Matthew 5:8
What does Matthew 5:8 mean?
A plain-English look at Matthew 5:8 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Matthew 5:8 means
Jesus blesses those whose inner lives are pure and undivided in their devotion to God. To be "pure in heart" signifies integrity, sincerity, and freedom from hidden motives or spiritual compromise. It is a heart wholly given to God, cleansed by Him. The astounding promise for such purity is that they "shall see God." This seeing refers not only to spiritual insight in this life but also to the ultimate, unveiled presence of God that believers will experience in glory, through Christ Jesus.
Matthew 5:8 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 pure in heart: for they shall see God.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Happy are the clean in heart: for they will see God.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`Happy the clean in heart--because they shall see God.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Blessed are the clean of heart: they shall see God.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Blessed the pure in heart, for they shall seeGod.
Context
This Beatitude delves deeper into the internal character, moving beyond outward actions of mercy to the deepest motivations of the heart. It reinforces the theme of inner transformation crucial to Jesus' teaching, suggesting that true spiritual vision and communion with God stem from a pure inner life. This sets up the following Beatitudes concerning active, outward peacemaking and endurance under persecution.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Psalms 73:1
Surely God is good to Israel, Evento such as are pure in heart.
- Psalms 24:4
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; Who hath not lifted up his soul unto falsehood, And hath not sworn deceitfully.
- Psalms 51:6
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom.
- 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.
- Proverbs 22:11
He that loveth pureness of heart, Forthe grace of his lips the king will be his friend.
- 1 Chronicles 29:17
I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, that are present here, offer willingly unto thee.
Sermon ideas from Matthew 5:8
Angles a pastor or small-group leader might preach or teach from this passage, drawn from the chapter's main themes.
What Matthew 5:8 teaches us about kingdom ethics
What Matthew 5:8 teaches us about inner righteousness
What Matthew 5:8 teaches us about true blessedness
What Matthew 5:8 teaches us about light and salt
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