◄ 3072. Yhvh Tsidqenu ►
Lexical Summary
Yhvh Tsidqenu: The LORD Our Righteousness

Original Word: יְהוָֹה צִדְקֵנוּ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Yhovah tsidqenuw
Pronunciation: yah-WEH tsid-KAY-nu
Phonetic Spelling: (ye-ho-vaw' tsid-kay'-noo)
KJV: the Lord our righteousness
Word Origin: [from H3068 (יְהוֹוָה - LORD) and H6664 (צֶּדֶק - righteousness) with pronominal suffix]

1. Jehovah (is) our right
2. Jehovah-Tsidkenu, a symbolical epithet of the Messiah and of Jerusalem

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
the Lord our righteousness

From Yhovah and tsedeq with pronominal suffix; Jehovah (is) our right; Jehovah-Tsidkenu, a symbolical epithet of the Messiah and of Jerusalem -- the Lord our righteousness.

see HEBREW Yhovah

see HEBREW tsedeq

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from Yhvh and tsedeq
Definition
"the LORD is our righteousness," a symbolic name for Jer. and for Messiah.

Topical Lexicon
Divine Title and Meaning

יְהוָה צִדְקֵנוּ (Yahweh Tsidqenu) means “The LORD Our Righteousness.” As a covenant name it unites the unchangeable identity of Israel’s God (יְהוָה) with the saving gift He provides (צדקה, righteousness). The phrase does not portray God as merely righteous in character; it declares Him to be the very source and giver of righteousness to His people.

Canonical Usage

The compound title is confined to Jeremiah’s prophecies (Jeremiah 23:6; Jeremiah 33:16). In the first text it is a messianic name given to the promised “Branch of David”; in the second it is a future name for Jerusalem. No other Old Testament writer records the expression, underscoring its prophetic precision.

Jeremiah 23:6: “In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.”

Jeremiah 33:16: “In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell securely, and she will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.”

Historical Setting

Jeremiah ministered during Judah’s moral collapse under the final kings before the Babylonian exile. False shepherds had “scattered the flock” (Jeremiah 23:1-2). Against that backdrop God promised a righteous King from David’s line whose reign would reverse national apostasy and secure covenant blessings forever.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Faithfulness: The name guarantees that God Himself provides the righteousness required by His covenant (Deuteronomy 6:25).
2. Imputed Righteousness: By attributing righteousness to God rather than to Judah, the prophecy prepares the doctrine later revealed in justification—God counts His own righteousness to the believer.
3. Corporate and Personal Dimensions: In Jeremiah 23 the King bears the name; in Jeremiah 33 the city bears it. Righteousness flows from the Messiah to His people until it marks their communal identity.
4. Contrast with Self-Righteousness: Judah’s kings, priests, and prophets had trusted in ritual and politics; the divine title shatters every hope of self-attained merit.

Messianic Fulfillment in Christ

The New Testament identifies Jesus Christ as the righteous Branch who embodies Yahweh Tsidqenu.
• 1 Corinthians 1:30: “Christ Jesus… has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
• Romans 3:21-22 confirms that this righteousness “comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe,” echoing Jeremiah’s promise of salvation and security.

Thus the prophetic name is fully realized as Jesus imputes divine righteousness to believers and will one day clothe the New Jerusalem in the same glory (Revelation 21:2-3).

Eschatological Horizon

Jeremiah 33:16 projects the title onto a restored Jerusalem, anticipating the millennial and eternal reign when righteousness will pervade society (Isaiah 11:4-5; 2 Peter 3:13). The city’s new name prophesies a community permanently characterized by the righteousness of God.

Implications for Ministry and Worship

• Preaching: Center proclamation on Christ as the only provision of righteousness; expose both moral rebellion and self-righteous religion.
• Pastoral Care: Offer the discouraged believer assurance that righteousness is received, not earned.
• Prayer and Praise: Invoke the name Yahweh Tsidqenu to celebrate God’s saving character in public worship (Psalm 71:15-16).
• Ethical Living: While righteousness is imputed, it also transforms conduct (Titus 2:11-14); believers become instruments through whom Yahweh displays His righteous rule.

Related Scriptures

Psalm 4:1; Isaiah 45:24-25; Isaiah 61:10; Romans 5:17-19; Philippians 3:9; Hebrews 1:8-9.

Summary

Yahweh Tsidqenu encapsulates the gospel inside the Old Testament: God promises to be, to provide, and to perfect the righteousness His people lack. Revealed in Jeremiah, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and consummated in the age to come, the name assures that the salvation, security, and sanctity of God’s people rest forever on “The LORD Our Righteousness.”

Links
Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts
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