Matt 5:1-12
The New Testament > Matthew > Chapter 5
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Contents
Questions
Verse 3
- Poor in spirit cannot mean that one has a spirit that is poor or wanting, so what does it mean? Compare this verse to Isa 61:1. Does that comparison give you any ideas about how to understand this beatitude?
- How does the meaning of this verse change if it is translated "for the kingdom of heaven is made up of them?" (See lexical note.)
Verse 4
- Compare this verse to Isa 61:2. What does that comparison suggest?
Lexical notes
Verse 3-11
Blessed. The word translated blessed is a poetic word that can also be translated happy. In Greek literature, it was used to describe the happy state in which the gods lived.
Verse 3
The Greek of this verse is usually translated as the King James translator's have translated it: "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." However, it could also be translated "for the kingdom of heaven is made up of them."
Exegesis
Verse 1
In Matthew’s Gospel, mountains are places where important things happen. (See Matt 4:8; Matt 17:1; and Matt 28:16.) As he tells the story, Jesus seems deliberately to give the Sermon on the Mount in a way that compares him to Moses: he goes up on a mountain and delivers a “new” law for a multitude who are gathered at the base of the mountain waiting for his return. In Matt 4:23, Matthew tells us "Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom." Matthew 5-7 is the gospel that he preached.
Verses 1-3
Joseph Smith's inspired emendation of Matthew 5:1 adds an interesting prologue to the Sermon:
| KJV | JST |
| [1] And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: [2] And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, | [1] And Jesus, seeing the multitudes, went up into a mountain; and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him; [2] And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, |
| [3] Blessed are they who shall believe on me; and again, more blessed are they who shall believe on your words, when ye shall testify that ye have seen me and that I am. [4] Yea, blessed are they who shall believe on your words, and come down into the depth of humility, and be baptized in my name; for they shall be visited with fire, and the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins. | |
| [3] Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | [5] Yea blessed are the poor in spirit, who come unto me; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. |
Joseph Smith's addition makes it clear that the Sermon on the Mount is an exposition of the gospel. It also changes the way we can understand verse three: it becomes a summary of the gospel. Rather than the first in the list of beatitudes, it is the summary of the gospel, followed by the beatitudes.
Verses 4-12
Seeing the Sermon this way creates a chiasm, with mercy at its center:
A They that mourn shall be comforted (verse 4)
B The meek shall inherit the earth (verse 5)
C Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled [with the Holy
Ghost] (verse 6; compare 3 Nephi 12:6)
D The merciful will obtain mercy (verse 7)
C' The pure in heart will see God (verse 8 )
B' Peacemakers will be the children of God? (verse 9)
A' Those who are persecuted for righteousness will receive a great reward, the
kingdom of heaven (verses 10-12)
Verse 5
The meek and the poor in spirit seem to me to be the same people. (See footnote 5a in the LDS published version of the Bible.) Later in the Sermon, Jesus will give examples of meekness. (See Matt 5:39-42.) Note, too, that this verse is a quotation of Ps 37:11 (in the Greek version of first-century Judaism).
Related links
Verse 3
- Elder Holland discusses how Christ heals us in his conference address Broken Things to Mend. He sees the phrase poor in spirit as addressing the "troubled, the discouraged and downhearted."
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