adjective
dikaios
Strong’sG1342
just, righteous, impartial
stem dikai-79 times in the New Testamentin 20 of 27 books15 of 26 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
δίκαιος means, in its main biblical sense, righteous — conforming to God's standard of right conduct 1. It describes God and Christ, and also people who live rightly, keep the commandments, and act with integrity, in contrast to the unrighteous, the sinful, or the wicked 1. It can likewise describe things done or required rightly, such as good deeds, a command, or a right course of action 1. Strong's similarly glosses the word as equitable in character or act, and by extension innocent or holy 2; Dodson gives righteous 4.
In a narrower sense δίκαιος means just or fair — treating each person according to what is due to them, as of an impartial judge or of just dealings and decisions 1. Strong's gives this as just, meet, right 2, and Dodson lists just and impartial alongside righteous 4.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
δίκαιος, -α, -ον
(< δίκη), [in LXX chiefly for צַדִּיק (for rendering of צַדִּיק in sense of correct, v. Deiss., BS, 115 f.); sometimes for נָקִי as Pr 1:11, al.;]
SYN.: ἀγαθός (q.v.), καλός, χρηστός (Cremer, 183, 690).
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G1342 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saiddik'-ah-yos
equitable (in character or act); by implication, innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively)
Fromfrom G1349;
King Jamesjust, meet, right(-eous).
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
also ος, ον Refs 5th c.BC+: (δίκη):
A in Refs 8th c.BC+ and all writers, of persons, observant of custom or rule, Refs 8th c.BC+; especially of social rule, well-ordered, civilized, ὑβρισταί τε καὶ ἄγριοι οὐδὲ δ. Refs 8th c.BC+; δ. πολίτης a good citizen, Refs 4th c.BC+: metaphorically of the sea, Refs 6th c.BC+; δικαίη ζόη a civilized way of living, Refs 5th c.BC+ adverb δικαίως, μνᾶσθαι woo in due form, decently, Refs 8th c.BC+loyally, Refs 5th c.BC+
A.2 observant of duty to gods and men, righteous, Refs 8th c.BC+; opposed to δυσσεβής, Refs 5th c.BC+; also of actions, etc., righteous, ἐπὶ ῥηθέντι δικαίῳ a thing rightly said, Refs 8th c.BC+
A.3 ὁ δίκαιος, euphemistic of a sacred snake, Refs
B later:
B.I equal, even, well-balanced, ἅρμα δίκαιον evengoing chariot, Refs 5th c.BC+; δικαιότατα μοχλεύειν Refsfair, impartial, βάσανος Refs 5th c.BC+
B.I.b legally exact, precise, τῷ δικαιοτάτῳ τῶν λόγων to speak quite exactly, Refs 5th c.BC+; of Numbers, αἱ ἑκατὸν ὀργυιαὶ δίκαιαι Refs 5th c.BC+. adverb -αίως, πάντα δ. ὑμῖν τετήρηται Refs 4th c.BC+
B.I.2 lawful, just, especially τὸ δ. right, opposed to τὸ ἄδικον, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ πολιτικὸν δ.Refs 5th c.BC+; τοὐμὸν δ. my own right, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τοῦτο τὸ δ. bring the case to this issue, Refs 5th c.BC+; οὐδὲν τῶν δ. ποιεῖν τινί not to do what is just and right by a man, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὰ δ. ἔχειν, λαμβάνειν, receive one's due, Refs; τὰ δ. πράττεσθαι πόλιν give a city its deserts, Refs 4th c.BC+; ἐκ τοῦ δικαίου, ={δικαίως}, Refs 5th c.BC+; so ἀπὸ τοῦ δικαίου, τῶν δικαίων, Refs 2nd c.BC+; μετὰ τοῦ δ. Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ δίκαιον lawful claim, ἃ ἔχομεν δίκαια πρός.. Refs 5th c.BC+; τὰ πρὸς ἀλλήλους δ. mutual obligations or contracts, Refs 2nd c.BC+; ἐπὶ συγκειμένοις τισὶ δικαίοις on certain agreed terms, Refs 1st c.BC+. adverb -αίως rightly, justly, Refs 5th c.BC+
B.II of persons and things, meet and right, fitting, δ. τοῦδε τοῦ φόνου ῥαφεύς Refs 4th c.BC+; ἵππον δ. ποιεῖσθαί τινι make a horse fit for another's use, Refs 5th c.BC+ having a good mouth, Refs 2nd c.AD+
B.II.b normal, σχήματα Refs 5th c.BC+
B.II.2 real, genuine, γόνος Refs 5th c.BC+ adverb, εἴπερ δικαίως ἐστ᾽ ἐμός really and truly mine, Refs 5th c.BC+
B.II.3 ὁ δ. λόγος the plea of equity, Refs 5th c.BC+. adverb -αίως with reason, Refs 5th c.BC+: comparative -ότερονRefs 5th c.BC+ also -οτέρως Refs 5th c.BC+: superlative -όταταRefs 5th c.BC+; Aeolic dialect δικαίτατα Refs
B.III ψυχὴ ἐς τὸ δ. ἔβη 'the land of the leal', Refs
C in Prose, δίκαιός εἰμι, with infinitive, δίκαιοί ἐστε ἰέναι you are bound to come, Refs 5th c.BC+; δ. εἰμι κολάζειν I have a right to punish, Refs 5th c.BC+; δ. εἰσι ἀπιστότατοι εἶναι they have most reason to distrust, Refs 5th c.BC+dignus est qui pereat, Refs 4th c.BC+; ὁ σπουδαῖος ἄρχειν δ. has a right to.., Refs 4th c.BC+; with a non-personal subject, ἔλεος δ. ἀντιδίδοσθαι Refs 5th c.BC+: less frequently in comparative and superlative, δικαιότεροι χαρίσασθαι Refs 5th c.BC+; but δίκαιόν ἐστι is also found, Refs 5th c.BC+; δικαίως ἄν, with optative, Refs 5th c.BC+ with penultimate short in Refs 5th c.AD+; compare οὐ δίκαον· οὐ δίκαιον, Refs 5th c.AD+
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | masculine singular | feminine singular | neuter singular | masculine plural | feminine plural | neuter plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | dikaios20×δίκαιος | dikaias2×δικαία | dikaiem9×δίκαιον | dikaiois9×δίκαιοι | dikaiais3×δίκαιαι | dikaieim2×δίκαια |
| object accusative | dikaion9×δίκαιον | dikaian2×δικαίαν | dikaioin6×δικαίους | dikaiain | ||
| direct address vocative | dikaior1×δίκαιε | dikaiar | dikaioir | dikaiair | ||
| of, belonging to genitive | dikaiou6×δικαίου | dikaiau1×δικαίας | dikaieu | dikaioiu6×δικαίων | dikaiaiu | dikaieiu |
| to, for dative | dikaio2×δικαίῳ | dikaia | dikaie | dikaioi1×δικαίοις | dikaiai | dikaiei |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
dikai is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
79 occurrences, every one of them listed
dikaios“righteous”subjectnominative singular20×
Matthew 1:19Iōsēf de tos andros autau, dikaios arōntos kai mē thelarōntos autan deigmatizara, …Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace …
Luke 2:25… onomem Sumeōn, kai tos anthrōpos houtos dikaios kai eulabos, prosdechorōntos paraklēsian tou Israēl, …… in Jerusalem named Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for …
Luke 23:47… theon legarōntos; Ontōs tos anthrōpos houtos dikaios ate.… God, saying, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
Luke 23:50… Iōsēf bouleutos huparcharōntos, andros agathos kai dikaios… member named Joseph, a good and righteous man,
Acts 10:22“upright”tois de legala; Kornēlios hekatontarchēos, andros dikaios kai foborōntos ton theon marturorōntos tē …“Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a …
Romans 1:17… eis pistian, kathōs grafotē; Tos de dikaios ek pistiau zōeti.… just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Romans 3:10kathōs grafotē hoti Ouk atō dikaios oude henos,… is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one.
Galatians 3:11… para to theo dēlem, hoti Tos dikaios ek pistiau zōeti,… God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”
2 Timothy 4:8… kurios en ekeina ta hēmera, tos dikaios kritos, ouk monem de mi alla …… of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on …
Hebrews 10:38tos de dikaios mu ek pistiau zōeti, kai ean …But My righteous one will live by faith; and …
Hebrews 11:4… to theo, dia hau marturita arō dikaios, marturarōntou epi tei dōrei autou tou …… By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his …
1 Peter 3:18… kai Christos hapax peri hamartaiu paschata, dikaios huper adikoiu, hina vin prosagateia to …… for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you …
1 Peter 4:18kai ei tos dikaios molis sōzotō, tos asebos kai hamartōlos …… If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become …
2 Peter 2:8blemme gar kai akoa tos dikaios enkatoikarōntos en autoi hēmeran ek hēmerau …(for that righteous man, living among them day after …
1 John 1:9… tain hamartain nu, pistos atō kai dikaios hina afiēkateia ni tain hamartain kai …… our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and …
1 John 2:29ean oidaveiē hoti dikaios atō, gnōskavō hoti pantos tos poiarōntos …If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who …
1 John 3:7… planatōr vin; tos poiarōntos tan dikaiosunan dikaios atō, kathōs ekeinos dikaios atō;… The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.
1 John 3:7… tan dikaiosunan dikaios atō, kathōs ekeinos dikaios atō;… is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.
Revelation 16:5“just”… akouama tou angelou teiu hudeiu legarōntou; Dikaios asō, tos arōntor kai tos ate, …And I heard the angel of the waters say: “Righteous are You, O Holy One, who is and was, because You …
Revelation 22:11… tos ruparos rupareuitar ēti, kai tos dikaios dikaiosunan poiatar ēti, kai tos hagios …… continue to be vile; let the righteous continue to practice righteousness, and the …
dikaion“righteous”objectaccusative singular9×
Matthew 10:41… misthon profētou labeti, kai tos dechorōntos dikaion eis onomem dikaiou misthon dikaiou labeti.… prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous …
Mark 6:20… fobote ton Iōannon, horarēntos auton andron dikaion kai hagion, kai suntērate auton, kai …… him, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. When he heard …
Acts 3:14vis de ton hagion kai dikaion arneva kai aiteva andron fonevon charizira …You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer …
Acts 22:14… tem thelēmem autou kai horara ton dikaion kai akouara fōnan ek teu stomeu …… His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice.
Romans 3:26… nun kairo, eis tem arō auton dikaion kai dikaiarōnton ton ek pistiau Iēsu.… present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who …
Titus 1:8alla filoxenon, filagathon, sōfronon, dikaion, hosion, enkraton,… hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
James 5:6katadikazava, foneuava ton dikaion. ouk antitassotō vi?You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you.
2 Peter 2:7kai dikaion Lōt kataponorōnton hupo tau toiu athesmoiu …and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct …
1 John 2:1… echanō pros ton patron Iēsun Christon dikaion,… before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
dikaior“righteous”direct addressvocative singular1×
John 17:25Patror dikaior, kai tos kosmos sin ouk gnōskata, …Righteous Father, although the world has not …
dikaiou“righteous”of, belonging togenitive singular6×
Matthew 10:41… kai tos dechorōntos dikaion eis onomem dikaiou misthon dikaiou labeti.… a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.
Matthew 10:41… dechorōntos dikaion eis onomem dikaiou misthon dikaiou labeti.… righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s …
Matthew 23:35… gēau apo teu haimeu Habel tou dikaiou heōs teu haimeu Zachariou huiou Barachiou, …… on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah …
Acts 7:52… toin prokatangelarantoin peri tau eleusiau tou dikaiou hou nun vis prodotois kai fonevois …… who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His …
Romans 5:7molis gar huper dikaiou tinos apothnēsketi; huper gar tou agathou …… rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man …
James 5:16… allēloiu, hopōs iiveia. pollem ischuatō deēsias dikaiou energorōntas.… be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.
dikaio“righteous”to, fordative singular2×
Matthew 27:19“righteous”… autou legarōntas; Mēdenem si kai to dikaio ekeino, polleim gar paschama sēmeron kata …… judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of …
1 Timothy 1:9horarēntos houtem, hoti dikaio nomos ouk keiotō, anomoi de kai …… law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious …
dikaias“just”subjectnominative singular2×
John 5:30… krinamō, kai tas krisias tas ēmas dikaias atō, hoti ouk zētamō tem thelēmem …… I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My …
Romans 7:12… hagios, kai tas entolas hagias kai dikaias kai agathas.… holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.
dikaian“righteous”objectaccusative singular2×
John 7:24“righteous”mē krinavōr kata opsian, alla tan dikaian krisian krinavōr.Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
2 Peter 2:8… en autoi hēmeran ek hēmerau psuchan dikaian anomei ergei basanizate… after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he …
dikaiau“righteous”of, belonging togenitive singular1×
2 Thessalonians 1:5endeigmem tau dikaiau krisiau tou theou, eis tem kataxiira …… this is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment. And so you will be …
dikaiem“right”subject or objectdirect singular9×
Matthew 20:4… ton ampelōnon, kai hem ean ateiō dikaiem dōami vi;… I will pay you whatever is right.’
Matthew 23:35hopōs erchateia epi vin pantem haimem dikaiem ekchorōntem epi tau gēau apo teu …… upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the …
Acts 4:19… Iōannos apokrinirantois legala pros autoin; Ei dikaiem atō enōpion tou theou vu akouarō …… Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to …
Ephesians 6:1… vu en kurio, houtem gar atō dikaiem;… in the Lord, for this is right.
Philippians 1:7kathōs atō dikaiem mi houtem fronarō huper pantoiu vu, …It is right for me to feel this way …
2 Thessalonians 1:6“just”eiper dikaiem para theo antapodōara toi thlibarōntoi vin …… only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,
Luke 12:57… kai apo heautoiu ouk krinavō tem dikaiem?… you judge for yourselves what is right?
Colossians 4:1“justly”tois kurioir, tem dikaiem kai tan isotan toi douloi parechovōr, …Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since …
2 Peter 1:13dikaiem de hēgomō, epi hoson amō en …I think it is right to refresh your memory as long …
dikaiois“righteous”subjectnominative plural9×
Matthew 13:17… legamō vi hoti pollois profētois kai dikaiois epithumala horara heim blepavō kai ouk …… I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you …
Matthew 13:43Tote tois dikaiois eklampali hōs tos hēlios en ta …Then the righteous will shine like the sun in …
Matthew 23:28… vis exōthen men fanovō toi anthrōpoi dikaiois, esōthen de avō mestois hupokrisiau kai …… the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are …
Matthew 25:37tote apokrinili auto tois dikaiois legarōntois; Kurior, pote sin horana peinarōnton …Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did …
Matthew 25:46… houtois eis kolasian aiōnian, tois de dikaiois eis zōan aiōnian.… away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Luke 1:6ale de dikaiois amfoterois enantion tou theou, poreuorōntois en …Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking …
Luke 18:9“righteous”… toin peitharēntoin epi heautoi hoti alō dikaiois kai exouthenarōntoin toin loipoin tan parabolan …… some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:
Romans 2:13ouk gar tois akroatois nomou dikaiois para to theo, alla tois poiētois …… hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the …
Romans 5:19… kai dia tau hupakoau tou henou dikaiois katastēili tois pollois.… man the many will be made righteous.
dikaioin“righteous”objectaccusative plural6×
Matthew 5:45… ponēroin kai agathoin kai brechatō epi dikaioin kai adikoin.… good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 9:13… ouk thusian; ouk gar erchama kalara dikaioin alla hamartōloin.… have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:17… tois kakōs echarōntois; ouk erchama kalara dikaioin alla hamartōloin.… have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Luke 5:32ouk erchamē kalara dikaioin alla hamartōloin eis metanoian.… have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Luke 20:20“righteous”Kai paratērarantois apostelala enkathetoin hupokrinorōntoin heautoin dikaioin arō, hina epilabeleia autou logou, hōste …So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His …
1 Peter 3:12hoti ofthalmois kuriou epi dikaioin kai oueim autou eis deēsian autoiu, …… of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to …
dikaioiu“righteous”of, belonging togenitive plural6×
Matthew 13:49… aforizali toin ponēroin ek meseu toiu dikaioiu… and separate the wicked from the righteous
Matthew 23:29… profētoiu kai kosmavō teim mnēmeieim toiu dikaioiu,… and decorate the monuments of the righteous.
Luke 1:17… epi tekneim kai apeithoin en fronēsia dikaioiu, hetoimazara kurio laon kataskeuazorēnton.… disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous — to make ready a people prepared …
Luke 14:14… gar si en ta anastasia toiu dikaioiu.… repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Acts 24:15… autois houtois prosdecholō, anastasian mellarō eri dikaioiu tē kai adikoiu;… be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
Hebrews 12:23… kai krito theo pantoiu, kai pneumei dikaioiu teleiorēntoiu,… all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
dikaioi“righteous”to, fordative plural1×
Luke 15:7… hamartōlo metanoarōnto ē epi enenēkonta ennea dikaioi hotinois ouk chreian echalō metanoiau.… sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to …
dikaiais“just”subjectnominative plural3×
Revelation 15:3… su, kurior, tos theor, tos pantokratoror; dikaiais kai alēthinais tais hodais su, tos …… Your works, O Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O …
Revelation 16:7… tos theor, tos pantokratoror, alēthinais kai dikaiais tais krisiais su.… Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.”
Revelation 19:2“righteous”hoti alēthinais kai dikaiais tais krisiais autou; hoti krinata tan …For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with …
dikaieim“just”subject or objectdirect plural2×
Philippians 4:8“just”… hoseim atō alētheim, hoseim semneim, hoseim dikaieim, hoseim hagneim, hoseim prosfileim, hoseim eufēmeim, …Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable …
1 John 3:12… ate, teim de tou adelfou autou dikaieim.… while those of his brother were righteous.