Brief Overview of δικαιοκρισία (G1341: dikaeokrisía)

Word Details

• Transliteration: δικαιοκρισία (dik-ah-yoh-kree-SEE-ah)
• Etymology: The word δικαιοκρισία is composed of two Greek roots: δίκαιος (díkaios), meaning “righteous” or “just,” and κρίσις (krísis), meaning “judgment” or “decision.” Thus, δικαιοκρισία combines these to mean “righteous judgment.”
• Part of Speech: Noun
• The F.O.G Word Choice: Coming Soon

Primary Meanings

• Righteous Judgment: The primary meaning of δικαιοκρισία is the act of judging with righteousness, fairness, and impartiality. It emphasizes the moral and ethical dimension of judgment, ensuring that justice is administered according to what is right.
• Judicial Verdict: In a broader sense, δικαιοκρισία can refer to the judgment rendered by a righteous judge or authority, particularly in a legal or judicial context.
• Divine Judgment: In biblical usage, the term often carries the connotation of divine judgment, highlighting God’s role as the ultimate righteous judge who delivers verdicts based on divine justice and truth.

Further Insights

• Gender: Feminine
• Number: Singular
• Case: Nominative
• Declension: First declension

Further Insights Explained:

• The term δικαιοκρισία is a feminine noun in the nominative case, indicating it often serves as the subject of a sentence. Being part of the first declension, it follows a specific pattern of inflection in Greek grammar. The singular form indicates that it refers to a single act or instance of righteous judgment.

Disclaimer: The morphological features provided are based on the word’s typical form as used in Greek texts. Depending on the context, the case or number may change to reflect different grammatical roles in a sentence.

Lexicon Descriptions

BDAG (Bauer, Danker, Arndt, and Gingrich):

• BDAG defines δικαιοκρισία as “righteous judgment,” emphasizing God’s role in executing judgment with perfect fairness and impartiality. It often refers to the divine judgment that will occur at the end of times, where God’s righteousness will be fully revealed.
• Scripture Reference: Romans 2:5, where Paul speaks of the righteous judgment of God as a future event that will reveal His justice.

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Thayer’s Greek Lexicon:

• Thayer’s defines δικαιοκρισία as “the judgment which is just,” particularly in the context of divine justice. It highlights the fairness and equity that characterize God’s judgments, as contrasted with human judgments that may be flawed.
• Scripture Reference: Thayer also references Romans 2:5, focusing on the moral and ethical implications of God’s judgment.

LSJ (Liddell, Scott, Jones):

• LSJ provides a broader range of meanings, including “righteous judgment” and “just decision.” The lexicon notes its use in both legal and philosophical contexts to describe judgments that are fair and just according to ethical standards.
• Classical References: LSJ includes references to ancient Greek literature where the term is used to describe the judgments of gods or wise rulers who are expected to uphold justice.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary:

• Vine’s describes δικαιοκρισία as “judgment that is righteous,” focusing on the inherent fairness and justice that the term implies. It is often used in contexts where the righteousness of the judge (typically God) is emphasized.
• Scripture Reference: Romans 2:5 is highlighted again as a key text where the term is used in reference to God’s judgment.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance:

• Strong’s defines δικαιοκρισία simply as “righteous judgment,” linking it to God’s just and fair judgment of humanity.
• Scripture Reference: The concordance also points to Romans 2:5 as the primary verse where this term is found.

Usage in Classical Greek Literature

• Plato, Republic: Plato uses the concept of righteous judgment (though not the exact term) in his discussion of justice in the ideal state, where rulers are expected to judge with perfect fairness and without bias.
• Sophocles, Antigone: In this tragedy, the idea of righteous judgment is explored through the conflict between human law and divine justice, highlighting the expectation that rulers judge righteously.
• Herodotus, Histories: Herodotus often refers to the judgments of kings and gods, where the expectation of righteousness is central to the narrative, even if the judgments themselves are not always just by human standards.

Summary

δικαιοκρισία (G1341: dikaeokrisía) is a Greek noun that primarily means “righteous judgment.” It is derived from the words δίκαιος (righteous) and κρίσις (judgment), combining to emphasize the idea of a judgment that is just, fair, and morally upright. The term is often used in the New Testament to describe God’s judgment, which is characterized by perfect righteousness and fairness. This word appears in Romans 2:5, where it is used to describe the future judgment that will reveal God’s justice. In classical Greek literature, the concept of righteous judgment is explored in various contexts, from philosophical discussions in Plato’s works to the expectations of divine justice in the plays of Sophocles. Understanding δικαιοκρισία provides insight into the biblical concept of divine justice, as well as the broader Greek understanding of what constitutes a fair and just judgment.