Matthew 5.1-12 Translation Notes (I also encourage you to look at Dr. Carlson s notes on this text at: http://www.ltsg.edu/special/greekprep/allsaints2002.htm ) mgvh.2009.04 1 ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος, καὶ καθίσαντος αὐτοῦ προσῆλθαν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. After he sat down his disciples came to him. When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him. Seeing the crowds, he went onto the mountain. And when he was seated his disciples came to him. Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down It will help to think of this verse as two sentences: Ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνέβη and, καὶ καθίσαντος αὐτοῦ προσῆλθαν τὸ ὄρος: What mountain? Where else does τὸ ὄρος occur in Matthew? Where else in Scripture is a mountain important? καθίσαντος αὐτοῦ - Circumstantial participle used in a construction. (Note case!) 2 καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς λέγων He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, Then he began to teach them by saying: Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying: Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them: and he began to teach them. He said: and he began to teach them. and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said: and he taught them: ἐδίδασκεν is tense. What might be a good way to capture the significance of the tense in this context?
3 Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. How blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven! This is only a fraction of the entry for μακάριος in the BDAG Lexicon. If you were doing research on this verse, in what ways might this be helpful? 1. pert. to being fortunate or happy because of circumstances, fortunate, happy. 2. pert. to being esp. favored, blessed, fortunate, happy, privileged, fr. a transcendent perspective, the more usual sense (the general Gr-Rom. perspective: one on whom fortune smiles) a. of humans privileged recipient of divine favor As a predicate w. a subst. or subst. adj. or ptc. μ. ὁ blessed is the one who (2 Ch 9:7; Da 12:12; PsSol 4:23; ApcEsdr 5:11) Mt 5:3ff (the transl. 0, the happiness of or hail to those, favored by some [Zahn, Wlh., EKlostermann, JWeiss; KBornhäuser, Die Bergpredigt 1923, 24 al.] appears to be exactly right for the Aramaic original [=Hebr. yrev.a;], but scholars have disputed whether it exhausts the content that μακάριος had in the mouths of Gk.-speaking Christians [s. e.g. Maximus Tyr. 14, 6f μακάριος εὐσεβὴς φίλος θεοῦ, δυστυχὴς δὲ ὁ δεισιδαίμων; Artem. 4, 72 the state of μ. εἶναι is brought about by ascension into heaven and the ὑπερβάλλουσα εὐδαιμονία enjoyed there; other reff. in Betz, SM 97-99]. CMcCown, The Beatitudes in the Light of Ancient Ideals: JBL 46, 1927, 50-61; JRezevskis [Resewski], D. Makarismen bei Mt u. Lk, ihr Verhältnis zu einander u. ihr histor. Hintergrund: StThR I [=IBenzinger Festschr.] 35, 157-70; JDupont, Les Béatitudes 54; GStrecker, Die Makarismen der Bergpredigt, NTS 17, 70/71, 255-75; see lit. s.v. ὄρος); 24:46; Lk 1:45; 6:20ff; 11:28; 12:37; cp. vs. 38, 43; J 20:29; Ro 14:22; Rv 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14; 1 Cl 40:4; 48:4; 2 Cl 16:4; 19:3; D 1:5; Pol 2:3 (=Lk 6:20; Hv 2, 3, 3). What does οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι mean? More specifically, what is the significance of the case of τῷ πνεύματι? Cf. GramNotes on the dative case and note IV.B., dative of Reference or Respect. Does spirit here refer to the Holy Spirit? To an unclean spirit? Are there any other kinds of spirit in Matthew? Starting here and through verse 10, you will have to supply a verb of being. What tense will you use? (cf. v.11) Note the position of emphasis of αὐτῶν here and of the 3 rd person pronouns in the subsequent sayings. What is the tense of ἐστιν?
4 μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. "You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort! Starting here and through verse 9, what is the tense of παρακληθήσονται, κληρονομήσουσιν, χορτασθήσονται, ἐλεηθήσονται, ὄψονται, and κληθήσονται? Here in verse 4 and similarly in verses 6 and 10, πενθοῦντες, πεινῶντες, διψῶντες, and δεδιωγμένοι are all mood in position and function as. Also note the tenses of each. Note the voice of παρακληθήσονται. Who is the agent of the action indicated? 5 μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν. "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth as inheritance. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are--no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought. God blesses those people who are humble. The earth will belong to them! Does οἱ πραεῖς refer to those who are humble or those who have been humiliated?
6 μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness: they shall have their fill. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. "You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat. God blesses those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want! Note the voice of χορτασθήσονται. Who is the agent of the action indicated? What is the case and function of δικαιοσύνην? 7 μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. "You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being "carefull,' you find yourselves cared for. God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy! Note the voice of ἐλεηθήσονται. Who is the agent of the action indicated?
8 μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. "You're blessed when you get your inside world--your mind and heart--put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. God blesses those people whose hearts are pure. They will see him! τῇ καρδίᾳ is case. How is it functioning? (Cf. τῷ πνεύματι in v. 3 above.) 9 μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί, ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognised as children of God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. "You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family. God blesses those people who make peace. They will be called his children! How often is the word εἰρηνοποιοί used in the NT? What does it mean to be an εἰρηνοποιος?
10 μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. "You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom. God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven. As in verse 3, what is the tense of ἐστιν? Does the text indicate who is doing the persecuting? Look up the lemma of δεδιωγμένοι in Matthew and see who is persecuting and who is being persecuted. 11 μακάριοί ἐστε ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ διώξωσιν καὶ εἴπωσιν πᾶν πονηρὸν καθ ὑμῶν [ψευδόμενοι] ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ. "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: 'Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. "God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. "Not only that--count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. What is the tense of ἐστε? (Note that this may help you determine the tense of the verb supplied in vv. 3-10.) In verses 4-10, what has been the person and number of the main verb? What is the person and number of ἐστε? Analyze ὀνειδίσωσιν, διώξωσιν, and εἴπωσιν: Who is the subject of these verbs? [ψευδόμενοι] position: function: On external grounds should ψευδόμενοι be included in the text or not? On internal grounds?
12 χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς οὕτως γὰρ ἐδίωξαν τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν. "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. You can be glad when that happens--give a cheer, even!-for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble. Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago. χαίρετε ἀγαλλιᾶσθε both are mood, tense (How different would it be if it read χαρήσεσθε καὶ ἀγαλλιήσεσθε?) ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς You will need to supply a verb of being to this clause. What tense will you use? Who is the subject of ἐδίωξαν?