The Old Testament Background to Righteousness in Paul
It is widely recognised that Paul’s use of the term “righteousness” (δικαιοσύνη) must be understood against the background of the Hebrew equivalents צדק and צדקה. This paper explores the meaning of the Hebrew terminology and identifies various ways in which it has been misunderstood in New Testament scholarship. In particular, it will be argued that the Old Testament evidence does not support the common claim that δικαιοσύνη denotes a relationship with God. צדק and צדקה most commonly denote moral rectitude and morally right behaviour, respectively. Understandings of righteousness as satisfying the demands of relationships, conformity to a norm, or faithfulness to the covenant are overly specific. However, those holding these views rightly see righteousness as a matter of behaviour and not covenant membership, which is a meaning alien to the Hebrew Bible. In a forensic context to be צדיק is to be in the right on the merits of the case, not to have been vindicated by the court, and צדקה is one’s objective innocence or just cause, not a status of vindication. Paul’s language of “having” δικαιοσύνη in Phil 3:9 should be understood against the background of the idiom in Deut 6:25; 24:13, where “having” righteousness means having the credit ordinarily belonging to those who have done right. Contrary to what is often argued, the second occurrence of δικαιοσύνη in Phil 3:9 does not denote the believer’s relationship with God; rather, the two occurrences have the same meaning, the only difference being their source. Paul’s citation of Ps 32:1-2 in Rom 4:6-8 indicates that he sees the reckoning of δικαιοσύνη to the undeserving as equivalent to the non-reckoning of sin. Although the result is a right relationship with God, what is reckoned is not the relationship but the right behaviour which is its prerequisite.