Greek word · Strong's G1343

δικαιοσύνη

dikaiosýnē · noun · “righteousness”

In a sentence

Dikaiosynē is righteousness — being right with God. It is both God’s own justice and the right standing he credits to those who trust Christ.

Dikaiosynē is courtroom language for being in the right. Romans develops its great theme: no one is righteous by their own record, but God credits (“imputes”) righteousness to those who believe, on the basis of Christ.

So biblical righteousness is first a gift — a status before God — and then a way of life that flows from it. “The righteous shall live by faith,” receiving from God what they could never earn and then living it out.

Strong's reference

Definition: equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification

KJV usage: righteousness

Reference gloss from Strong's Concordance (1890, public domain).

Key verses BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 1:17 “For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”” 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Original BibleDawn word study. Original-language data and the public-domain Strong's (1890) gloss are referenced; see sources.