Jehovah Tsidkenu: The Lord Our Righteousness
Let's dive into a name of God that holds deep significance for us as believers—Jehovah Tsidkenu, which means "The Lord is Our Righteousness." This name reveals a profound truth about God and His relationship with His people, pointing to His provision of righteousness in a world where we fall short. The root word, Tsedek, from which Tsidkenu is derived, means "to be straight" or "righteous" in Hebrew. When we combine Yahweh with Tsidkenu, we get a name that proclaims God as the very source of righteousness.
The name Jehovah Tsidkenu is used only twice in Scripture, both times in the book of Jeremiah:
To fully understand this name, we need to see the context in which it was given. At this point in history, God’s people had been exiled to Babylon. Jerusalem and the temple had been destroyed as judgment for their disobedience, and the people were far from the land God had given them. However, God didn’t leave them without hope. Through prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, God called His people to repentance and promised restoration if they returned to Him.
In these two passages in Jeremiah, God makes a promise—a Branch of righteousness will rise from the line of David, a righteous King who would execute justice and restore safety to Israel. This King would be called Jehovah Tsidkenu, The Lord Our Righteousness.
While the Jews did eventually return to their land, the full realization of this promise was not immediate. Jerusalem was rebuilt, and the temple was restored, but no king ever ruled over Israel after the exile. Instead, the people were governed by a priestly elite under the control of foreign empires like Persia. God's people never fully returned to Him, and as a result, they didn’t experience the complete fulfillment of His promises.
So, who is this promised King, this Branch of righteousness? Most Bible scholars agree that these passages are referring to Jesus, the Messiah. The prophet Micah foretold that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, the city of David (Micah 5:2), and the genealogies of Jesus recorded in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 make it clear that He is a descendant of both King David and the tribe of Judah.
Jesus is the fulfillment of Jeremiah 23:5 and 33:15. He is the Branch of righteousness, growing out of the Davidic line. He is the righteous King who came to bring righteousness to all who believe in Him. Jesus is Jehovah Tsidkenu—the Lord Our Righteousness.
Understanding Jehovah Tsidkenu leads us to some essential truths about righteousness, both in our lives and in our relationship with God.
The Bible is clear that, on our own, we are unrighteous. Paul tells us in Romans, “There is none righteous, no, not one… All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10, 23). Even the things we might think are righteous—our good deeds, our moral actions—are tainted by sin. Isaiah 64:6 puts it bluntly: “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” In other words, no matter how hard we try to live up to God’s standards, we fall short. We cannot produce true righteousness on our own.
The good news is that righteousness is not something we have to generate from within ourselves. It is a gift that comes from Jesus Christ. Paul writes, “He [God] made Him who knew no sin [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus, the only sinless human to ever live, took on our sin so that we could be clothed in His righteousness. There is no other way to be made right with God. Acts 4:12 makes this clear: “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Jesus doesn’t just keep His righteousness to Himself—He offers it to us freely when we put our faith in Him. The moment we confess our sins and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, He forgives us and covers us with His righteousness. 1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” In Isaiah 61:10, we read, “He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” What a beautiful picture of grace! Our sins are covered, and we are made righteous—not because of anything we’ve done, but because of Jesus.
When Jesus walked the earth, He made it clear that He was not just a prophet or teacher—He was the very fulfillment of God's promises. In John 8:58, Jesus declares, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” This was a direct claim to divinity, echoing God’s self-revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:14. Jesus was declaring that He is not only the Messiah but the eternal God, the I AM, who is, was, and always will be. This was a mic-drop moment that left His listeners stunned, and it’s a truth that resonates with us today: Jesus is Jehovah Tsidkenu, our righteousness, and He is the God of the universe.
As we reflect on Jehovah Tsidkenu, let’s remember that we are called to live in the righteousness that Jesus provides. We cannot earn it, and we don’t deserve it, but He gives it freely. What an incredible gift!
Tim Funnell