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Bible Dictionaries
Just
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or JUST and ‘righteous’ in Authorized Version represent the same word, δίκαιος, which, however, has usually the wider meaning of ‘righteous, observing Divine and human laws, one who is such as he ought to be, prop. the Heb. צִדִּיק’ (Grimm-Thayer), and comprehends duty both to God and to man. The Vulgate had no word available except justus, which strictly, means ‘what is according to jus, the rights of man,’ hence ‘just’ in many places in Authorized Version. In the Gospels it is used of Joseph (Matthew 1:19), Simeon (Luke 2:25), John the Baptist (Mark 6:20), Joseph of Arimathaea (Luke 23:50), and Christ (Matthew 27:19; Matthew 27:24). In Acts 3:14; Acts 7:52; Acts 22:14 (cf. 1 Peter 3:18, and possibly James 5:6) ‘the Just One’ is a Messianic name corresponding to the prophecies of the Righteous Servant of Jehovah (Isaiah 53:11; cf. Isaiah 11:3 f., Jeremiah 23:5); its use ‘affords in itself a marvellous proof of the impression made by the human life of Jesus upon those who knew Him best, or who, at all events, like St. Stephen, had ample opportunities of learning’ (Expos. Gr. Test.). In nearly every case Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 uniformly gives ‘righteous,’ exceptions being Matthew 5:45 (‘rain on the just and the unjust’), Luke 1:17 (‘wisdom of the just’) Luke 14:14 (‘resurrection of the just’). In Luke 2:25 ‘just’ might perhaps have been retained with advantage to bring out the difference in the same verse between δίκαιος and, εὐλαβής, which latter means ‘reverencing God, devout’ (‘δίκαιος, justus, in officiis; εὐλαβὴς, Vulgate timoratus, in habitu animae erga Deum’—Bengel).
For full discussion of δίκαιος see art. Righteous.
W. H. Dundas.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Just'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/j/just.html. 1906-1918.
