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Matthew 5:5 meaning

The third statement (C) of Jesus’s chiasm focuses on humility and meekness.

There is no apparent parallel account of this teaching in the Gospels.

Jesus’s statement (C) Makarios are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth corresponds with (C’) Makarios are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (vv 5, 8).

The third statement of Jesus’s Makarios chiasm is another paradox. This time it is the gentle who are blessed (Makarios) (v 5). The Greek term which Matthew uses to capture Jesus’s thought for gentle is the Greek word, “Praus” (G4239). It is sometimes translated as “meek.”

Gentle in English means mild or soft, as opposed to stern, stiff, or severe. Unfortunately, the English words gentle or meek often carry a connotation of weakness. The Greek word, Praus, portrays an underlying strength being channeled, a power under control. It was a word used to describe a powerful war horse that was willing to go into the thick of battle when urged by its rider. Horses by nature are prone to either flight or dominance. An animal whose strength is submissive to its master has channeled its power to flee or dominate in service to the master.

To be gentle while standing firmly on the truth requires great strength. But it also requires an attitude of service. People are not our enemy. Spiritual forces of evil are our enemy. The gentle or meek, who are channeling their energies into service to their Master, in service to others, are blessed. They are happy and fulfilled (Makarios), because they shall inherit the earth (v 5). They are fulfilling their design. This is a future promise Jesus makes to the gentle. That one day, they shall inherit the earth (v 5). The word translated inherit includes the idea of possession. God granted the land of Israel to Abraham’s descendants as a reward to Abraham for his faithfulness. But God told Abraham his descendants would not possess it for another 400 years (Genesis 15). They had been granted it, but did not experience the blessing of it until they fought the required battles to possess it.

The situation is similar for the gentle. Jesus has granted that they shall inherit the earth (v 5). It has been granted. The possession will take place in a future reign of servant kings in the new earth (Revelation 21:1). Jesus is saying that those who live with gentleness and humility now will one day inherit the earth and reign over it in harmony with Him. Genesis 1:28 tells us that God created mankind to have dominion over the earth. Revelation 21:24 refers to “the kings of the (new) earth.”

The psalmist, contemplating God’s mysterious purpose for man, marvels,

“What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet”
(Psalm 8:4-6).

From these passages (and many others) we can see that man was created to rule the earth. Because we were designed to rule in harmony with God, we cannot be Makarios (blessed, fulfilled, happy, satisfied, etc.) until we are ruling in harmony with God. Jesus’s statement—Makarios are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth—appears paradoxical, but only because the current earth is twisted from its original design (v 5). In the current age of the earth, the boastful and proud are usually in charge. The most ruthless tyrants are the ones who tend to build great empires. From Attila the Hun and Alexander the Great to Adolf Hitler and Genghis Khan. From the Caesars and Sultans to Mao and Stalin.

But the kingdoms of the current earth are destined to pass away. One day they will be no more. When Christ returns and creates the new earth, He will place His followers in positions of authority. He will exalt to places of authority those who used their gifts to serve others, as He did (Matthew 20:28; Luke 14:11; Philippians 2:3-11). Those who are gentle or meek will be elevated by Him to fulfill their destiny (Makarios) of inheriting the earth (v 5).

The proud kingdoms of the present earth seek to dominate and demand, coerce and control, but their time is fading. In the end those who seek power over others will be empty, for they will not inherit the earth. But Jesus tells us that those who serve now will reign later. Thus, the gentle are Makarios (v 5).

The makarios qualities beginning with poor in spirit and moving onto those who mourn, and now here with the gentle, reveal a progression. The poor in spirit are those who have come to a point of brokenness and become bankrupt of self. They realize that have nothing to offer of themselves (like the wayward son in Jesus’s famous parable in Luke 15:16-17). When we realize this, the appropriate response is to mourn. To mourn how we squander life by pursuing foolish dead-ends. This poor spirit and mourning leads to repentance. Repentance begins the process of building a new life according to God’s values. We show gentleness (or meekness) when we channel our power and capabilities as our master directs. Like a war horse commanded by its rider, we go where we are directed. Jesus desires fearless servants to reign over His kingdom, those who are willing to brave difficulty and continue to walk in obedience.

Biblical Text

⁵ Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

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Additional Resources

Book Theme

The Gospel of Matthew was written to demonstrate to the Jews of Jesus, the Messiah’s generation that He was indeed the Christ. Matthew thematically substantiates the Messianic identity of Jesus beginning with the genealogy of Jesus, which ran from Abraham, the father of Israel’s people through King David who was promised to have a son who would be on Israel’s throne forever. Throughout his Gospel account Matthew makes use of numerous prophecies both explicitly stated and by way of subtle allusion to support his thesis. Matthew further makes use of parallel events in Jesus’s life to those of Messianic figures from the Old Testament (Moses, Joseph, David, etc.) to bolster his argument.

Jesus came to offer the Jews the chance to participate in the inauguration of the Messianic Kingdom. To do this, they would have to receive and follow Him as their Messiah. Jesus’s message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Ultimately, they rejected Him as their Messiah and condemned Jesus to death by crucifixion. The Jews’ rejection of the Messiah opened the door for Gentiles to enter the kingdom (Matthew 8:11-12, 22:1-10). Matthew’s Gospel is therefore a call for the Jews repent of their murder of Jesus and to embrace Him for the divine Messiah He is.

Matthew shows how their rejection of Him and His brutal death was predicted not only by Jesus Himself, but also was foretold in the Jewish scriptures of the Messiah.

The main proof that Jesus was the Messiah was “the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 12:39, 16:4). This was Jesus’s death and resurrection from the dead. “Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40).

Because Matthew’s Gospel was written to people who were already members of God’s eternal family by virtue of their faith in God’s promise to send the Messiah, Matthew emphasizes the “reward of eternal life” (aka “The Prize of Eternal Life”) rather than “the Gift of Eternal Life”. In other words, Matthew’s Gospel focuses on how to “enter the kingdom” rather than how to “be born again”.

Matthew’s Gospel demonstrates how Jesus came to fulfill the law and open a way for God’s people to participate in the Messianic kingdom if they would follow His example of worshiping God from the heart by forgiving and serving others.

For “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). If we have faith to follow the example set forth by the resurrected Messiah, whom all authority on heaven and earth has been granted (Matthew 28:18) and take up our cross for His sake (Matthew 16:24-25), then we will become great in His kingdom (Matthew 20:26).

Finally, Matthew provides extensive samples of Jesus’s teachings including “the Sermon on the Mount”, “the Little Commission”, and “the Olivet Discourse” and many parables, alongside accounts of numerous miracles and wonders, personal moments with His twelve disciples, interactions with seekers, and increasingly as his Gospel account progresses: challenges and confrontations with His adversaries – the Pharisees, Scribes, and Priests.

Chapter Context

Chapters 5-7 form the “Sermon on the Mount.” Jesus withdraws from the large crowds and focuses on teaching His disciples. This is Jesus’ kingdom platform. Jesus is the second Moses prophesied by Moses, giving a new word from God from a different mountain. Jesus’s sermon has the same purpose as the word from God on Mount Sinai—it shows humans how to live constructively in fellowship with God and one another. Jesus’s emphasis is on the spirit behind the law. Without a change of heart, rules don’t work. Jesus initiated a new covenant, where the law was written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:31; Matthew 25:28).

The Sermon on the Mount transitions from Jesus speaking to “large crowds” to speaking to a “crowd” that consists of His disciples. The “large crowds” included Gentiles from the surrounding nations who had come to be healed of physical illnesses. It is likely Jesus would have spoken Greek to the “large crowds” as that was the language of commerce of that time. It is widely held that Jesus typically taught in Aramaic when speaking to Jews. It was the street language spoken by the Jews after they returned from Exile in Babylon.

But Jesus, like most Jews of His day would also have been multilingual. He would certainly have been able to read and speak from the Hebrew scriptures. And, as mentioned, He also would most certainly have known Greek, the common language of the Ancient world. It is likely that his adoptive father Joseph would have had work as a tradesman in the nearby Roman city of Sepphoris, which would have required knowing some Greek.

He might have also learned some Latin, the official language of the Roman government. Matthew may have originally written all or part of his Gospel narrative of Jesus the Messiah in Aramaic, Hebrew, or Greek. But regardless of which language He originally wrote in, his gospel was preserved in Greek. It is from Greek manuscripts that all our translations are ultimately based.

Matthew 5:5 meaning

Check out our other commentaries:

Deuteronomy 6:20-25 meaning

Numbers 4:21-28 meaning

2 Timothy 2:8-13 meaning

3 John 1:9-10 meaning

Numbers 3:27-32 meaning

Additional Resources

Book Theme

Chapter Context

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Videos

The Bible Project - Matthew Summary Pt. 1

The Bible Project - Matthew Summary Pt. 2

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