Rev 19:8 Righteousness/Righteous deeds?
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Wed Oct 16 02:07:44 EDT 2002
Mike wrote:
> So, now that you've got through the long version <smile>, the short
> version is that in every case the subject of the implicit action within
> DIKAIWMA is God (or more generally speaking, the judge) and therefore,
> ISTM, Rev. 19:8 will need to be consistent with that sense. I currently
> disagree with Louw & Nida, et al, that DIKAIWMA can mean "righteous
> deed"; however, I have not researched the extra-Biblical references and,
> in fact, would love to see if what I say above fits those cases.
Well, I currently disagree with my good friend, Mike <smile>.
There are 140 occurrences of DIKAIWMA in the LXX so quite a good amount of
data to look at as background. The Greek word corresponds to a number of
different Hebrew and English words as can be expected. Some of the Hebrew
words are ch(o)q, chuqah, mishpat, derech (excuse the non-standard writing).
Some the common words used by NRSV are statutes, ordinances, rules,
practice, custom, ways.
When I looked at the 10 occurrences in the GNT I found the following senses.
(I did this before looking up in BAGD, but was happy to see that we came to
the same result.)
Sense 1: Righteous requirement,
i.e. statements about what is considered right to do
Usually God is the one who decides what is right and also give the
statements. So in a sense he is the "subject" of the action, but the action
is a decree. The possible exception is Heb 9:10 which talks about DIKAIWMATA
SARKOS
Sense 2: Righteous act,
i.e. acts, practices or customs that correspond to or fulfill the righteous
requirements. In other words, people obey, keep or follow sense 1. People
are normally the subjects of this sense, but Jesus or God can also be the
subject. We would expect both Jesus and God *always* to do righteous acts.
Sense 3: Righteous judgment,
i.e. an evaluation (by God) that people have followed/fulfilled the
righteous requirements.
Of the 10 NT occurrences, I would put Rom 1:32; 8:4, Heb 9:1 and 9:10 under
sense 1,
Luk 1:6, Rom 2:26, 5:18, Rev 15:4, Rev 19:8 under sense 2,
and Rom 5:16 under sense 3.
BAGD has put Luke 1:6 and Rom 2:26 under sense 1. The reason is that the
fulfilling of the righteous requirement is not conveyed by the word DIKAIWMA
alone, but in combination with the verb in the text, e.g.
Luk 1:6 POREUOMENOI EN --- DIKAIWMASIN YOU KURIOU
Rom 2:26 TA DIKAIWMATA TOU NOMOU FULASSHi
Therefore, both sense 1 and sense 2 come into play, and they eventually lead
to sense 3.
Iver Larsen
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