Matthew 5:3

Matthew 5:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• New International Version (NIV)“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Context of Matthew 5:3

1Jesus saw that crowds of people were following him. So he went up a hill and he sat down there to teach them. His disciples came near to listen to him. 2He began to teach them. This is what he said: ‘Happy are the people who know that they need God very much. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like that. 4Happy are the people who are sad now. God will come near to help them. 5Happy are the people who are kind. The whole earth will belong to them.

Matthew 5:3 word by word

Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Blessedμακάριοςmakarios · blessedG3107
• the poorπτωχόςptōchos · poorG4434
• in spiritὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• in spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• theirsαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
• of heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772

Cross-references for Matthew 5:3

• Matthew 5:4Happy are the people who are sad now. God will come near to help them.
• Matthew 11:6If anyone believes in me and does not turn away, he will be really happy.’
• Matthew 13:16Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘But as for you, be happy because God has helped you to see. He has helped you to hear and understand his message.
• Matthew 24:46That servant will be very happy when his master comes home. His master will see that he has done everything well.
• Psalms 1:1If someone does not do what wicked people tell him to do, if he does not join with sinners, if he does not meet with those who laugh at God, God has blessed that person!
• Psalms 2:12Bend down low in front of his son! If not, the Lord will be angry. He will quickly become very angry. You will suddenly die! But as for those who serve the Lord as their king, he blesses them and he takes care of them all.
• Psalms 32:1When God has forgiven someone's sins, they are truly happy! They may have turned against God, but when God forgives them, they are happy.
• Psalms 41:1If someone is kind to poor people, God blesses him. When he is in trouble, the Lord rescues him.
• Psalms 84:12Lord Almighty, you have truly blessed everyone who trusts in you!
• Psalms 112:1Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! When someone respects the Lord with fear, God has blessed that person! He is happy to obey the Lord's commands.
• Psalms 119:1God has blessed people who always do what is right. They obey the Lord's Law.
• Psalms 128:1If people respect the Lord and they obey his commands, God has blessed them!
• Psalms 146:5The person who knows that the God of Jacob will help him is a happy person! If he trusts in the Lord as his God, he is happy.
• Proverbs 8:32So listen to me, my children. Anyone who obeys my teaching will be happy.
• Isaiah 30:18So the Lord is waiting for the right time to be kind to you. He is ready to show his great love for you. The Lord God does what is right and fair. Everyone who waits for him to come and help them is a happy person!
• Luke 6:20Jesus looked at his disciples. He spoke this message to them: ‘Happy are you people that are poor. The kingdom of God belongs to you.

Commentaries on Matthew 5:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Blessed are the poor in spirit, etc. - Or, happy, from or , not, and , fate, or death: intimating, that such persons were endued with immortality, and consequently were not liable to the caprices of fate. Homer, Iliad i, 330, calls the supreme gods, , the ever happy and Immortal gods, and opposes them to , mortal men. ' , "Be ye witnesses before the immortal gods, and before mortal men." From this definition we may learn, that the person whom Christ terms…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Blessed are the poor in spirit - The word “blessed” means “happy,” referring to that which produces felicity, from whatever quarter it may come. Poor in spirit - Luke says simply, Blessed are the poor. It has been disputed whether Christ meant the poor in reference to the things of this life, or to the humble. The gospel is said to be preached to the poor, Luke 4:18; Matthew 11:5. It was predicted that the Messiah would preach to the poor, Isaiah 61:1. It…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. 3The poor in spirit (compare Luke 6:20, 24): in the Old Testament, the poor are often shown as very devoted to God because the rich oppress them. This oppression leads them to trust in the Lord for salvation and help, instead of relying on wealth (Matthew 11:5; Psalms 37:14–15; 40:17; 69:28–33; Isaiah 61:1; 66:2). In both Matthew’s and Luke’s writings, the “poor” are indeed financially poor, but their trust in God, not their poverty, makes them blessed…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Blessed--Of the two words which our translators render "blessed," the one here used points more to what is inward, and so might be rendered "happy," in a lofty sense; while the other denotes rather what comes to us from without (as Mt 25:34). But the distinction is not always clearly carried out. One Hebrew word expresses both. On these precious Beatitudes, observe that though eight in number, there are here but seven distinct features of character…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 5:3

• Character
• Church
• Graces
• Happiness
• Heaven
• Humility
• Instruction
• Poor
• Readings, Select
• Religion
• Righteous

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