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 12:7

This saying contrasts the instability of the wicked with the stability or safety of the righteous.

“The wicked are overthrown and are no more”: “Overthrown” renders a different word than that used in 11.11 but has a similar sense. The same Hebrew word as used here is also used in Lam 4.6 in reference to the sudden destruction of Sodom. It means to be destroyed or ruined; the sense may be that God brings the wicked to an end. In some languages it is necessary to express the fact that God is the agent of destruction; for example, “If God destroys the wicked. . ..” “And are no more” is literally “and they are not,” that is, “they cease to exist.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “and that is their end.” We may also say, for example, “and they disappear” or “and you see them no more.” Note, however, that some like Good News Translation interpret “and are no more” in the light of “house of the righteous” in line 2 to refer to having no “descendants” or “families.”

“But the house of the righteous will stand”: “House” may refer to the physical home and land whose loss could lead to poverty and slavery, particularly in ancient times. “Will stand” means to remain, withstand, stand firm against threats or disaster. As noted above Good News Translation translates this line “but the families of the righteous live on.” If taken to mean the physical home, we may say with New Jerusalem Bible “but the house of the upright stands firm.”

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 12:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 12:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “All wicked people are destroyed completely,
    but nothing shall harm the home/family of a righteous person.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The wicked are overthrown
    and they will have no descendants.
    But the house of the righteous
    will survive.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The wicked will-be-destroyed and they will-perish, but the righteous and their descendants will- still -continue.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When those who are-doing evil are-caused-to-be-lowered (e.g., in status), they will cease-to-be forever, but the righteous/just, their descendants will remain-in-place.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Wicked people will die before they become old and we will see them no more,
    but righteous people will live for many years and have many descendants.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 12:7

12:7

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

7a
The wicked are overthrown and perish,

7b but the house of the righteous will stand.

12:7a

The wicked are overthrown and perish: The meaning of this line is that wicked people will be completely destroyed and will cease to exist. The word overthrown can also mean “overturned” or “destroyed.” It implies that this destruction is sudden or unexpected. In connection with the following phrase and perish, it clearly refers to death.

are overthrown: This is a passive verb. The proverb does not specify who overthrows the wicked or how they are overthrown. They may be destroyed by a natural disaster, by other people, or by the LORD. In some languages, it may not be natural to use a passive verb here. Some other ways to translate this line are:

• Use an active verb. For example:

The wicked experience disaster and disappear

• Use an active verb and supply the LORD as the subject. For example:

⌊The LORD⌋ destroys people who are wicked. They die and cease to exist.

and perish: The Hebrew expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and perish is literally “and they are not.” Because of the contrast with the “house of the righteous” in 12:7b, some English versions understand this to mean that “the wicked” perish with their entire families. For example:

and leave no descendants (Good News Translation)
-or-
—no one is left! (The Voice)

However, it is probably better in 12:7a to refer to the fate of the wicked themselves rather than that of their descendants.

12:7b

the house of the righteous: In Hebrew, the word house can refer to a person’s home, his family, and his descendants. Here it probably includes the literal house and property of the righteous person as well as his family. (See the note on 3:33a–b. That note discusses the literal and figurative meanings of house.)

In some languages, it may be awkward to include both the ideas of a literal house and the family that lives in it. If that is true in your language, it is recommended that you use an expression such as “family” or “household.” For example:

the families of the righteous (Good News Translation)

will stand: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will stand indicates here that the house and family of the righteous person will continue to survive. They will not be destroyed in the storms of life. Another way to translate this idea is:

the families of the righteous live on (Good News Translation)
-or-
a good person’s family continues (New Century Version)

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