Justiça e misericórdia na Bíblia hebraica

‘Justice’ is a central idea in the Hebrew Bible, in which abound a wealth of parallels and contexts. In some of these it is not distinguished very much from mercy and from love: it is an aspect of both. A concept rich in meanings, it needs to be expressed through at least three nouns: mišpāţ, şedeq and şedāqāh. Mišpāţ is objective and subjective ‘right’, which does the person concerned justice. Şedeq is created order, which establishes how just relationships between human beings are. Şedāqāh expresses just behaviour with regard to this order and as ‘saving action’. The three seek to promote the good of the one in need: they go beyond strict justice and form part of liberating justice.