By Tyson Thorne

September 6, 2018
 

NoG Tsidkenu Large

YHWH Tsidkenu means “the Lord is our justice” and can be pronounced as Sid-you-cay-no (there is some debate as to proper pronunciation, but this seems to be the one favored by scholars). This name appears twice in the book of Jeremiah (23.6 and 33.16) and nowhere else. In the first instance the Lord becomes the embodiment of justice when those who are tasked to uphold justice fail to do so. In the second it is a name for Jerusalem given in a prophecy indicating the city would be restored (and justly so) after its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar.

The website MyRedeemerLives.com states the problem eloquently for the first instance of this names use as such:

Since their actions indicated that they despised YHWH's provision of redemption as YHWH-Jireh, He could not continue to be YHWH-Rophe their Healer; and without the protection of YHWH-Nissi, their Banner, they were defeated at every turn. Nevertheless they stubbornly refused to repent and return to YHWH-M'Kaddesh, their Sanctifier, and they became more corrupt and degenerate. And having forsaken YHWH-Shalom, their Peace, they were torn by internal dissension and violence, and subject to outward aggression and conquest.

The word tsidkenu is derived from the Hebrew word tsedek meaning "stiff", "straight" or "righteous", and even "just", "declare innocent" and "to justify". The most literal translation may be "doing that which is right", hence the English translation of "justice". That makes this word especially representative of God's character, because he will always do that which is right and just. What may be most interesting is that the Jewish Talmud considered YHWH Tsidkenu to be a name of the Messiah.

Because Hebrew words can have many meanings, as is the case here, translation can be difficult. That said, the best representation of the meaning of tsedek into English is either "righteous" or "justice". In Greek, the word tsedek translates across to most often is dikaios which means "justly" or "uprightly" and is a root for the word "righteous". Hebrews chapter one refers to Jesus as "The Righteous One", 1 Corinthians chapter one describes Jesus as "our righteousness" and Ephesians chapter four describes our condition as a saved people as "one new man... created in righteousness." Can there be any question that Jesus is YHWH Tsidkenu?

We've all been treated unjustly before, and likely will be again. Sometimes it stings more than other times. As followers of YHWH Tsidkenu there is hope for wrongs to be righted for as long as the Lord lives!

 
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