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 14:32

“The wicked is overthrown through his evil-doing”: Many translations express the subject of this first line as a plural, “wicked people.” “Overthrown” renders the passive form of a verb meaning to “push,” “thrust,” “cast down.” It is through their “evil-doing” or by doing evil things that “The wicked” are cast down. The sense is well expressed by Good News Translation. This line may also be translated, for example, “By doing evil deeds wicked people cause their own destruction.”

“But the righteous finds refuge through his integrity”: For “refuge” see verse 26. The Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation footnotes show that the Hebrew text has “in his death” in place of “through his integrity”, which is the Septuagint form and that followed by most interpreters. The Hebrew form of the text may be taken as an expression of belief in personal immortality, but the expression is not seen elsewhere in Proverbs. The Hebrew Old Testament Text Project editors were divided, rating both the Septuagint and Hebrew texts as “C.” Those members recommending the Hebrew text translate “in his misfortune [or, at the time of misfortune] the wicked is rejected, while even at death the righteous is confident.” Those supporting the Septuagint recommend “The wicked is rejected due to his evil, while the righteous finds confidence in his integrity.” A clearer expression of the Septuagint form is Good News Translation. “His integrity” means that the person follows a moral or ethical system consistently in his decisions (see 2.7). It is closely related to honesty and trust. “Protected by their integrity” may be expressed, for example, “Their honesty and truth protect them.”

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 14:32)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 14:32:

  • Kupsabiny: “Sinners are destroyed by their wickedness,
    but the righteous find refuge when death comes.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The wicked will be destroyed
    because of their evil deeds,
    The righteous are protected
    even when they die.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “God destroys/overthrown the wicked because of their wicked deeds, but he protects the righteous because of their being-godly.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The characteristically-sinful-person is defeated because-of his very sin, but the place-of-refuge of the righteous/just, it is his correct/proper behavior.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Wicked people ruin themselves by the evil things that they do,
    but righteous/good people are kept safe/protected even when they die (OR, because of their continually doing what is right).” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 14:32

14:32

The New Revised Standard Version has been used as the source line for 14:32b. It follows the recommended textual option for 14:32b. Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

32a
The wicked man is thrown down by his own sin, (Berean Standard Bible)

32b but the righteous find a refuge in their integrity. (New Revised Standard Version)

14:32a

The wicked man is thrown down by his own sin: The Hebrew text is literally “By/In his evil/calamity the wicked one is overthrown.” The preposition can mean either “by” or “in.” The noun can mean either “misfortune/disaster” (as in 13:21a) or “evil/wrongdoing” (as in 11:19b). These different senses have resulted in the following interpretations:

(1) The preposition refers to the agent of the wicked person’s downfall. He is overthrown by his own evil deeds. For example:

Wicked people bring about their own downfall by their evil deeds (Good News Translation)

(2) The preposition refers to the circumstance of the wicked person’s downfall. He is overthrown in a time of disaster. For example:

In times of trouble the wicked are destroyed (Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions.

is thrown down: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as is thrown down means to cause someone to be thrown down (figuratively) or ruined.

14:32b

(New Revised Standard Version) but the righteous find a refuge in their integrity: There is a textual difference here:

(1) The LXX and Syriac are probably based on a Hebrew text that had “seeks refuge in/by his integrity.” The meaning is that a righteous person seeks refuge (from destruction) in his consistently upright conduct. For example:

but in integrity the upright will find refuge (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
but good people are protected by their integrity (Good News Translation)

(2) The Masoretic Text (MT) has “seeks refuge in/by his death.” The meaning is that a righteous person seeks refuge (in the LORD) when he dies. For example:

but even in death the righteous have a refuge (New International Version)
-or-
the righteous man finds security in his death (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). However, both options are well supported by versions and scholars. If you use footnotes for textual options, it is recommended that you provide a footnote giving option (2).

Some of the reasons against following option (2) are:

(a) The natural meaning of the MT is that a righteous person seeks refuge in dying. But nowhere else in Proverbs is death viewed as a refuge to be sought after. Nor is it a theme in Proverbs that a person seeks refuge in God when he dies. By contrast, the theme that righteousness delivers a person from death is found in 10:2 and 11:4.

(b) The verb “seeks refuge” occurs 37 times in the OT. In its other occurrences, the object or basis of the refuge/confidence is always explicit. Here the LORD is not explicit.

(New Revised Standard Version) find a refuge in their integrity: The Berean Standard Bible translates the same Hebrew word that the New Revised Standard Version translates as find a refuge here as “a place of refuge” in 14:26b. (See the note there.) Literally it refers to a place of shelter and protection. Here it is used figuratively. It means that a person relies on his integrity to protect him from the destruction that overtakes the wicked.

(New Revised Standard Version) integrity: The word that the New Revised Standard Version translates here as integrity refers to blameless, consistently good conduct. See the note on 13:6a.

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