Word Research
Word Study: "Righteousness" (Literal & Prophetic Use in Scripture)
Righteousness is a central theme in the Bible—defining God’s nature, His expectations for humanity, and His plan for salvation. It is the standard by which God judges all people and the gift He offers through Christ.
Literal Use of "Righteousness"
📖 Examples of Literal Use:
- Genesis 15:6 – “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
- Deuteronomy 6:25 – “And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.”
- Proverbs 21:3 – “To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”
💡 Key Insights:
🔹 Righteousness is both faith-based (Genesis 15:6) and obedience-based (Deuteronomy 6:25).
🔹 Righteousness is not just moral goodness—it is alignment with God’s will.
🔹 True righteousness cannot be achieved by works alone—it must be given by God (Isaiah 64:6).
🔥 In the Old Testament, righteousness was connected to faith and obedience, but it always pointed forward to the coming of Christ, the only one who could fulfill it perfectly.
Prophetic & Messianic Use of "Righteousness"
Righteousness takes on a deeper, prophetic meaning in connection with Christ and salvation.
📖 Key Prophetic References:
- Isaiah 53:11 – “By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”
- Jeremiah 23:6 – “In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
- Daniel 9:24 – “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to bring in everlasting righteousness.”
💡 Key Insights:
🔹 Isaiah 53 prophesies that righteousness would come through Christ’s suffering.
🔹 Jeremiah 23 reveals that the Messiah Himself would be called “The LORD Our Righteousness.”
🔹 Daniel 9 connects righteousness to the completion of prophecy and the fulfillment of salvation.
🔥 Prophecy shows that righteousness is ultimately fulfilled in Christ—He is the only source of true righteousness.
The Two Types of Righteousness in Scripture
📖 Romans 10:3-4 – “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
💡 The Bible speaks of two kinds of righteousness:
❌1. Self-Righteousness (Man’s Attempt at Righteousness)
- Isaiah 64:6 – “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.”
- Romans 3:10 – “There is none righteous, no, not one.”
- Luke 18:9-14 – The Pharisee trusted in himself, but the humble man was justified before God.
🔥 Human righteousness is inadequate—it is stained by sin and cannot meet God’s standard.
✅2. Imputed Righteousness (God’s Gift of Righteousness)
- Romans 3:22 – “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
- Philippians 3:9 – “Not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ.”
🔥 True righteousness is a gift—granted through faith in Christ, not earned through works.
The End-Time Connection: Righteousness & the Final Judgment
📖 Revelation 19:8 – “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”
📖 Revelation 22:11 – “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”
💡 Key Insights:
🔹 In the final moments of Earth’s history, righteousness will be the dividing line between those who belong to God and those who do not.
🔹 The “fine linen” in Revelation 19:8 is the righteousness given by Christ to His people—this is what qualifies them for the Kingdom.
🔹 Revelation 22:11 shows that at some point, the opportunity for repentance will close—the righteous will remain righteous, and the wicked will remain wicked.
🔥 The time to seek God’s righteousness is now—before the final judgment.
How Do We Attain Righteousness?
📖 Matthew 5:6 – “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
📖 Romans 6:13 – “Yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
📖 Hebrews 11:7 – “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”
💡 Key Insights:
✔ Seek righteousness through faith, not works.
✔ Surrender to God—righteousness is not just belief, but obedience.
✔ Like Noah, righteousness is shown through faith-driven action.
🔥 Righteousness is not just something we receive—it is something we live out through faith and obedience.
The Power of Righteousness in the Last Days
🔥 Righteousness is the mark of God’s true people.
🔥 It is the dividing line between those who will stand before Christ and those who will face judgment.
🔥 The only righteousness that saves is the righteousness of Christ—given freely to those who believe.
📖 2 Timothy 4:8 – “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day.”
Righteousness In English
Righteousness
Righteousness In Hebrew
צְדָקָה (Tzedakah)
Righteousness In Greek
δικαιοσύνη (Dikaiosynē)
Word Count
The word “righteousness” is found 302 times in the KJV Bible.