📖 Biblical Definition
Jehovah-Tsidkenu (יְהוָה צִדְקֵנוּ) — "the LORD our Righteousness" — is the messianic covenant name Jeremiah twice gives the coming righteous Branch from David’s line: "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch... and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:15-16). The New Testament identifies this Branch as Christ Himself — whose perfect righteousness is reckoned (imputed) to His people by faith: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our righteousness is not ours; it is His given to us — and we wear His name.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
RIGHT'EOUSNESS, n.
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Justice; the quality of being just. Jehovah-Tsidkenu — the Lord our Righteousness; a Messianic name in the prophets, applied by the apostles to Christ.
📖 Key Scripture
Jeremiah 23:6 — "This is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
Jeremiah 33:16 — "This is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness."
1 Corinthians 1:30 — "Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us... righteousness."
2 Corinthians 5:21 — "He hath made him to be sin for us... that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Modern moralism builds righteousness from the wrong materials; Jehovah-Tsidkenu provides the only kind that holds.
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The most dangerous theology in the world is the one that lets a man trust his own righteousness on the day of judgment. Isaiah 64:6 calls our righteousnesses filthy rags. Jeremiah's answer is the Messianic name: the Lord our righteousness. The righteousness that survives the throne is given, not earned.
Modern self-help versions of Christianity collapse here. The cure for the human conscience is not better effort, better intentions, better self-talk. It is imputed righteousness — Christ's perfect record reckoned to the believing sinner's account. 2 Corinthians 5:21 is the great exchange: He took our sin; we became the righteousness of God in Him. Jehovah-Tsidkenu is not a flattering compliment. It is the survival kit for the day of God.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Hebrew YHWH-Tsidkenu (H3068 + H6664).
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H3068 — YHWH — the LORD
H6664 — tsedeq — righteousness, justice
G1343 — dikaiosune — righteousness (NT)
Usage
"The righteousness that survives the throne is given, not earned."
"Modern moralism collapses at the throne; Jehovah-Tsidkenu is the only survival kit."
"He took our sin; we became His righteousness — the Great Exchange holds forever."