Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. —Matthew 5:1-9
The Context of the Beatitudes
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. —Matthew 5:1
“Blessed”
Barak – divine blessing
As’her – flourishing or happiness
Blessed [as’her] is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. —Psalm 1:1-2He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. —Psalm 1:3-4
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed [as’her] are all who take refuge in him. —Psalm 2:12
“Jesus is offering a vision for a way of being in the world that will result in true flourishing, precisely in the context of forward-looking faith in God eventually setting the world to rights.”
-Jonathan Pennington
The Content of the Beatitudes
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. —Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. —Matthew 5:5
Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. —Psalm 37:1-11
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. —Matthew 5:6
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. —Matthew 5:7
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. —Matthew 5:8
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. —Matthew 5:9