A TAXONOMY OF THE MEANINGS OF ?EDEQ/?EDÂQÂ

Abstract

This study focuses on a taxonomy that is the classification of the meanings of e ?edeq/? dâqâ(“righteousness”) in the Old Testament (OT). The study investigates and summarizes the diverse views on the meaning of ?edeq/?edâqâ, and the different approaches used to arrive at the various meanings. It also deals with the issue of the methodological approaches to the text in determining the meaning of these terms.The problem concerns the method of study that is appropriate to determine the meaning of ?edeq/?edâqâin the text. There is no consensus among OT scholars on the methodological approach in doing word study. For a variety of methods yields a variety of interpretations of these terms, which determines their meaning and conclusions arrived on them. In this study, I discovered thirteen (13) different meanings for ?edeq/?edâqâ that have been proposed by various scholars. This paper only summarizes the various representative positions which are held on their meaning, and indicate the different methods/approaches employed by scholars to arrive at their conclusions and definitions, without giving a comprehensive account of the total contribution made by them on this subject. There is need for further study to determine the most appropriate method for word study to be used in determining the meaning of words such as ?edeq/?edâqâ in the OT.