no use, but the righteous/just, right/proper is their reward.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “If wicked people earn a lot of money, that will deceive them because they will not keep it for very long,
    but those who do what is right will surely be rewarded by God forever.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 11:18

11:18

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

18a
The wicked man earns an empty wage,

18b but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

11:18a

The wicked man earns an empty wage: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as empty is literally “false” or “deceptive.” This expression is figurative. It means that the results or benefits that the wicked person actually gains from his actions are not what he expects. He expects lasting happiness and prosperity. Instead, any benefits that he gains are temporary and disappointing.

Unless your language can use wage in a figurative sense, it is suggested that you translate the meaning directly. For example:

What a wicked person gains is actually worthless.

11:18b

but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward: The words sows and reaps have a figurative meaning here. The phrase sows righteousness means “does what is right or just.” The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as true reward indicates that the righteous person will certainly be rewarded and that the reward will be genuine.

In some languages, the figurative ideas of sowing/planting righteousness and reaping/harvesting a reward may not express the meaning clearly. If that is true in your language, it may be better to translate without using figures of speech. For example:

but if you do what is right, you are certain to be rewarded (Good News Translation)

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