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This paper attempts to investigate the meaning of "His righteousness" in Matthew 6:33 focusing on the usages of the verbs zeteo and epizeteo in the Synoptic Gospels. In general, on the interpretation of dikaiosune in Matthew scholars' opinions are categorized into three, ① God's gift (or vindication), ② God's demand, and ③ both of them. It seems very unlikely to detach the meaning of 'God's demand' from "His righteousness" in Matthew 6:33 on the grounds of the following considerations: (1) the meaning and interrelationship of five occurrences of dikaiosune in Matthew 5-6, (2) the structure and context of Matthew 5-6 which describe 'seeking His righteousness' (6:33) and 'being perfect as your Father in heaven' (5:48) respectively as the vertical and the horizontal concept of 'the superior righteousness' (5:20). In addition, it seems very unlikely to assign the meaning of 'God's gift' to "His righteousness" in 6:33 on the grounds of the following considerations: (1) In Matthew 6 there is no reference to the persecution and hardships of the disciples though it has admonition about unostentatious pieties (vv. 1-18) and warning of accumulation of wealth and worry of earthly needs (vv. 19-32). (2) "The kingdom of God and His righteousness" and "all these things" (= 'what to eat, what to drink, what to wear', 6:31) in 6:32-33, which are accompanied respectively by the imperative zhtei/te and by the passive prosteqh,setai, are construed respectively as an object that the disciples are to seek and as what is to be added to by the heavenly Father. A survey of the usages of zhte,w and epizeteo in the Synoptic Gospels leads us to a better understanding of "His righteousness" in Matthew 6:33. It is clear that in Matthew there is a difference between the usage of zeteo and that of epizeteo, whereas there is no difference between the usages in Mark and Luke as well as in the LXX. In Matthew the verb zeteo being accompanied by only the active of heurisko seems to accentuate the constant action of the subject to seek the object until he/she finds it, whereas the verb epizeteo being accompanied not by heurisko but by only the passive verb (prostethesetai and dothesetai) seems to mean that the subject is to be given the object by God. According to the difference between the usages of zeteo and epizeteo in Matthew, "the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (6:33) which is object of the verb zeteo and the active of heurisko is what the disciples are to seek until they find, whereas "all these things" (6:32-33) which is object of the verb epizeteo and the passive prostethesetai is what is to be given by God. All our considerations thus far lead to the conclusion that "His righteousness" in Matthew 6:33 may refer to 'God's demand', that is, God's will that one is to pursue and fulfill incessantly. By God added to the disciples who seek to do God's will are their needs.
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righteousness, God's demand, God's gift, zeteo, epizeteo
