Strong’s Greek 1738 expresses what is judicially right—justice that perfectly fits the case. Scripture employs the term to affirm that God’s verdicts are never arbitrary; they are inherently righteous and proportionate to the offense.

Occurrences and Immediate Context

• Romans 3:8 – “And why not say, ‘Let us do evil that good may result’? Their condemnation is deserved.”

Here Paul rebuts a slander that grace encourages sin. The apostolic response is that the sentence God pronounces on such twisted reasoning is ἔνδικον—fully warranted.
• Hebrews 2:2 – “For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every transgression and disobedience received its just punishment,”

The writer points to the Mosaic era, when angel-mediated law carried penalties that were precisely measured. This establishes the gravity of ignoring the superior word brought by the Son.

Old Testament and Inter-Testamental Background

In the Septuagint, cognate terms describe judgments that align with covenant stipulations (for example, Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 19:9). Greco-Roman courts also prized “fitting” verdicts, so the New Testament audience would instinctively grasp that ἔνδικον speaks of objective, not subjective, justice.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Integrity: God’s justice is intrinsic to His nature (Isaiah 30:18); ἔνδικον reflects that attribute in judicial action.
2. Human Accountability: Both passages tie deserved judgment to human words and deeds, negating any notion that divine wrath is impulsive.
3. Soteriological Foundation: Because condemnation is deserved, atonement must likewise be just (Romans 3:25-26). The cross satisfies the same standard of rightness that would otherwise condemn the sinner.

Christological Fulfillment

Hebrews moves from “just punishment” under angels to the salvation announced by the Lord (Hebrews 2:3). The Son absorbs the ἔνδικον penalty, establishing a righteousness that is “apart from the law” yet fully consonant with it (Romans 3:21). Thus the term undergirds penal substitution: Christ receives the penalty we deserved so that we might receive the righteousness He earned.

Practical Ministry Implications

• Preaching: Faithful proclamation must present both the deservedness of judgment and the sufficiency of Christ’s satisfaction.
• Counseling: Victims of wrongdoing can rest in the assurance that God’s justice is neither lax nor forgetful (Romans 12:19).
• Church Discipline: Local assemblies imitate divine equity by ensuring that correction is neither excessive nor negligent (2 Corinthians 2:6-8).
• Social Ethics: Advocacy for the oppressed and resistance to evil derive moral weight from the conviction that justice is objective and ultimately God-administered.

Eschatological Outlook

Romans 3:8 applies ἔνδικον to a present verdict; Hebrews 2:2 anticipates a future reckoning. Together they move from historical instances of measured judgment to the climactic tribunal where “He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31). For believers, the same standard that once condemned now guarantees vindication, for the Judge is also the Justifier of all who trust in Jesus Christ.

Summary

Ἔνδικον anchors the biblical proclamation of justice: every sentence God issues is deserved, and every saving act God performs is equally righteous. This twin reality—inescapable penalty and gracious provision—forms the bedrock of gospel proclamation, discipleship, and hope.