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 16:8

“Better is a little with righteousness”: See 15.16. “Righteousness” contrasts here with “injustice” in the second line. Contemporary English Version translates this line “It’s better to be honest and poor.”

“Than great revenues with injustice”: “Great revenues” means “large income,” “much wealth,” “riches.” Contemporary English Version continues its rendering “than to be dishonest and rich,” which is a good model.

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 16:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 16:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “Better are a few things obtained in a right/good way,
    than many from an unrighteous way.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “It is better to be a good person and poor
    than to be a rich person and evil.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Better is a little wealth which has-been-labored well than much wealth which were-taken by an evil/bad way.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The poor-person whose behavior is right is better than the rich-person who is a cheater.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “It is better to have a small amount of money that is earned honestly
    than to have a lot of money that is acquired dishonestly.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 16:8

16:8

This proverb compares the living situation of two people. The situation of the person in 16:8a is better than the situation of the person in 16:8b. Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

8a Better a little with righteousness

8b than great gain with injustice.

The first line describes a poor person who continues to do what is right. This person’s situation in life is better than a person who becomes rich by treating other people unjustly or dishonestly.

This is another four-part “better than” proverb. The four parts are:

A: a poor person (undesirable)

B: does what is right (very desirable)

C: a person who becomes rich (desirable)

D: treats others unjustly (very undesirable)

See the note on 12:9 for more details on this kind of proverb.

16:8a

Better a little with righteousness: This line is similar to 15:16, except that it has righteousness instead of “the fear of the LORD.”

16:8b

than great gain: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gain often refers to crops or produce. Here it refers more generally to income, possessions, or wealth.

with injustice: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “with no justice.” The word “justice” can refer to legal decisions that are just and fair. It can also refer to treating other people honestly and fairly.

Here, “great gain with injustice” probably refers to a large income or great wealth that is gained by dishonesty, cheating, or other unjust means.

General Comment on 16:8a–b

Some other ways to translate this verse are:

Better a few possessions gained honestly than many gained through injustice. (God’s Word)
-or-
It is better to be poor and right than to be wealthy and dishonest. (New Century Version)
-or-
It is better to have a little, honestly earned, than to have a large income, dishonestly gained. (Good News Translation)

In some languages, it may be difficult to express a complex comparison in one sentence. Another way to translate it is to divide this verse into two or more sentences. For example:

Some people are poor, but they always do what is right. Other people become wealthy, but they get their money by cheating their fellowmen. Whose lives are better? The first kind of people.

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