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Synonyms: just, fair, equitable, good, upright, righteous, virtuous, proper, moral, morally justified, ethical, honourable, honest, principled, correct, accurate, without error, unerring, exact, precise, suitable, appropriate, acceptable, fitting, fit, desirable, preferable, ideal, opportune, advantageous, favourable, auspicious, propitious, promising, heaven-sent, golden, lucky, happy, fortunate, benign, providential, felicitous, timely, well timed, ripe, convenient, expedient, apt, sane, in one's right mind, of sound mind, in possession of all one's faculties, able to think/reason clearly, lucid, rational, coherent, balanced, well balanced, healthy, in good health, fine, hale, in good shape, in trim, in good trim, well, fighting fit, normal, sound, up to par, right-hand, dextral, at three o'clock, absolute, complete, total, real, out-and-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, downright, perfect, utter, sheer, consummate, unmitigated, unqualified, veritable, in every respect, unalloyed, completely, fully, entirely, totally, wholly, absolutely, altogether, utterly, thoroughly, quite, exactly, precisely, directly, immediately, squarely, square, dead, straight, in a straight line, as the crow flies, instantly, at once, straight away, right away, now, right now, this/that (very) minute, this/that instant, in/like a flash, on the spot, forthwith, without further/more ado, promptly, quickly, without delay, then and there, there and then, here and now, ASAP, as soon as possible, as quickly as possible, with all speed, correctly, accurately, properly, aright, rightly, perfectly, unerringly, faultlessly, truly, justly, fairly, equitably, impartially, morally, ethically, honourably, honestly, lawfully, legally, for the better, for the best, favourably, happily, advantageously, to one's advantage, beneficially, profitably, providentially, luckily, opportunely, conveniently, to one's satisfaction, goodness, rightness, righteousness, virtue, virtuousness, integrity, rectitude, uprightness, principle, propriety, morality, truth, truthfulness, honesty, honour, honourableness, justice, justness, fairness, equity, equitableness, impartiality, entitlement, prerogative, privilege, advantage, due, birthright, liberty, authority, authorization, power, licence, permission, dispensation, leave, consent, warrant, charter, franchise, sanction, exemption, immunity, indemnity, turn the right way up again, turn back over, set upright again, stand upright again, remedy, put right, set right, put to rights, set to rights, rectify, retrieve, solve, fix, resolve, sort out, put in order, make right, deal with, repair, cure, settle, make amends for

Antonyms: wrong, unjust, inaccurate, unsuitable, inopportune, insane, of unsound mind, unhealthy, left, indirectly, sometime, later, not now, imperfectly, unjustly, badly, for the worse, invert, capsize, worsen

Showing 1 to 25 of 364 results

1. Paul Sails for Rome

Acts 27:1-12

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... A.D. 59 the date of the fast would have been 5 October, and since it was now later than that, they were well into “October” with little time left for safe sailing. 27:10 There was some discussion, therefore, about whether they should brave the winter in Fair Havens or attempt to reach a better place in which to lay up. Paul made his contribution to this debate by advising them to stay where they were. His words, I can see that our voyage, may be intended to express a God-given insight (cf. vv. 21–26 ...

2. Miscellaneous Laws

Deut 23:15–25:19

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... (cf. Deut. 24:13b) but also as a proof of obedience to the gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 9:12ff.). 24:14–15 The interest in economics continues with this law regarding proper treatment of workers. The law is concerned that the conditions of work should be fair and not exploitative (the translation, do not take advantage of, is far too weak; the Hb. word ʿāšaq, means to oppress by robbery or fraud, as it is properly translated in the parallel law in Leviticus 19:13) and that the payment for work should be ...

3. Jesus Warns of Presuming Reward and Status

Matthew 20:1-16

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... and teaching of it. It disturbs us probably because we have identified in some way with the full-day workers, andwe feel the affront of the landowner’s generosity to those who seem less deserving. We, and our audience, will likely feel a certain lack of fairness in this scenario (as the full-day workers did). We might helpfully use the question of the landowner at the end of the story recast for ourselves and our audience: “Are we envious of God’s great generosity when it is given to others who seem ...

4. God’s Saving Righteousness and the Restoration of Israel

Romans 3:21-31

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... Though, as Rom. 11 will make clear, Jewish Christians represent a partial restoration of Israel in the present, yet it is also clear that the remnant in Paul’s day did not constitute the majority of the church, as the Gentile believers did.) Yet we see here how fair God is in all of this: all have sinned before him, but all can be saved through faith in Christ (see sidebar). 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Two pieces of Paul’s Adam theology surface here. First, the aorist ...

5. Being Wronged versus Claiming One’s Right

1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... patrons to manipulate the outcome through bribery, application of social pressure, utilization of powerful friendships, and so forth. If a wealthy patron from the church brought a poorer church member to such a court, the less fortunate would have no chance of a fair hearing. If two patrons of similar wealth (leaders of two different Christian house groups, for example) faced off in such a court, they would need to rely on their ability to publicly discredit their opponent in an attempt to bring dishonor to ...

6. Philip and the Ethiopian

Acts 8:26-40

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... the atonement). But his writing is not without reference to Christ’s suffering for others (e.g., 20:28; Luke 22:19f.), and the mention of the lamb even in these verses would surely have connoted sacrifice to anyone of that day. But in any case, is it fair to assume that the choice of verses was Luke’s? Or if it was, that they were chosen without reference to the context? The quotation may have been intended simply to identify the passage and to indicate that the whole was to be referred to Jesus as the ...

7. Rules for Christian Households

Colossians 3:18-4:1

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... therefore, to remember that God ultimately will judge all wrongdoing (Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.) If this verse is taken as a reference to masters, then it forms a beautiful link with 4:1, where the ideas of fairness and justice are raised. There is a sense in which this verse can apply to the slave as well. They have been exhorted to obey in all things (3:22), to work heartily and sincerely (3:22, 23), and to maintain an eternal perspective (3:24). Could ...

8. Personal Accountability

Ezekiel 18:1-32, Ezekiel 19:1-14

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... text of v. 17). Ezekiel says nothing about the grandson approaching a woman during her period, or about the fact that he “judges fairly” (v. 8). Indeed, on one point the grandson outdoes his grandfather: rather than merely restoring the debtor’s pledge (v. 7), he does ... of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die (v. 24). Is this fair? Certainly Ezekiel’s audience didn’t think so: “Yet you say, ‘The way of the LORD is not just.’” (v. 25). The ...

9. Diagnosing “Leprosy”

Lev 13:1-59

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... , the whole garment must be burned (vv. 53–55). But if the spot fades and does not break out elsewhere, only the contaminated spot needs to be cut out and burned, whereas the rest of the material, upon washing, is clean (vv. 56–59). Theological Insights Was it fair that those with this skin disease were ostracized from God’s presence and God’s people? In some cases the answer is yes. Most cases of “leprosy” in the Old Testament are said to be a result of sins such as envy/racism (Num. 12:1–16 ...

10. “Truly My Soul Finds Rest in God”

Psalm 62:1-12

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... dealings with his people (62:12). Qoheleth, too, finds his meandering way to a similar conclusion when he acclaims the fear of God and keeping his commandments as the “conclusion of the matter” (Eccles. 12:13), even though he is not as confident about God’s fair dealings with humanity as he is about God’s judgment of all human deeds, good or evil (Eccles. 12:14). Nor is his theology governed by the view that “God alone” is his hope, but he knows rather that “God alone” is the only thing left ...

11. Job's Third Reply to Bildad

Job 26:1--31:40

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... orphans). When the eyes . . . grow weary, death is not far away, since the eyes lose their light and focus as life slips away. Lackluster eyes can also be the result of suffering and hunger, with consequent loss of vitality. The NIV chooses a fairly loose translation in verse 17, if I have kept my bread to myself, that captures the general sense of the Hebrew but does not convey the more specific intention. The “bread” is more literally a “scrap” or “fragment” of food, suggesting a refusal to ...

12. Luke 10:38-42

Luke 10:38-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... transitory. What Mary has chosen to focus on, learning the way of discipleship, is something which cannot "be taken away from her" (v.42). This would seem to be a fairly straight- forward reading of this text, but it does assume several points which are not clearly identifiable as facts. The truth is, we are still fairly ignorant about what kinds of roles and attitudes prevailed within the homes of the common, faithful Jews of the first century. Whether women were accorded the opportunity for education, and ...

13. Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... or foul, physically and metaphorically. Swirling inside your mouth salvia is fine. Hurled out of your mouth it is a vile insult. The body-building benefit for keeping all that comes out of the mouth “fair” is that such speech may “give grace,” recycle God’s grace, back to the community. Foul language, on the other hand, would “grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” In Isaiah 63:10 the Israelites, who had been rescued from bondage by God, nevertheless rebelled and “grieved his holy spirit.” Even ...

14. The Council at Jerusalem

Acts 15:1-21

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... for salvation. The reasoning by which James came to this position is not clear, but it may have been that because the prophecy mentioned no demands made of the Gentiles on entering the kingdom, none were required. But once in the kingdom certain things could fairly be asked of them. These things (the so-called apostolic decrees) should be set out, he said, in a letter. The authoritative tone in which he said this (the Greek uses the emphatic personal pronoun) leaves little doubt that James was in the chair ...

15. The Shipwreck

Acts 27:27-44

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... of the Bay, and though the land here is too low to be seen when the night is dark and stormy, the breakers can be heard at some distance. Both the place and the time taken to reach it (a distance of about 475 nautical miles from Fair Havens) appear to be confirmed by Smith’s calculations. Assuming the wind direction (ENE) and the average rate of drift of a large ship on the starboard tack (approximately one and a half miles per hour), he concluded that “a ship, starting late in the evening … would ...

16. The Law and the Promise

Galatians 3:15-25, Galatians 3:1-14

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... und das jüdische Rechtsdenken,” NTS 6 [July 1960], pp. 313–19). Yet, as Betz points out, it would be strange for Paul to be using such an example with his Gentile audience. Betz suggests that the practice of not changing a covenant may have been fairly widespread (Galatians, p. 155). For a helpful analysis of Paul’s response to the rival gospel, see C. H. Cosgrove, “Arguing Like a Mere Human Being: in Rhetorical Perspective,” NTS 34 (1988), pp. 536–49. 3:16 It was much more common in the Jewish ...

17. Godlessness in the Last Days

2 Timothy 3:1-9

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... practicing quackery and sorcery, and ‘trimming the fatheads’—for so they style the public in the traditional patter of magicians. Well, among these they hit upon a rich Macedonian woman, past her prime but still eager to be charming and lined their purses fairly well at her expense” (Loeb, vol. 4, p. 183); and Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.13.3. Cf. also the story of the lady Paulina (Jos., Antiquities 18.65–80) and her readiness to please the god Anubis and, although the author did not intend ...

18. God Disciplines His Sons

Hebrews 12:1-13, Hebrews 12:14-29

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... Notes 12:4 “Resistance to the point of death” is a common motif in Jewish literature, describing absolute commitment and endurance in a struggle against opponents. Our author is exceptional in using the word “blood” rather than “death,” but it is fairly certain that he means martyrdom rather than merely the sustaining of wounds. The particular word for struggle used here (antikathistēmi) occurs only here in the NT. The same is true of the word translated resisted by NIV (antagonizomai). On the ...

19. Warning Against Refusing God

Hebrews 12:14-29, Hebrews 12:1-13

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

20. Making One's Calling and Election Sure

2 Peter 1:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... his master, nor is a messenger (apostolos) greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:16). Righteousness (dikaiosynē): As used in 2 Peter (1:1, 13; 2:5, 7, 8, 21; 3:13) the term has an ethical quality. Hence in this verse “fair dealing, without favoritism” is a fitting translation. Our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Although the next verse (2) distinguishes between God and Jesus Christ, the writer, in common with other early Christian authors, is here calling Jesus Christ theos, God; cf. 1 John 5:20 ...

21. The Song of Moses and Miriam

Exodus 15:1-21

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... number—living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. (Ps. 104:25–26) By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent. (Job 26:12–13) It was you who split open the seas by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan. (Ps. 74:13–14) Other psalms more directly suggest ...

22. Where Has Your Lover Gone

Song of Songs 6:1-13

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

... :4; 5:10; 6:10), as here, the exact meaning of the Hb. root for “banner,” dgl, is difficult to determine. 6:10 Who is this that appears like the dawn / fair as the moon, bright as the sun: The usual words for “sun” and “moon” are not used here; the second line is lit. “fair as the white, bright as the hot.” Using the word “white” for “moon” raises the association of “blackness” with “dawn.” Although the two words (“blackness” and “dawn”) are not etymologically related ...

23. Israel’s Ill-Placed Confidence

Amos 5:18-27

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... wilderness after the exodus (see also Wilderness Wandering). More specifically, the geographical locations designated “wilderness” fall into four basic categories: the Negev (south), Transjordan (east), Judean (eastern slope of Judean mountains), and Sinai (southwest). The Negev makes up a fair amount of Israel’s southern kingdom, Judah. It is very rocky and also includes plateaus and wadis, which are dry riverbeds that can bloom after rains. Its most important city is Beersheba (see Gen. 21:14, 22 34 ...

24. Distress and Help

Isaiah 33:1-24

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... 29:7, bread and water 30:20, 23, not fail 22:23, 25 (NIV “firm,” with irony again). Thus the section begins with Yahweh exhorting the people to listen and respond, and in the bulk of it they do this by acknowledging that Isaiah’s critique is fair and that they have failed to live up to the specifications of the psalm. 33:17–19 In this vision of a restored leadership the promises contrast with the fall of the king’s underlings in chapter 22 and with the prophet’s explicit and implicit critique ...

25. Egypt

Ezekiel 29:1-21, Ezekiel 30:1-26, Ezekiel 31:1-18, Ezekiel 32:1-32

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... �it towered on high,” v. 3; compare vv. 10 and 15), and in opposition to its deep roots, watered by the underworld streams (vv. 4, 15). It is best to read “clouds,” then, with the LXX and the NRSV. 31:15–17 The grave. The NIV, with fair consistency, translates the Heb. word sheʾol as “the grave.” But sheʾol never appears with the article and rarely occurs in narratives about death and burial. It seems best, then, to understand sheʾol not as a common noun meaning “grave,” but as a place ...

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