Matthew 5:12

Matthew 5:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
• New International Version (NIV)Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Context of Matthew 5:12

10Happy are the people who do what is right but other people hurt them because of it. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like that. 11Yes, happy are you when people say bad things against you because you believe in me. Or they may hurt you. Or they may say things about you that are not true. God is preparing many good things for you in heaven. So you should be very happy when people do these bad things to any of you. People did these same things to God's prophets who lived long ago.’ 13Jesus said, ‘You are like salt for all people to taste and use. Salt is good. But if it is not salty any more, you cannot make it salty again. People can no longer use it for anything. They just throw it away and they walk on it. 14You are like a light for everybody in this world. If people build a city on a hill, then other people can see it easily.

Matthew 5:12 word by word

χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· οὕτως γὰρ ἐδίωξαν τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Rejoiceχαίρωchairō · to rejoiceG5463
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• be exceeding gladἀγαλλιάωagalliaō · to rejoiceG21
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• greatπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• rewardὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• rewardμισθόςmisthos · wageG3408
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• persecuted theyδιώκωdiōkō · to pursueG1377
• the prophetsπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
• beforeπρόpro · beforeG4253

Cross-references for Matthew 5:12

• Luke 6:23God will prepare many good things for you in heaven. So be very happy when people do these bad things to you! Jump up and down because you are so happy. Their ancestors did the same bad things to God's prophets long ago.
• Acts 5:41The apostles went away from the meeting of the Jewish leaders. They were very happy because they thought to themselves, ‘These leaders have done bad things to us because we obey Jesus. That shows that God accepts us as his people.’
• Acts 16:25At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying. They were also singing songs to praise God. The other people in the prison were listening to them.
• Romans 5:3We are happy even when we have troubles and pain. That is because we know that those troubles help us to become patient and strong.
• 2 Corinthians 4:17We have these little troubles that continue for a short time. But as a result, we will receive the great things that God has prepared for us. Those great things are much more important than our little troubles. And God's great things will continue for ever!
• Philippians 2:17You believe in Christ, and you are his servants. That is like you are offering yourselves as a sacrifice to God. Perhaps I will soon have to die. Then my blood would be like drink that I am pouring on your sacrifice, to please God. So, if I have to die now, I will be happy. And we should all be happy together.
• Colossians 1:24At this time, I am suffering on your behalf, but I am still happy. Christ himself suffered on behalf of his people, the church. Now, while I live in my human body, I also suffer. I continue to receive the pain that Christ received, so that it may be complete. In that way, I help the church, which is like Christ's own body.
• James 1:2My Christian friends, remember to be happy, even when many kinds of trouble happen to you. Troubles can help you.
• 1 Peter 4:13Instead, be happy when you have trouble. Remember that Christ also received much trouble and pain. If you have trouble like he did, then you will be happy when he returns. At that time, everyone will see how great Christ really is. Then you will be very happy with a great joy.
• Matthew 6:1Jesus then said to them, ‘You should do good things to help people. But be careful! Do not do this so that other people see you. If you want other people to praise you, your Father in heaven will not praise you.
• Matthew 10:41Somebody may accept a prophet into his home because the visitor is a prophet of God. God will bless that person like he blesses a prophet. Or he may accept a good man who obeys God, because the man is good. God will bless that person like he blesses the good man.
• Matthew 16:27I tell you all this because I, the Son of Man, will come back to this earth with God's angels. When I come, I will have the powerful beauty of my Father. I will see what each person has done on earth. Then I will pay them what is right.
• Genesis 15:1After this, the Lord spoke to Abram in a dream. God said, ‘Do not be afraid Abram. I will keep you safe. I myself will give you many good gifts.’
• Ruth 2:12You have done many good things. So I pray that the Lord will do good things for you in return. You have come here to be safe with the Lord, who is Israel's God. I pray that he will bless you.’
• Psalms 19:11Your laws warn us to do what is right. If we obey them, they are a great help to us.
• Psalms 58:11People who see it will say, ‘It is true! God helps good people! There is a God who judges people on earth in a fair way.’

Commentaries on Matthew 5:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Rejoice - In the testimony of a good conscience; for, without this, suffering has nothing but misery in it. Be exceeding glad - , leap for joy. There are several cases on record, where this was literally done by the martyrs, in Queen Mary's days. Great is your reward in heaven - In the Talmudical tract Pirkey Aboth, are these words: "Rabbi Tarpon said, The day is short: the work is great: the laborers are slow: the Reward Is Great: and the father of the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad - Regard it as a great privilege thus to be persecuted and to suffer - a thing not to be mourned over, but as among the chief blessings of life. For great is your reward in heaven - That is, your reward will be great in the future world. To those who suffer most, God imparts the highest rewards. Hence, the crown of martyrdom has been thought to be the brightest that any of the redeemed shall wear; and hence many of the early…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-12Verses 3-12 Our Saviour here gives eight characters of blessed people, which represent to us the principal graces of a Christian. 1. The poor in spirit are happy. These bring their minds to their condition, when it is a low condition. They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The kingdom of grace is of such; the kingdom of glory is for them. 2. Those that mourn are happy. That godly…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12The great … reward Jesus talks about is not earned by suffering for doing right. It is God's blessing for those who show his grace to others (see Matthew 10:41–42; 20:1–16). The ancient prophets are closely connected with the New Testament apostles (see also 13:16–17; 23:29–36; Ephesians 2:20).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad--"exult." In the corresponding passage of Luke (Lu 6:22, 23), where every indignity trying to flesh and blood is held forth as the probable lot of such as were faithful to Him, the word is even stronger than here: "leap," as if He would have their inward transport to overpower and absorb the sense of all these affronts and sufferings; nor will anything else do it. for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 5:12

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Constancy
• Happiness
• Heaven
• Instruction
• Persecution
• Readings, Select
• Religion
• Righteous
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Agree
• Communication
• Despitefully
• Enemy
• Fornication
• Forswear
• Gift
• Hunger
• Inherit
• Jot

Commentaries on Matthew 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings