Yahweh Tsidkenu is
a compound name of God meaning
“The LORD Our Righteousness.”
It reveals that
God Himself is the source of
the righteousness His people need.
This name appears
in the prophecies of Jeremiah
and points forward to the Messiah,
who would bring true righteousness to God’s people.
The name combines Yahweh, the personal covenant name of God, with tsidkenu, from the Hebrew word tsedeq (or tsedaqah), meaning “righteousness,” “justice,” or “rightness.” Thus Yahweh Tsidkenu means “The LORD our righteousness” or “The LORD is our righteousness.”
It declares that righteousness does not originate with people; it is provided by the Lord Himself.
The name appears in two closely related passages in Jeremiah, both spoken during a time of deep national failure and coming judgment.
In Jeremiah 23:5-6 the Lord promises:
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness’ [Yahweh Tsidkenu].”
Here the name is given to the coming Messianic King from David’s line.
In Jeremiah 33:15-16 a parallel promise is made, and the name is applied to Jerusalem under the reign of that righteous King:
“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 is our righteousness.’”
The righteousness that the people lacked would be supplied by the Lord through His promised King.
Yahweh Tsidkenu addresses one of the deepest problems of the human condition: we lack the righteousness required to stand before a holy God. Israel’s history under the old covenant demonstrated this repeatedly. The name announces that God Himself will provide what His people cannot produce.
This righteousness is not merely a higher moral standard; it is a gift of right standing that comes from the Lord.
The New Testament reveals the fulfillment of this name in Jesus Christ. He is the righteous Branch, the Son of David, who perfectly kept God’s law and then gave His righteousness to those who trust in Him.
Key New Testament truths that flow from this name include:
In Jesus, Yahweh Tsidkenu has come near.
Yahweh Tsidkenu is the Lord our Righteousness. Spoken through Jeremiah in a time of national failure, this name promises that God Himself would provide the righteousness His people so desperately needed. In Jesus Christ, the righteous Branch, that promise is fulfilled, and all who trust in Him receive the gift of His perfect righteousness.