of Seventh-day Adventists
Jehovah Tsidkenu is one of the names of God in the Bible. It combines God’s personal name (Jehovah or Yahweh) with the Hebrew word for “righteousness” (tsidkenu). Together this name for God means “The Lord Is Our Righteousness.”
The name, Jehovah Tsidkenu, occurs only twice in the Bible—both times in the book of Jeremiah:
When Jeremiah wrote his book, God’s people were in exile in Babylon. Jerusalem and the temple had been destroyed. God raised up prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others—who called God’s people to repent of their sins and turn back to Him.
If they did so, God promised to forgive them. Jerusalem and the temple would be rebuilt, and they would once more live in their land in peace and safety. These two passages—Jeremiah 23:5, 6 and 33:15, 16—are part of those promises. The kingdom would be restored, and a righteous King of the lineage of David would rule once more. He would be called Jehovah Tsidkenu—The Lord Our Righteousness.
The Jews did return to their land. Jerusalem and the temple were rebuilt. But no king ever ruled over the land after the exile. Instead, a priestly elite governed under the general oversight of the Persian empire. God’s plans for His people were never fully realized because they never returned to Him completely. Most Bible scholars see these two passages in Jeremiah as referring to Jesus Christ—the Messiah who would come to bring righteousness to all who accept Him as Lord and Savior.
Some have wondered about the different pronouns used in Jeremiah 23 and 33—he vs. she. Except for this difference, the two passages are almost identical and are clearly talking about the same thing. The explanation is that “she” in Jeremiah 33:16 refers to Jerusalem. “Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” As the holy city of the righteous King to come, Jerusalem is called by His name.
The prophet Micah wrote that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah (Micah 5:3; Matthew 2:4-6). The human genealogies of Jesus, recorded in Matthew 2:1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38, make a point of the fact that He was a descendant of both Judah and King David.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David (Luke 2:4). When Jesus came to our world as a human being, He came as the fulfillment of Jeremiah 23:5, 6; 33:15, 16. He is the promised Branch of righteousness, growing out of the Davidic line of Jewish kings. Jesus is the Lord Our Righteousness—Jehovah Tsidkenu.
Why is it important that Jesus is Jehovah Tsidkenu? What does His righteousness mean for you?
If you have never accepted the righteousness Jesus offers, you can do so right now. He says, “The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37). If you ask Him to, He will forgive your sins and cover you with His robe of righteousness. He truly is Jehovah Tsidkenu—The Lord Our Righteousness.