Proverbs 16:8 — Word Study
WLCטוֹב־ מְ֭עַט בִּצְדָקָ֑ה מֵרֹ֥ב תְּ֝בוּא֗וֹת בְּלֹ֣א מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
BSABetterṭôwb [more desirable, preferable] a littlemᵉʻaṭ [a small amount, minimal] with righteousnesstsᵉdâqâh [justice, moral integrity] than greatrôb [abundant, plentiful] gaintᵉbûwʼâh [revenue, produce] with injusticelôʼ [wrongdoing, unrighteousness]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| טוֹב־ | [is] good | Adj |
| מְ֭עַט | a little | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| בִּצְדָקָ֑ה | with righteousness | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| מֵרֹ֥ב | more than greatness of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| תְּ֝בוּא֗וֹת | gains | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
| בְּלֹ֣א | with not | Preposition, particle |
| מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ | justice | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice. |
| KJV | Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. |
| ASV | Better is a little, with righteousness, Than great revenues with injustice. |
| YLT | Better [is] a little with righteousness, Than abundance of increase without justice. |
| WEB | Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues with injustice. |
| BBE | Better is a little with righteousness, than great wealth with wrongdoing. |
Where they part company is in the interpretation of טוֹב־ — see How Translations Differ.
The structure presents a clear comparison between two states, emphasizing the value of righteousness.





6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 16:8
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Wisdom in Proverbsgenerated
Proverbs 16:8 emphasizes the value of righteousness over material wealth. The surrounding verses highlight the importance of pleasing the LORD in one's actions and the consequences of those actions, both in terms of personal peace and divine judgment. The wisdom literature often contrasts worldly success with moral integrity, guiding readers towards a life of virtue.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 15:16 | Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil. |
| 2 | Psalm 37:16 | Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked. |
| 3 | 1 Timothy 6:6–9 | Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain. |
| 4 | Proverbs 21:6–7 | Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 17:11 | Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — טוֹב־, tov-generated
The word טוֹב (tov) is an adjective meaning good or pleasant, covering a range of meanings from agreeable to ethical goodness. It conveys the idea of something beneficial or pleasing, often used in contexts that emphasize welfare and prosperity.
In this verse, it suggests that having a small amount of wealth is preferable when accompanied by righteousness, indicating that moral integrity enhances the value of what one possesses.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the meaning of the verse, emphasizing the contrast between a little with righteousness and great gain with injustice.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause centers on the finite verb טוֹב, is good, establishing the comparison between two states: having little with righteousness and having much with injustice. The structure highlights the importance of the moral quality of one's possessions.
The sentence is built around this comparison, with the phrases detailing the conditions of each side of the contrast.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word טוֹב is rendered as κρείσσων (kreissōn), meaning better or superior. This choice emphasizes the preference for righteousness over wealth.
The translation reflects a similar moral teaching, indicating a consistent understanding of the value of righteousness across both texts.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 16:8 teaches that having a little wealth is better when it comes with righteousness than having a lot of wealth gained through injustice. This verse highlights the importance of moral integrity over material gain.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that having a small amount of wealth or resources is more valuable when accompanied by moral integrity and justice.
Righteousness is seen as a higher virtue that leads to true fulfillment and peace, while great gain achieved through injustice can lead to moral corruption.
This verse aligns with the overall theme in Proverbs that values wisdom, integrity, and the fear of the LORD over material wealth.
Examples include wealth acquired through dishonest means, exploitation, or unethical practices that ultimately harm others.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I ensure that my pursuits are aligned with righteousness rather than just seeking material gain?
- How can I cultivate a mindset that values integrity over wealth in my daily decisions?
- What are some practical steps I can take to live out righteousness in my life?
- How does this verse challenge my understanding of success and fulfillment?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers commented on this verse, emphasizing the value of righteousness and moral integrity in the pursuit of wealth.
Better is a little with righteousness, etc. And the Lord says, Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God (Matthew V). And again, Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation (Luke VI).Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 16 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 16:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBetter [is] a little with righteousness,.... Gotten in a righteous way, held by a righteous claim, used in a righteous manner, attended with a life of righteousness and holiness; and also along with
Read John Gill on Proverbs 16 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBetter is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 16 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThis was in effect said before, , and is here repeated, partly because of the great importance and usefulness of this truth, and partly because men are very hardly brought to a serious belief of it.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 16 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 16:8 Better [is] a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.Ver. 8. Better is a little with righteousness, &c.] A small stock well gotten is more comfortably enjoyed and bequeathed to posterity than a cursed hoard of evil gotten goods. The reason why people "please not God, and are contrary to all men" - as this verse refers to the former - is, because they prefer gain before God, and care not how they wrong men so they may have it. See Proverbs 15:16.
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 16 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. without right] Rather, with injustice, R.V., as preserving better the parallelism. Comp. Proverbs 15:16.
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 16 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible8. Without right — îùׁ ?ôùׂ, (mishpat,) rectitude. The word means what is just, lawful, conformable to law; and which is better than great incomes obtained unlawfully, unjustly. Comp. Proverbs 15:16; Psalms 37:16.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 16 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.
Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues with injustice.
Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.
Better to have a little with righteousness than to have abundant income without justice.
Tyndale line
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
Better is a little, with righteousness, Than great revenues with injustice.
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.
Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right.
Better is a litle with righteousnesse, then great reuenues without equitie.
Strictly literal
Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right.
Better [is] a little with righteousness, Than abundance of increase without justice.
Better [is] a little with righteousness, || Than abundance of increase without justice.
Better is a little with righteousness, than great incomes through injustice.
Better is a little with what is right, than a large income with injustice.
From the Latin
Better is a little with justice, than great revenues with iniquity.
Simplified
Better to have just a little and be honest than to have a lot and be dishonest.
Better is a little with righteousness, than great wealth with wrongdoing.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with five out of seven words matched. The Septuagint's translation maintains the essence of the original Hebrew, though the word order and specific articles differ.
טוֹב־ מְ֭עַט בִּצְדָקָ֑ה מֵרֹ֥ב תְּ֝בוּא֗וֹת בְּלֹ֣א מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
5 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 16:8
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
טוֹב (tov) is a Hebrew word meaning good or pleasant, encompassing a wide range of meanings from agreeable to the senses to ethical goodness. It can function as an adjective, noun, or adverb, referring to things like welfare, happiness, and prosperity. The feminine form, טוֹבָה (tovah), specifically denotes welfare or good things.
טוֹב adj. pleasant, agreeable, good
pleasant, agreeable to the senses
pleasant to the higher nature, giving pleasure, happiness, prosperity, and so agreeable, pleasing, well
good, excellent, of its kind
good, rich, valuable in estimation
good, appropriate, becoming
c. מִן compar. = better
of man's sensuous nature, glad, happy, prosperous
of man's intellectual nature, good understanding
good, kind, benign
good (ethical), right
base
טוֹב n.m. a good thing, benefit, welfare
welfare, prosperity, happiness
good things
good = benefit
moral good
base
טוֹבָה n.f. welfare, benefit, good things, good
welfare, prosperity, happiness
good things
bounty, good
base
H2896a טוֹב pleasant, agreeable, good . pleasant, agreeable to the senses
. pleasant to the higher nature, giving pleasure, happiness, prosperity, and so agreeable, pleasing, well
. good, excellent, of its kind
. good, rich, valuable in estimation
. good, appropriate, becoming
. c. מִן compar. =better
. of man's sensuous nature, glad, happy, prosperous
. of man's intellectual nature, good understanding
. good, kind, benign
. good (ethical), right
H2896b טוֹב a good thing, benefit, welfare H2896c טוֹבָה welfare, benefit, good things, good
2896 towb tobe
from 2895; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used
likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine,
the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a
good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or
women), also as an adverb (well):--beautiful, best, better,
bountiful, cheerful, at ease, X fair (word), (be in) favour,
fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s),
graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving,
merry, X most, pleasant, + pleaseth, pleasure, precious,
prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well
((-favoured)).
see HEBREW for 02895
טוֹב (tov) — pleasant.
adj
1) good, pleasant, agreeable
1a) pleasant, agreeable (to the senses)
1b) pleasant (to the higher nature)
1c) good, excellent (of its kind)
1d) good, rich, valuable in estimation
1e) good, appropriate, becoming
1f) better (comparative)
1g) glad, happy, prosperous (of man's sensuous nature)
1h) good understanding (of man's intellectual nature)
1i) good, kind, benign
1j) good, right (ethical)
Aramaic equivalent: tav (טָב "fine" H2869)
טוֹב (tov) — good.
1) a good thing, benefit, welfare
1a) welfare, prosperity, happiness
1b) good things (collective)
1c) good, benefit
1d) moral good
טוֹבָה (to.vah) — welfare.
1) welfare, benefit, good things
1a) welfare, prosperity, happiness
1b) good things (collective)
1c) bounty
Adj — AdjHAamsa
good (Tobh, Tubh, yaTabh; agathos, agathon, kalos, kalon): In English "good" is used in various senses, most of which are represented in the Bible.
(1) In the Old Testament the commonest word is Tobh, occurring very frequently and translated in a great variety of ways. Of the different shades of meaning, which frequently run into each other, the following may be distinguished:
(a) Possessing desirable qualities, beneficial, agreeable, e.g. "good for food" (Ge 2:9); "We will do thee good" (Nu 10:29); Who will show us any good?" (Ps 4:6); "good tidings of good" (Isa 52:7).
מְעַט (m`at) refers to something that is small in quantity or degree, encompassing meanings like 'a little' or 'few.' It can be used adverbially to indicate a small amount or to describe something as almost or hardly. The term is derived from a root meaning 'to be small' and is associated with concepts of littleness and fewness.
מְעַט 101 subst. a little, fewness, a few
base
H4592 מְעַט a little, fewness, a few
4592 m`at meh-at'
or miat {meh-awt'}; from 4591; a little or few (often
adverbial or compar.):--almost (some, very) few(-er, -est),
lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some,
soon, X very.
see HEBREW for 04591
מְעַט (me.at) — little.
1) littleness, few, a little, fewness
1a) little, small, littleness, fewness, too little, yet a little
1b) like a little, within a little, almost, just, hardly, shortly, little worth
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
צְדָקָה (tsdaqah) means 'righteousness' and encompasses various aspects such as justice, truthfulness, and ethical rightness. It can refer to God's attribute of sovereignty, righteousness in governance, and even justification or salvation. The term also implies righteous acts and has an Aramaic equivalent, צִדְקָה (tsid.qah).
צְדָקָה 157 n.f. righteousness
righteousness, in government
God's attribute as sovereign
righteousness, in a case or cause
righteousness = truthfulness
righteousness, as ethically right
righteousness as vindicated, justification, salvation, etc.
pl. righteous acts
base
H6666 צְדָקָה righteousness . righteousness, in government
. God's attribute as sovereign
. righteousness, in a case or cause
. righteousness = truthfulness
. righteousness, as ethically right
. righteousness as vindicated, justification, salvation, etc.
. pl. righteous acts
6666 tsdaqah tsed-aw-kaw'
from 6663; rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude),
objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively
(prosperity):--justice, moderately, right(-eous)
(act, -ly, -ness).
see HEBREW for 06663
צְדָקָה (tse.da.qah) — righteousness.
1) justice, righteousness
1a) righteousness (in government)
1a1) of judge, ruler, king
1a2) of law
1a3) of Davidic king Messiah
1b) righteousness (of God's attribute)
1c) righteousness (in a case or cause)
1d) righteousness, truthfulness
1e) righteousness (as ethically right)
1f) righteousness (as vindicated), justification, salvation
1f1) of God
1f2) prosperity (of people)
1g) righteous acts
Aramaic equivalent: tsid.qah (צִדְקָה "righteousness" H6665)
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
ri'-chus-nes (tsaddiq, adjective, "righteous," or occasionally "just" tsedheq, noun, occasionally = "riahteousness," occasionally = "justice"; dikaios, adjective, dikaiosune, noun, from dike, whose first meaning seems to have been "custom"; the general use suggested conformity to a standard: righteousness, "the state of him who is such as he ought to be" (Thayer)):
1. Double Aspect of Righteousness: Changing and Permanent
2. Social Customs and Righteousness
3. Changing Conception of Character of God: Obligations of Power
4. Righteousness as Inner
5. Righteousness as Social
6. Righteousness as Expanding in Content with Growth in Ideals of Human Worth
LITERATURE
1. Double Aspect of Righteousness: Changing and Permanent:
In Christian thought the idea of righteousness contains both a permanent and a changing element. The fixed element is the will to do right; the changing factor is the conception of…
Righteousness
See JUSTIFICATION.
Rectitude, justice, holiness; an essential perfection of God’s character, Job 36:3; Isa 51:5-8; Joh 17:25; and of his administration, Ge 18:25; Ro 3:21,22; 10:3. It is the wonder of grace that as the righteous guardian of the law, he can acquit the unrighteous. "The righteousness of Christ" includes his spotless holiness, his perfect obedience the law demands; and "the righteousness of faith" is that imputed to the sinner who believes in Christ. With reference to personal character, righteousness is used both for uprightness between man and man, and for true religion,
רֹב (rov) refers to a multitude or abundance, encompassing ideas of greatness and numerousness. It is derived from a related root and can describe anything from a large quantity to excellence. The entries consistently highlight its use in various contexts, emphasizing its broad application in the Old Testament.
רֹב 151 n.m. multitude, abundance, greatness
base
H7230 רֹב multitude, abundance, greatness
7230 rob robe
from 7231; abundance (in any respect):--abundance(- antly),
all, X common (sort), excellent, great(-ly, -ness, number),
huge, be increased, long, many, more in number, most, much,
multitude, plenty(-ifully), X very (age).
see HEBREW for 07231
רֹב (rov) — abundance.
1) multitude, abundance, greatness
1a) multitude
1a1) abundance, abundantly
1a2) numerous
1b) greatness
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
תְּבוּאָה (tbuw'ah) refers to produce or revenue, typically from the earth, including crops and income. It can also figuratively denote gains, such as wisdom or the product of lips. The word is derived from a root meaning to bring forth, and its usage spans both literal and figurative contexts.
תְּבוּאָה n.f. proventus, product, revenue
product, yield, usually of earth
income, revenue, in general
fig. gain of wisdom
base
H8393 תְּבוּאָה proventus, product, revenue
8393 tbuw'ah teb-oo-aw'
from 935; income, i.e. produce (literally or
figuratively):--fruit, gain, increase, revenue.
see HEBREW for 0935
תְּבוּאָה (te.vu.ah) — produce.
1) produce, product, revenue
1a) product, yield, crops (of the earth usually)
1b) income, revenue
1c) gain (of wisdom) (fig)
1d) product of lips (fig)
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Prep | Part — Preposition · particleHR/Tn
The Hebrew word מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) primarily means judgment or justice and encompasses various aspects such as legal rights, ordinances, and decisions. It is derived from a root meaning to pronounce a verdict, covering both human and divine law. The entries highlight its application in legal contexts, including the act of deciding cases and the attributes of justice and rectitude.
מִשְׁפָּט 422 n.m. judgment
judgment
justice, right, rectitude
ordinance
decision
one's (legal) right, privilege, due
proper, fitting, measure
custom, manner
what manner of
plan
base
H4941 מִשְׁפָּט judgment . judgment
. justice, right, rectitude
. ordinance
. decision
. one's (legal) right, privilege, due
. . proper, fitting, measure
. custom, manner
. what manner of
. plan
4941 mishpat mish-pawt'
from 8199; properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable)
pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree
(human or (participant's) divine law, individual or
collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the
crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a
participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or
even a style:--+ adversary, ceremony, charge, X crime,
custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due,
fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly),
(manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order,
ordinance, right, sentence, usest, X worthy, + wrong.
see HEBREW for 08199
מִשְׁפָּט (mish.pat) — justice: judgement.
: judgement/punishment
1) judgment, justice, ordinance
1a) judgment
1a1) act of deciding a case
1a2) place, court, seat of judgment
1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges)
1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment)
1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment)
1a6) execution (of judgment)
1a7) time (of judgment)
1b) justice, right, rectitude (attributes of God or man)
1c) ordinance
1d) decision (in law)
1e) right, privilege, due (legal)
1f) proper, fitting, measure, fitness, custom, manner, plan
מִשְׁפָּט (mish.pat) — justice.
: justice/right/righteousness
1) judgment, justice, ordinance
1a) judgment
1a1) act of deciding a case
1a2) place, court, seat of judgment
1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges)
1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment)
1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment)
1a6) execution (of judgment)
1a7) time (of judgment)
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
jus'-tis (tsedhaqah; tsedheq; dikaiosune): The original Hebrew and Greek words are the same as those rendered "righteousness." This is the common rendering, and in about half the cases where we have "just" and "justice" in the King James Version, the American Standard Revised Version has changed to "righteous" and "righteousness." It must be constantly borne in mind that the two ideas are essentially the same.
See RIGHTEOUSNESS.
1. Human Justice:
Justice had primarily to do with conduct in relation to others, especially with regard to the rights of others. It is applied to business, where just weights and measures are demanded (Le 19:35,36; De 25:13-16; Am 8:5; Pr 11:1; 16:11…
Justice
Is rendering to every one that which is his due. It has been distinguished from equity in this respect, that while justice means merely the doing what positive law demands, equity means the doing of what is fair and right in every separate case.
A principle of righteousness and equity, controlling our conduct, and securing a due regard to all the rights of others-their persons, property, character, and interests. It has to do, not with pecuniary transactions alone, but with all our intercourse with society. It forms a chief element of the character approved in God’s word; and a truly just man has but to "love mercy, and walk humbly with God," to fulfil all righteousness. Justice in magistrates, rulers, and judges, must be fearless and impartial, and all its decisions such as will bear revision before the court of heaven, De 1:16,17 2Sa 23:3 2Ch 19:6-10. Judgement is peculiarly the prerogative of God, and every earthly tribunal lies under the shadow of the "great white…
→ General scriptures concerning Ex 23:1-3,6-8; Le 19:13-15; De 16:18-20; 25:1-4; Ezr 7:26; Ps 72:1,2; 82:2-4; Pr 17:15,26; 18:5,17; 20:8; 22:27; 24:23; 28:21; 29:26; Ec 3:16,17; 5:8; 7:7; Isa 1:17; 56:1; 59:14,15; Jer 22:1-4; La 3:35,36; Am 5:7,11,12;
