The Branch of David / LORD Our Righteousness
A righteous Branch from David would reign wisely, bearing the divine name "The LORD Our Righteousness."
The Prophecy
Jeremiah 23:5-6
~600 BCE
The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.
Manuscript Attestation
4QJer Dead Sea Scrolls fragments; all codices.
Ancient Jewish Interpretation
Targum Jonathan renders this explicitly as messianic. Talmud Baba Bathra 75b; Midrash on Psalm 21:1; Midrash on Proverbs 19:21; Midrash on Lamentations 1:16.
The Fulfillment
1 Corinthians 1:30
Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Narrative Context
Paul identifies Jesus as the one through whom God's righteousness is given to believers, fulfilling the prophetic title "The LORD Our Righteousness."
The Evidence
The messianic title YHWH Tsidkenu ("The LORD Our Righteousness") is extraordinary — it applies the divine name YHWH to the Messiah. Jeremiah fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the text. The Targum's explicit messianic interpretation shows this was not a Christian invention.