UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: to put right with, to cause to be in a right relationship with.

Semantic entry: 34.46

Semantic domains: Association

Subdomains: Establish or Confirm a Relation

Definition: to cause someone to be in a proper or right relation with someone else

Notes: Some scholars, however, interpret δικαιόω, δικαίωσις, and δικαιοσύνη in the following contexts as meaning forensic righteousness, that is to say, the act of being declared righteous on the basis of Christ’s atoning ministry; but it would seem more probable that Paul uses these expressions in the context of the covenant relation rather than in the context of legal procedures.|It may be difficult in some languages to find a succinct expression equivalent to ‘to be put right with.’ Sometimes the closest equivalent may be ‘to be related to as one should be.’ In some instances the implication of a right relationship may be expressed by phrases involving ‘acceptance.’ For example, RV ROM 3:24 · LV ROM 3:24 · Read together ROM 3:24 may be expressed as ‘by the free gift of God’s grace they are accepted by him through Christ Jesus who sets them free.’ Similarly, RV ROM 4:25 · LV ROM 4:25 · Read together ROM 4:25 is sometimes expressed as ‘he was raised to life in order to cause us to be accepted by God.’ There are, however, certain dangers involved in terms indicating ‘acceptance,’ since this might imply God’s reluctance to accept people apart from the atoning work of Jesus Christ, while in reality it was God who was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Therefore, one should clearly avoid a rendering which would seem to suggest different types of motivation in the Godhead.

Sense 2: to show to be right, to prove to be right

Semantic entry: 88.16

Semantic domains: Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior

Subdomains: Just, Righteous

Definition: to demonstrate that something is morally right

Sense 3: to acquit, to set free, to remove guilt, acquittal

Semantic entry: 56.34

Semantic domains: Courts and Legal Procedures

Subdomains: Judge, Condemn, Acquit

Definition: the act of clearing someone of transgression

Notes: In a number of languages the process of acquittal takes the form of a direct statement, for example, ‘to say, You are not guilty’ or ‘…, You no longer have sin’ or, as expressed idiomatically in some instances, ‘…, Sin is no longer on your head’ or ‘…, Your sins are now given back to you.’

Sense 4: to release, to set free

Semantic entry: 37.138

Semantic domains: Control, Rule

Subdomains: Release, Set Free

Definition: to cause to be released from the control of some state or situation involving moral issues

Notes: In a number of languages the rendering of this expression in RV ROM 6:7 · LV ROM 6:7 · Read together ROM 6:7 is extremely difficult; first, because of the figurative meaning of ‘to die to sin’ and secondly, because of the phrase ‘to be released from sin.’ It may be necessary to introduce a simile into the first clause and then to restructure considerably the second clause if one cannot speak of ‘the power of sin’ but must regard sin as exercising some kind of direct control. Accordingly, one may sometimes translate this expression in RV ROM 6:7 · LV ROM 6:7 · Read together ROM 6:7 as ‘when a person is, as it were, dead as far as sinning is concerned, then sin no longer dominates him’ or ‘… then he is not controlled by his desires to sin.’

Sense 5: to obey righteous commands

Semantic entry: 36.22

Semantic domains: Guide, Discipline, Follow

Subdomains: Obey, Disobey

Definition: to conform to righteous, just commands

Notes: In some languages it may be difficult to translate literally ‘God’s righteous commands’ in RV LUK 7:29 · LV LUK 7:29 · Read together LUK 7:29, especially since the equivalent of ‘commands’ is often a verb. Accordingly, one may need to translate ‘what God commanded, and this was right.’