6665. tsidqah
Lexical Summary
tsidqah: Righteousness, justice

Original Word: צִדְקָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tsidqah
Pronunciation: tsid-kaw'
Phonetic Spelling: (tsid-kaw')
KJV: righteousness
NASB: righteousness
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H6666 (צְּדָקָה - righteousness)]

1. beneficence

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
righteousness

(Aramaic) corresponding to tsdaqah; beneficence -- righteousness.

see HEBREW tsdaqah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to tsedaqah
Definition
right-doing
NASB Translation
righteousness (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
צִדְקָה noun feminine right doing (Talmud, Old Aramaic; see Biblical Hebrew צְדָקָה, √ צדק); — ׳צ Daniel 4:24.

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scope

צִדְקָה (Strong’s 6665) expresses concrete, visible righteousness—right conduct that accords with God’s moral order and expresses covenant faithfulness. Unlike abstract virtue, the term highlights righteousness made manifest in deeds, especially toward the vulnerable.

Primary Old Testament Usage

Daniel 4:27 contains the sole occurrence:

“Therefore, O king, may my counsel be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins by practicing righteousness, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, so that perhaps your prosperity may be prolonged.”

Here Daniel exhorts Nebuchadnezzar to demonstrate repentance through acts of justice and mercy. Righteousness is not presented as ceremonial precision but as ethical reform evidenced in tangible compassion.

Contextual Setting in Daniel

1. Historical backdrop: Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the felled tree (Daniel 4:4-18) warns of impending humiliation.
2. Prophetic counsel: Daniel interprets the dream (Daniel 4:19-26) and offers a practical path of repentance—צִדְקָה coupled with mercy.
3. Outcome: The king ignores the warning (Daniel 4:28-30) and endures seven years of judgment (Daniel 4:31-33) before acknowledging “the Most High” (Daniel 4:34-37). Thus the text illustrates both the urgency and the fruit of genuine righteousness.

Theological Themes

1. Repentance Evidenced by Deeds

Daniel’s directive echoes John the Baptist’s, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). Righteous actions authenticate inward contrition.

2. Social Justice Tethered to Personal Holiness

By pairing righteousness with mercy to the oppressed, Scripture affirms that right standing with God translates into right treatment of people (compare Isaiah 1:17; Micah 6:8).

3. Conditional Warning and Grace

Daniel’s “perhaps” underscores divine patience. God grants space for leaders—even pagan ones—to repent, yet holds them accountable when they spurn righteousness.

Relation to the Wider Biblical Witness

While צִדְקָה itself appears only in Daniel 4:27, the broader family of “righteousness” terms permeates Scripture:

• Patriarchal era: Abraham “believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).
• Prophetic calls: “Let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24).
• New Covenant fulfillment: “Christ Jesus… became to us righteousness” (1 Corinthians 1:30). The ethic of Daniel 4 finds its fullest expression in Christ, whose perfect righteousness is imputed to believers and imparted through the Spirit for righteous living.

Historical Insights

Babylonian kings prided themselves on justice rhetoric inscribed on steles, yet practiced oppression. Daniel’s use of צִדְקָה taps into this cultural vocabulary while re-defining it according to Yahweh’s standards, exposing the inadequacy of humanistic justice apart from divine authority.

Ministry Implications

• Preaching: Prophetic messages to secular powers must include both warning and an offer of grace grounded in God’s character.
• Discipleship: Teach believers that repentance entails concrete restitution and compassionate outreach (Luke 19:8-9).
• Social engagement: Churches pursue righteousness by defending the weak, not merely by personal piety.

Practical Applications

1. Examine whether personal repentance is accompanied by restorative action.
2. Integrate mercy ministries—feeding, advocacy, relief—as essential expressions of righteousness.
3. Pray for civic leaders, that they would heed counsel analogous to Daniel’s and enact policies reflecting biblical justice.

Christological Fulfillment

Jesus embodies צִדְקָה perfectly: “He went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). At the cross He supplies the righteousness humans lack (2 Corinthians 5:21), and through His resurrection He empowers believers to “present your members as instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:13). The call in Daniel anticipates the gospel reality that only in union with Christ can consistent, God-honoring righteousness flow.

Contemporary Relevance

Modern societies echo Babylon’s pride and neglect of the oppressed. Daniel 4:27 challenges individuals, churches, and nations to repent and to practice actionable righteousness. Where such obedience flourishes, divine favor follows; where it is resisted, judgment remains imminent.

Forms and Transliterations
בְּצִדְקָ֣ה בצדקה bə·ṣiḏ·qāh bəṣiḏqāh betzidKah
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Daniel 4:27
HEB: (וַחֲטָאָךְ֙ ק) בְּצִדְקָ֣ה פְרֻ֔ק וַעֲוָיָתָ֖ךְ
NAS: now from your sins by [doing] righteousness and from your iniquities
KJV: thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities
INT: and sin by righteousness break your iniquities

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 6665
1 Occurrence


bə·ṣiḏ·qāh — 1 Occ.

6664
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