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James Tissot, The Beatitudes Sermon, c. 1890, Brooklyn Museum. The Beatitudes (/ b i ˈ æ t ɪ tj u d z /) are blessings recounted by Jesus in Matthew 5:3-10 within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, and four in the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke, followed by four woes which mirror the blessings.
After a brief introduction (Matthew 5:1–2), the chapter contains the section known as the Beatitudes, which includes some of Jesus' most famous teachings. Robert H. Gundry suggests that the Beatitudes can be divided into two quartets. The first group of four beatitudes describes the ideal righteous behaviour of Jesus' disciples.
In almost all cases, the phrases used in the Beatitudes are familiar from an Old Testament context, but in the sermon Jesus gives them new meaning. [11] Together, the Beatitudes present a new set of ideals that focus on love and humility rather than force and mastery; they echo the highest ideals of Jesus's teachings on spirituality and compassion.
As one of the most famous of Beatitudes, the meek shall inherit the Earth has appeared many times in works of art and popular culture: The title of a song ("The Meek Shall Inherit") in the Little Shop of Horrors musical. The title of a song on the Frank Zappa album, You Are What You Is ("The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing").
The Beatitudes are a key element of this sermon, and are often expressed as a set of blessings. Jesus presents the Beatitudes as a list of those he considered "blessed," or "fortunate," (due to his arrival and their subsequent invitation into the "Kingdom of Heaven"), as opposed to Ben Sira 's list of "blessed" peoples (Ben Sira 25:7-11).
Text of Matthew 5:3 in the Beatitudes at Our Lady of Peace Shrine, along I-80 in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming (2016). Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. [1] Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν
Other than "blessed are the meek" in Matthew 5:5 this is perhaps the most famous of the Beatitudes. It was the personal motto of James I of England, and has been used by a number of other groups and organizations. In The Canterbury Tales "The Tale of Melibee" this verse is one of the main themes.
This verse is generally believed to have been taken from Psalm 24:3–5 either by Jesus or the author of Matthew who was adding this verse that is not found in Luke. A number of scholars have been certain that there were originally seven Beatitudes, as seven was a holy number.