CategoryDoctrine / Righteousness Term
Modern Equivalentrighteous; upright; fair.
KJV Word TypeAdjective / moral and legal term
DefinitionRighteous, upright, innocent, or acting according to what is right. In the KJV, “just” may describe God, a righteous person, or a fair judgment.
Key Verses"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." (Hebrews 10:38); "A just weight and balance are the LORD's: all the weights of the bag are his work." (Proverbs 16:11)
KJV Usage NoteOften means righteous or upright before God, but it can also describe fair judgment, honest measurement, or innocence depending on context.
Common MisunderstandingIt does not only mean “barely” or “only” as in modern speech; in many KJV passages it means righteous, upright, or fair.
EtymologyFrom Latin justus ("righteous, lawful, fair").