MAT 5:3 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
⇔  for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.

UST “It is very good for those who do not have spiritual strength.
⇔ That is because they are part of God’s heavenly kingdom.

BLB "Blessed are the poor in the spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.

AICNT “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.

OEB ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit,
⇔ for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

WEBBE “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
⇔ for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

LSV “Blessed the poor in spirit—because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.

FBV “Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually poor, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

TCNT ⇔ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
⇔ for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

T4T God is pleased with people who recognize that they have a spiritual need;
⇔ he will allow them to be the people whose lives he rules over.

LEB • “Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

BBE Happy are the poor in spirit: for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Moff "Blessed are those who feel poor in spirit!
⇔ the Realm of heaven is theirs.

Wymth "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for to them belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens.

ASV Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

DRA Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

YLT 'Happy the poor in spirit — because theirs is the reign of the heavens.

Drby Blessed [are] the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.

RV Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

SLT Happy the poor in spirit: for their’s is the kingdom of the heavens.

Wbstr Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

KJB-1769 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

KJB-1611 Blessed are the poore in spirit: for theirs is the kingdome of heauen.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps Blessed (are) the poore in spirite: for theirs is the kyngdome of heauen.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from marking of added words (and possibly capitalisation and punctuation))

Gnva Blessed are the poore in spirit, for theirs is the kingdome of heauen.
(Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. )

Cvdl Blessed are the poore in sprete: for theirs is the kyngdome of heue.
(Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heue.)

TNT Blessed are the povre in sprete: for theirs is the kyngdome of heven.
(Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. )

Wycl Blessed ben pore men in spirit, for the kyngdom of heuenes is herne.
(Blessed been poor men in spirit, for the kingdom of heavens is herne.)

Luth Selig sind, die da geistlich arm sind; denn das Himmelreich ist ihr.
(Blessed are, the there spiritual arm are; because/than the heaven_riches/kingdom is you(pl)/their/her.)

ClVg Beati pauperes spiritu: quoniam ipsorum est regnum cælorum.[fn]
(Blessed the_poor in_spirit: since/because their_own it_is kingdom of_the_heavens. )

5.3 Beati. GREG. NYSS. Beatitudo, ut mea fert opinio, comprehensio est omnium earum rerum quæ, etc., usque ad miseria enim est in acerbis et tristibus nostraque voluntate non occidentibus casibus et calamitatibus ærumna. Beati pauperes. Sententiarum numerus diligenter est attendendus. Incipit enim beatitudo ab humilitate. HIER. Beati pauperes spiritu. Quia non necessitas sed fides, et devotio paupertatis beatos facit, etc., usque ad sicut initium sapientiæ timor Domini, sic paupertas est principium beatitudinis. CHRYSOST. Pauperes spiritu sunt humiles et contriti corde. Spiritum autem hic animam et voluntatem dixit. Quoniam autem multi sunt humiles non spontanei, sed astricti necessitate, primos vocat beatos.

5.3 Blessed. GREG. NYSS. Blessedtudo, as my fert opinio, comprehensio it_is of_all of_them things which, etc., until to misery because it_is in/into/on acerbis and tristibus ourque willingly not/no occidentibus casibus and calamitatibus drought/hardships. Blessed the_poor. Sententiarum number carefully it_is attendendus. It_begins because happiness away humility. HIER. Blessed the_poor in_spirit. Because not/no necessitas but faith, and devotio of_poverty beatos he_does, etc., until to like the_beginning of_wisdom fear Master, so poverty it_is principle of_happiness. CHRYSOST. Pauperes in_spirit are humbles and contriti heart. Spirit however this/here the_soul and will he/she_said. Since however many are humbles not/no spontanei, but astricti necessitate, at_firsts he_calls beatos.

UGNT μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ Βασιλεία τῶν Οὐρανῶν.
(makarioi hoi ptōⱪoi tōi pneumati, hoti autōn estin haʸ Basileia tōn Ouranōn.)

SBL-GNT Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
(Makarioi hoi ptōⱪoi tōi pneumati, hoti autōn estin haʸ basileia tōn ouranōn.)

RP-GNT Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι· ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
(Makarioi hoi ptōⱪoi tōi pneumati; hoti autōn estin haʸ basileia tōn ouranōn.)

TC-GNT ⇔ Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι·
⇔ ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
( ⇔ Makarioi hoi ptōⱪoi tōi pneumati;
⇔ hoti autōn estin haʸ basileia tōn ouranōn. )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

The Blessings of Jesus

The blessings of Jesus are called Beatitudes because the Vulgate (the Latin translation of the Bible) translates the Greek word for blessed as beati. No single word can capture all that Jesus is communicating with this term here. He is describing the special favor of God toward his people, both physically and spiritually, and the consequences of living within that favor.

The Beatitudes describe the lifestyle and character of a follower of Jesus. Jesus calls men and women to follow him as he proclaims the message of the Kingdom to Israel (see also Matt 11:6; 13:16; 16:17; 24:46). Those who are blessed have repented in response to the proclamation of the Kingdom (Matt 4:17-22). The Beatitudes are connected with Isa 61:1-3: The Spirit endows, leads to proclamation, and blesses the poor, the humble, and the righteous.

The NLT’s use of “God blesses” conveys the ideas of divine origin and approval (see Matt 25:34), fulfillment (see Matt 11:6; 13:16; 16:17), reversal (see Luke 1:1–2:52; 6:20-26), and the condition of obedience required in order to enjoy the blessings (see Pss 1:1, 3-6; 106:3; 112:1-2; 119:1-2; Prov 8:32; Isa 56:2). The blessings are inaugurated with the Messiah’s coming, with a confident hope that they will be enjoyed eternally and completely.

Passages for Further Study

Pss 1:1-3; 106:3; 112:1-2; 119:1-2; Isa 56:1-2; Matt 5:3-12; 11:6; 13:16; 16:17; 24:46; 25:34; Luke 6:20-26

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:1–7:29: Jesus preached a sermon on a mountain

For many years, English versions and Christians have commonly referred to Matthew 5–7 as “The Sermon on the Mount.” In some translations, it may be helpful to include a heading for chapters 5–7 that is on a level above the section heading for 5:1–12.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The Sermon on the Mountain

The sermon that Jesus preached on a mountain

Jesus taught people on the side of a mountain/hill

Paragraph 5:3–10

There are eight “blessings” in verses 3–10. Each of the eight blessings has two parts. Each blessing starts with the words “Blessed are” and tells what kind of person is blessed. Each blessing ends with the reason why that kind of person is blessed. Each blessing is a short statement like a proverb.

Some English versions begin a new section at 5:3. One possibility is to put a general heading like “The sermon on the mountain” at 5:1 and the heading of “God blesses his people” here.

5:3a

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

¶ “Fortunate/Favored are the people who know that they are lacking spiritually,
¶ “God will bless/favor those who realize their need of him,
¶ “Those who recognize that they are dependent on God are in a good/favorable position.

Blessed are: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Blessed refers to the good situation/condition that a person is in when a superior person does something good to him. When God does something good to a human being and is kind to him, that person is in a good situation. He is “blessed,” “fortunate,” and “favored.”

Here are some other ways to translate Blessed are:

Favored/fortunate

God favors/approves

Joyful/desirable is the situation of

How good it is for

This word does not primarily refer to a feeling. However, a person in this good situation will frequently have good feelings like happiness and joy. Do not use a word that only refers to material prosperity or physical health. Do not use a word that refers only to being lucky. See also bless, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.

the poor in spirit: The word poor often means “lacking money or material resources.” However, here the word is used in a spiritual sense. It means “lacking spiritual resources.” People who are poor in spirit know that they are lacking spiritually. They are lacking what it takes to please God. As a result, they know that they need God’s help. They are dependent on God, and they gladly accept his rule over them.

Every person is lacking spiritually without God, but not every person recognizes it.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

those who know that they are lacking regarding the things of God

those who recognize that they are dependent on God

those who realize their need for him (NLT)

5:3b

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

because the kingdom of God belongs to them.
because they are the people/citizens of his kingdom.
God accepts them as the people whom he rules over.

for: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as for introduces the reason that the “poor in spirit” are blessed. They are blessed because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. For example:

because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them (NCV)

In some languages, no conjunction is necessary here. For example:

The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. (GW)

In other languages, it will be more natural to put 5:3b before 5:3a. For example:

The poor in spirit have the kingdom of heaven, so they are blessed.

The kingdom of heaven is for the poor in spirit, so they are blessed.

theirs is the kingdom of heaven: The word theirs refers to the people who are “poor in spirit.” They are the kind of people who share in the kingdom of heaven. They belong in it, and it belongs to them. These people who let God rule over them are the ones he blesses.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them! (GNT)

God accepts them into his kingdom

they are citizens of the kingdom of God

the kingdom of heaven: The phrase kingdom of heaven has the same meaning as the phrase “kingdom of God.” Both phrases refer to God’s activity of ruling and caring for his people as their king. Both refer to the relationship that God has with his people. He leads, protects, and cares for them. They obey, trust, and submit to him as their king. The phrase kingdom of heaven does not refer to a land or country that he rules over.

Here are some other ways to translate this expression:

As a noun. For example:
the kingdom of God
God’s kingship
God’s rule over people
the rule of the one/Lord who lives in heaven
As a verbal expression. For example:
The way God rules his people
The way God cares for his people as king.

See kingdom of heaven in the Glossary for more information.

This same phrase occurs in 3:2b and 4:17c.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ Βασιλεία τῶν Οὐρανῶν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί τῷ πνεύματι ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστίν ἡ Βασιλεία τῶν Οὐρανῶν)

If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these clauses, since the second clause gives the reason for the result that the first clause describes. Alternate translation: [The kingdom of the heavens belongs to the poor in spirit, so they are blessed]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

μακάριοι

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί τῷ πνεύματι ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστίν ἡ Βασιλεία τῶν Οὐρανῶν)

This expression indicates that God is giving favor to people and that their situation is positive or good. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this idea in another way. Alternate translation: [God will bless] or [How good it is for]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

οἱ πτωχοὶ

the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί τῷ πνεύματι ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστίν ἡ Βασιλεία τῶν Οὐρανῶν)

Jesus is using the adjective poor as a noun in order to indicate a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this word with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: [people who are poor]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι

the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί τῷ πνεύματι ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστίν ἡ Βασιλεία τῶν Οὐρανῶν)

Here Jesus speaks of people who know that they disobey and that they depend on God totally as if they were poor in spirit. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable figure of speech or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the spiritually poor] or [those who totally depend upon God]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ Βασιλεία τῶν Οὐρανῶν

˱to˲_them (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί τῷ πνεύματι ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστίν ἡ Βασιλεία τῶν Οὐρανῶν)

Here, Jesus is using the possessive form to describe people who belong in the kingdom of the heavens. If this is not clear in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them] or [they belong in the kingdom of the heavens]

Parallel MAT 5:3

Section 5:1–7:29: Jesus preached a sermon on a mountain

Paragraph 5:3–10

5:3a

5:3b