Matthew 5:7
What does Matthew 5:7 mean?
A plain-English look at Matthew 5:7 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Matthew 5:7 means
Merciful individuals are declared blessed because they will, in turn, receive mercy from God. This beatitude connects the practice of compassion and forgiveness toward others with God's reciprocal grace. Those who extend kindness, pity, and forgiveness, particularly to those who do not deserve it, reflect the very character of God. This active expression of mercy is both evidence of a transformed heart and a prerequisite for experiencing the fullness of God's boundless mercy.
Matthew 5:7 in context
Matthew 5 — The Beatitudes
Jesus opens his Sermon on the Mount with eight pronouncements that turn the world's value system upside down. Blessing belongs not to the proud and self-sufficient but to the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the hungry for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted. In a few sentences he sketches the character of the citizens of the kingdom of heaven, and then calls them salt of the earth and light of the world.
- Kingdom ethics
- Inner righteousness
- True blessedness
- Light and salt
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Happy are those who have mercy: for they will be given mercy.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`Happy the kind--because they shall find kindness.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Blessed the merciful, for they shall find mercy.
Context
Continuing the Beatitudes, this verse shifts to an outward expression of transformed character: mercy. It naturally follows the internal longing for righteousness, suggesting that a true desire for righteousness will manifest in merciful actions. This principle of reciprocity sets a pattern for how Kingdom citizens should interact with the world.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Matthew 6:14
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
- James 2:13
For judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.
- Hosea 2:1
Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
- Psalms 112:4
Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: He isgracious, and merciful, and righteous.
- Psalms 37:26
All the day long he dealeth graciously, and lendeth; And his seed is blessed.
- James 3:17
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy.
Sermon ideas from Matthew 5:7
Angles a pastor or small-group leader might preach or teach from this passage, drawn from the chapter's main themes.
What Matthew 5:7 teaches us about kingdom ethics
What Matthew 5:7 teaches us about inner righteousness
What Matthew 5:7 teaches us about true blessedness
What Matthew 5:7 teaches us about light and salt
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