Matthew 5:3: Edit history

Revision #7933

Matthew 5:3

Localized for English-speaking readers

Status: approved

Changes from the previous English revision

= ## Context

- As Jesus taught and healed in Galilee, great multitudes followed him, and he went up into a mountain and began to teach his disciples. This discourse, found in Matthew 5–7, is the Sermon on the Mount, and its opening section consists of eight blessings beginning with "Blessed are," known as the Beatitudes. The first and eighth beatitudes (5:10) both end with "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," framing the Beatitudes as a whole.

+ As Jesus taught and healed in Galilee, great multitudes followed him. He went up into a mountain and began to teach his disciples. This discourse, found in Matthew 5–7, is the Sermon on the Mount. Its opening section consists of eight blessings beginning with "Blessed are," known as the Beatitudes. The first and eighth beatitudes (5:10) both end with "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," framing the Beatitudes as a whole.

= ## Interpretation

- - **As spiritual humility**: To be "poor in spirit" is understood as recognizing that one has nothing to offer before God and therefore depending wholly on him. This is the most widespread reading in the Protestant commentary tradition, which holds that the verse describes the starting point of those who are saved by grace.

- - **As including material poverty**: Luke's Sermon on the Plain says simply, "Blessed be ye poor" (Luke 6:20). Noting that in the Old Testament "the poor" (*anawim*) referred to the devout who, in their oppression, looked to God alone, this reading holds that spiritual disposition and actual poverty cannot be separated. Liberation theology and some socially engaged theologies emphasize that God sides with the poor.

+ - **As spiritual humility**: In this reading, to be "poor in spirit" is to recognize that one has nothing to offer before God and therefore to depend wholly on him. This is the most widespread reading in the Protestant commentary tradition, which holds that the verse describes the starting point of those who are saved by grace.

+ - **As including material poverty**: Luke's Sermon on the Plain says simply, "Blessed be ye poor" (Luke 6:20). Proponents of this reading note that in the Old Testament "the poor" (*anawim*) referred to the devout who, in their oppression, looked to God alone, and they hold that spiritual disposition and actual poverty cannot be separated. Liberation theology and some socially engaged theologies emphasize that God sides with the poor.

= - **As a declaration**: Many interpreters regard the Beatitudes not as conditions that must be met in order to receive blessing but as a declaration that the kingdom of God is already open to such people.

…

= Scholars debate whether Matthew's "in spirit" (Greek *tō pneumati*) spiritualizes the literal poverty found in Luke or whether the two represent complementary aspects of the same teaching. Whether "blessed" (*makarioi*) should be rendered "happy" is also raised as a translation question. "Kingdom of heaven" is a Jewish expression reflecting a reluctance to name God directly and is regarded as equivalent to the "kingdom of God" in the other Gospels.

- ## In the Korean Church

- The Beatitudes are a standard memorization passage in Sunday schools, Bible studies, and retreats, and many praise songs use the Beatitudes as their lyrics.

+ ## In Korean Churches

+ In Korean churches, the Beatitudes are a standard memorization passage in Sunday schools, Bible studies, and retreats, and many praise songs use the Beatitudes as their lyrics.

= ## Related Passages

…

The first of the Beatitudes, which open the Sermon on the Mount, this verse declares that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit. Interpreters differ over what "poverty of spirit" means and how it differs from "the poor" in Luke's Gospel.
Matthew 5:3 is the first of the Beatitudes, which open the Sermon on the Mount. It declares that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit. Interpreters differ over what "poverty of spirit" means and how it relates to "the poor" in Luke's Gospel.

Full revision

Matthew 5:3 is the first of the Beatitudes, which open the Sermon on the Mount. It declares that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit. Interpreters differ over what "poverty of spirit" means and how it relates to "the poor" in Luke's Gospel.

Context

As Jesus taught and healed in Galilee, great multitudes followed him. He went up into a mountain and began to teach his disciples. This discourse, found in Matthew 5–7, is the Sermon on the Mount. Its opening section consists of eight blessings beginning with "Blessed are," known as the Beatitudes. The first and eighth beatitudes (5:10) both end with "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," framing the Beatitudes as a whole.

Interpretation

As spiritual humility: In this reading, to be "poor in spirit" is to recognize that one has nothing to offer before God and therefore to depend wholly on him. This is the most widespread reading in the Protestant commentary tradition, which holds that the verse describes the starting point of those who are saved by grace.
As including material poverty: Luke's Sermon on the Plain says simply, "Blessed be ye poor" (Luke 6:20). Proponents of this reading note that in the Old Testament "the poor" (anawim) referred to the devout who, in their oppression, looked to God alone, and they hold that spiritual disposition and actual poverty cannot be separated. Liberation theology and some socially engaged theologies emphasize that God sides with the poor.
As a declaration: Many interpreters regard the Beatitudes not as conditions that must be met in order to receive blessing but as a declaration that the kingdom of God is already open to such people.

Debates and Issues

Scholars debate whether Matthew's "in spirit" (Greek tō pneumati) spiritualizes the literal poverty found in Luke or whether the two represent complementary aspects of the same teaching. Whether "blessed" (makarioi) should be rendered "happy" is also raised as a translation question. "Kingdom of heaven" is a Jewish expression reflecting a reluctance to name God directly and is regarded as equivalent to the "kingdom of God" in the other Gospels.

In Korean Churches

In Korean churches, the Beatitudes are a standard memorization passage in Sunday schools, Bible studies, and retreats, and many praise songs use the Beatitudes as their lyrics.

Related Passages

Luke 6:20
Isaiah 57:15
Isaiah 61:1
Psalm 34:18

Revision	Time (UTC)	Contributor	Summary	Status
#7933	2026-11-05 01:48:32	AI localization	Localized for English-speaking readers	approved
#7932	2026-11-05 01:48:32	AI localization	English baseline before localization	approved