The aim of this paper is to discuss the meaning and proper interpretation of dikaiosu,nh in Matthew. Matthew probably uses dikaiosu,nh in both senses, that is, as the gift of God and as God’s ethical demand. Although many scholars insist that Matthe...
The aim of this paper is to discuss the meaning and proper interpretation of dikaiosu,nh in Matthew. Matthew probably uses dikaiosu,nh in both senses, that is, as the gift of God and as God’s ethical demand. Although many scholars insist that Matthew uses dikaiosu,nh in an ethical sense exclusively, it seems unnecessary and improper to limit his use of the word to the designation of ethical righteousness. For it is
plausible that Matthew understood the story of Jesus as the story of the grace of God in bringing salvation to his people and that Matthew was familiar with this use of the word “righteousness” (in either the Hebrew
or the Greek form, or both) in the OT. It is unquestionable that Matthew uses the word primarily in an ethical sense, i.e. as conformity to the will of God. However, dikaiosu,nh for Matthew is, on the one hand, “an
expression of the salvation of God” and, on the other, “God’s demand to mankind.” Δikaiosu,nh in Mt. 5:6 probably refers to “salvation of God” and 3:15 possibly refers to “salvation plan of God.” The remaining five
occurences (5:10, 20; 6:1, 33; 21:32) refer to “God’s ethical demand to mankind.”