Mat 5:3-20 | TNotes | STEP | 5:3 poor and realize their need for him (literally poor in spirit ; cp. Luke 6:20 , 24 ): In the Old Testament, the poor are often depicted as especially pious because oppression by the wealthy leads them to trust in the Lord for salvation and deliverance rather than relying on the power of wealth (Matt 11:5 ; Pss 37:14-15 ; 40:17 ; 69:28-33 ; Isa 61:1 ; 66:2 ). In both Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts, the “poor” are indeed physically poor, but their trust in God, not their poverty, is what makes them blessed (Isa 57:15 ; 66:2 ).

5:3 ^a poor and realize their need for him (literally poor in spirit; cp. Luke 6:20 ^b, 24 ^c): In the Old Testament, the poor are often depicted as especially pious because oppression by the wealthy leads them to trust in the Lord for salvation and deliverance rather than relying on the power of wealth (Matt 11:5 ^d; Pss 37:14-15 ^e; 40:17 ^f; 69:28-33 ^g; Isa 61:1 ^h; 66:2 ⁱ). In both Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts, the “poor” are indeed physically poor, but their trust in God, not their poverty, is what makes them blessed (Isa 57:15 ^j; 66:2 ^k).
5:4 ^l Those who mourn were those who lamented the spiritual and national condition of Israel (see 23:37-39 ^m; Isa 61:2-3 ⁿ; Joel 1:8-13 ^o; 2:12-13 ^p, 18-19 ^q; Rom 9:1-5 ^r; 1 Cor 5:2 ^s; Jas 4:9 ^t). Personal grief, whether caused by sin or tragedy, may also be in view (Mark 16:10 ^u; Rev 18:11 ^v, 19 ^w).

• will be comforted: The passive voice is used out of reverence for the holy name of God; the phrase could also be rendered God will comfort them (see also Matt 5:6-7 ^x, 9 ^y). Comfort will accompany the fulfillment of all that God has promised (Isa 40:1-2 ^z; 61:2-3 ^aa).
5:5 ^ab those who are humble: See Ps 37:11 ^ac, which Jesus practically quotes here. Elsewhere, Jesus describes himself in similar terms—in contrast to other teachers (Matt 11:29 ^ad) and as one who shuns pride (12:17-21 ^ae; 21:5 ^af). This trait of Jesus is exemplified in his death on the cross (1 Pet 2:23 ^ag; 3:9 ^ah).

• The whole earth could also be rendered the land, thus referring to God’s promise of land to Abraham and his descendants (Gen 12:7 ^ai; 17:8 ^aj; see Isa 60:21 ^ak). A wider sense may also be intended, such as God’s reign over the entire earth (Matt 19:28 ^al; 28:18-20 ^am; Ps 115:16 ^an).
5:6 ^ao those who hunger and thirst for justice (or for righteousness): This refers either to the follower of Jesus whose driving purpose in life is to obey the Lord (cp. 3:15 ^ap; 5:10 ^aq, 20 ^ar) or to the disciple’s desire to see justice for all people (Pss 11:7 ^as; 85:10-12 ^at; Isa 11:1-4 ^au; Jer 23:5-6 ^av; 33:16 ^aw). One with such a longing often prays, “May your will be done on earth” (Matt 6:10 ^ax).

• Christ has brought justice and righteousness (Rom 3:21-22 ^ay; 5:1 ^az); the disciples will be satisfied with it (cp. Pss 42:1-2 ^ba; 63:1-2 ^bb).
5:7 ^bc Jesus made a cardinal virtue of being merciful, that is, showing kindness to those in distress (see 6:12 ^bd, 14-15 ^be; 9:13 ^bf; 12:7 ^bg; 18:23-35 ^bh; 23:23 ^bi; 25:31-46 ^bj). Those who are merciful now will find God’s mercy in the final judgment.
5:8 ^bk Those whose hearts are pure (see Pss 24:3-5 ^bl; 51:7 ^bm; Isa 6:5 ^bn) are contrasted with those who thought that they had satisfied God’s will through ceremonial conformity to tradition (Matt 23:25-26 ^bo). Jesus insisted on simple, true heart-righteousness (see 6:1-24 ^bp; 15:1-20 ^bq; 23:23-28 ^br; Deut 6:5 ^bs).

• They will see God and thereby attain even more than Moses did (see Exod 33:18-23 ^bt; 34:5-7 ^bu; see also Ps 73:1 ^bv).
5:9 ^bw This beatitude probably targeted zealots—Jewish revolutionaries who advocated the overthrow of Roman domination through violent resistance. The Messiah’s Kingdom would be established by other means.

• those who work for peace: Jesus is not calling for pacifism per se, but rather a different kind of activism.

• Peace is the absence of enmity and the presence of God’s salvation (Lev 26:6 ^bx; 1 Sam 16:4-5 ^by; Isa 9:5-6 ^bz; Zech 8:16 ^ca; Eph 2:14 ^cb; Col 1:20 ^cc). Jesus’ disciples are to work for justice, righteousness, reconciliation, and mercy as the effects of God’s salvation through Christ (Matt 5:43-47 ^cd; Luke 10:5-6 ^ce).
Summary for Matt 5:10-11: 5:10-11 ^cf Jesus’ first disciples were persecuted by hostile Jewish leaders who were offended by Jesus’ new and authoritative revelation (see 10:17-23 ^cg; 11:2-6 ^ch; 12:1-8 ^ci; 15:1-20 ^cj; 23:34-36 ^ck). Since then, doing right by associating with Jesus and obeying his teachings has often been a source of persecution (10:24-25 ^cl; 2 Tim 3:12 ^cm).
5:12 ^cn The great reward Jesus mentions is not something earned by suffering for doing right; it is God’s blessing to those who have expressed his grace to others (see 10:41-42 ^co; 20:1-16 ^cp).

• The ancient prophets are closely connected with the New Testament apostles (see also 13:16-17 ^cq; 23:29-36 ^cr; Eph 2:20 ^cs).
Summary for Matt 5:13-16: 5:13-16 ^ct The disciples’ good deeds will have profoundly positive effects on the world around them, to the glory of God. With this comes a warning from Jesus: Do nothing that might jeopardize that positive influence. 5:13 ^cu Salt was used for cleansing and preservation from decay (Ezek 16:4 ^cv), in forming covenants (Lev 2:13 ^cw; Num 18:19 ^cx; see study note on 2 Chr 13:5), and as flavor (Job 6:6 ^cy; Mark 9:50 ^cz).

• Salt that lost its flavor became useless, insipid, or dull (see Mark 9:50 ^da; Luke 14:34 ^db).
5:14 ^dc light of the world ... city on a hilltop: The attractive quality of the disciples’ lives will draw other people to live similarly and to glorify God (see Isa 2:2-5 ^dd; 42:6 ^de; 49:6 ^df; 51:4 ^dg; 56:6-8 ^dh; 60:1-3 ^di; Phil 2:15 ^dj).
5:16 ^dk praise your heavenly Father: Religious hypocrites seek praise for themselves; Jesus’ disciples should seek praise for God (see 1 Pet 2:12 ^dl).
5:17 ^dm Abolish would mean to eliminate and replace the law of Moses and the writings of the prophets (i.e., the whole Old Testament) as the revelation of God’s will.

• Accomplish their purpose might mean to obey them perfectly, to complete their teaching, or to bring about the fulfillment of their prophecies (see 1:22 ^dn; 2:15 ^do, 17 ^dp, 23 ^dq). Jesus himself is the realization of all that both the Prophets and the Law taught and expected. Now that Christ, the fulfillment, has come, the Old Testament must be understood in light of him (Luke 24:26 ^dr, 44 ^ds).
5:19 ^dt The realization of the law in Christ means that obedience to all of his commands (see 28:20 ^du) is the only acceptable response for his disciples.

• Commandment refers to the Old Testament commands (5:18 ^dv) as now fulfilled in Christ’s teaching (see 5:21-48 ^dw).

• the least in the Kingdom of Heaven: Jesus may mean that such an individual will enter the Kingdom, but only barely and with low status; alternatively, some Jewish evidence suggests that he is referring to damnation (cp. 8:12 ^dx, where “those for whom the Kingdom was prepared” are eternally excluded).
5:20 ^dy unless your righteousness is better: Jesus’ disciples must have the substantially new kind of righteousness that Jesus teaches and makes possible (illustrated in 5:21-47 ^dz and summed up in 5:48 ^ea); it is both quantitatively and qualitatively distinct. Just as Jesus is greater than the Temple (12:6 ^eb) and Jonah (12:41 ^ec), so the righteousness of his followers far outstrips that of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees (see 3:7-9 ^ed).