Jehovah Tsidkenu: The LORD Our Righteousness
Jehovah Tsidkenu means "The LORD Our Righteousness," a Messianic title from Jeremiah 23:6. Learn its Hebrew meaning and why it matters.
Jehovah Tsidkenu (more precisely YHWH Tsidqenu) means “The LORD Our Righteousness.” It is a compound name built from the divine name YHWH, which the American Standard Version renders as Jehovah and most English Bibles render as the LORD, together with the Hebrew noun tsedeq, meaning righteousness or justice. The name appears in Jeremiah 23:6, where it is given to the coming Messiah, and again in Jeremiah 33:16, where it is applied to Jerusalem. The point of the name is not that God is merely righteous in Himself, but that He becomes the righteousness of His people. It answers a question every honest conscience asks: how can a sinner stand before a holy God? The answer Jeremiah gives is a person — a righteous Branch from David’s line — whose righteousness is credited to those who trust Him.
What does Jehovah Tsidkenu mean in Hebrew?
The name has two parts. The first is the Tetragrammaton, YHWH, the personal name of God revealed to Moses. The second is tsidkenu, from tsedeq (righteousness) with a first-person plural suffix: “our righteousness.” So the name literally reads “YHWH is our righteousness” or “YHWH our righteousness.”
It is worth noting that the Hebrew word tsedeq carries both a forensic and a relational sense. It can mean conformity to a standard (justice, rightness) and also the saving action of God on behalf of His people. In the Old Testament, God’s righteousness is not cold legalism; it is His faithful commitment to put things right.
This is why the name is so striking. Israel’s problem in Jeremiah’s day was not merely political. It was moral. The shepherds of Israel had scattered the flock, and the people had broken covenant. Into that failure God speaks a promise: a righteous Branch will come, and He Himself will be “The LORD Our Righteousness.”
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness. — Jeremiah 23:5-6 (BSB)
Notice that the name belongs to the Branch — the Messiah. He is called by the divine name. That is one reason Christians have always read this passage as a clear witness to the deity of Christ.
Why is the name given to both the Messiah and Jerusalem?
In Jeremiah 33:16, the same name is applied to Jerusalem: “In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.” Some readers find this confusing. How can the same title belong to the Messiah and to a city?
The answer lies in union with Christ. The city is called by the name of her king. Jerusalem is not righteous in herself; she is righteous because the righteous Branch reigns in her. The name is first His, and then hers by virtue of belonging to Him. This pattern runs through Scripture: God’s people are named by what God is for them. They are called “the LORD is our righteousness” because the LORD has become their righteousness.
This is the same logic Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 1:30, where he says that Christ Jesus “has become for us wisdom from God — our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.” The name in Jeremiah is not an isolated poetic flourish. It is the seed of the gospel.
How does the New Testament apply this name to Jesus?
The New Testament does not quote Jeremiah 23:6 by name as often as one might expect, but the theme is everywhere. The most direct echo is 1 Corinthians 1:30. Paul does not say that Christ gives us righteousness as a reward; he says Christ is our righteousness. That is the same grammar as the Hebrew name: not “the LORD gives righteousness,” but “the LORD our righteousness.”
Other passages fill out the picture. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul writes that God made Christ “who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” In Philippians 3:9, Paul longs to be found in Christ, “not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.” In Romans 3:21-26, God’s righteousness is revealed apart from the law, through faith in Jesus Christ, for all who believe.
Taken together, these passages show that the name in Jeremiah is not a stray poetic image. It is the seed of the gospel. The righteousness God requires is the righteousness God provides, and He provides it in a person.
What does this name mean for a believer today?
If Jehovah Tsidkenu is true, then your standing before God does not rest on your performance. It rests on Christ’s. This is not an excuse for sin; it is the only power that breaks sin’s grip. A person who knows they are accepted because of Another can begin to obey out of gratitude rather than fear.
The name also speaks to the conscience. Many people carry a vague sense of guilt they cannot name. The name Jehovah Tsidkenu says that God has provided what we lack. He does not lower the standard; He meets it in His Son and offers the result as a gift.
And it speaks to the future. Jeremiah’s promise was given to a people in exile, under judgment, with little hope. The name is a name for dark days. It says that God’s righteousness will not fail, even when ours does.
I will give thanks unto Jehovah according to his righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of Jehovah Most High. — Psalm 7:17 (ASV)
How should this name shape prayer and worship?
First, it should shape how we confess sin. We do not come to God pleading our record. We come pleading Christ. The name gives us words: Lord, You are my righteousness. I have none of my own.
Second, it should shape how we read the Old Testament. When you see “the LORD our righteousness” in Jeremiah, you are seeing a promise that only makes sense if God Himself becomes the righteousness of His people. That is what the incarnation, the cross, and the resurrection accomplish.
Third, it should shape how we treat others. If our righteousness is a gift, we have no ground for pride. The name humbles us and makes us gentle with others who are still learning.
Where else does Scripture speak of God as our righteousness?
The theme is not confined to one verse. Psalm 97:10-12 calls the righteous to rejoice in Jehovah, because “light is sown for the righteous.” Psalm 28:7-9 calls Him “my strength and my shield.” Psalm 106:1-8 praises Jehovah for His lovingkindness, even when His people have sinned. Isaiah 41:13-17 promises that the LORD will help His people and will not forsake them.
In each case, the righteousness of God is not merely an attribute to admire from a distance. It is a refuge. It is a ground of confidence. It is a reason to sing.
If you want to study this further, read Jeremiah 23 and 33 slowly, then read Romans 3-5 and 2 Corinthians 5. Ask your pastor or a trusted believer to walk through them with you. Pray that the name Jehovah Tsidkenu would become more than a phrase you know — that it would become the ground you stand on.
Questions readers ask
What does Jehovah Tsidkenu mean in English?
It means “The LORD Our Righteousness.” The name combines the divine name YHWH (rendered “Jehovah” in the ASV and “the LORD” in most Bibles) with the Hebrew word for righteousness, tsedeq, plus a suffix meaning “our.”
Where does Jehovah Tsidkenu appear in the Bible?
It appears in Jeremiah 23:6, where it is given to the coming Messianic Branch from David’s line, and in Jeremiah 33:16, where it is applied to Jerusalem. The same theme is echoed in 1 Corinthians 1:30 and 2 Corinthians 5:21.
Is Jehovah Tsidkenu a name for Jesus?
Christians have historically read Jeremiah 23:6 as a prophecy of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The New Testament presents Jesus as the one who “has become for us wisdom from God — our righteousness, holiness, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
How is Jehovah Tsidkenu different from other compound names like Jehovah Jireh?
Each compound name highlights a different way God meets His people’s needs. Jehovah Jireh means “The LORD Will Provide,” recalling Abraham and Isaac. Jehovah Tsidkenu means “The LORD Our Righteousness,” focusing on God’s provision of a right standing before Him through the promised Branch.
Lexicon answers from the Bible and public-domain reference works. It is a study aid and is not affiliated with any organisation.