Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 5:4

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." — Matthew 5:4 (ASV)

The godly remnant of Jesus’ day weeps because of the humiliation of Israel, but they understand that it comes from personal and corporate sins. Weeping for sins can be deeply poignant (Ezra 10:6; Psalms 51:4; Daniel 9:19–20) and can cover a global as well as personal view of sin and our participation in it.

“Comfort, comfort my people” (Isaiah 40:1) is God’s response to human sin.

These first two beatitudes deliberately allude to the messianic blessing of Isa 61:1–3. But these blessings, already realized partially but fully only at the consummation (Revelation 7:17), depend on a Messiah who has come to save his people from their sins (1:21; cf. also 11:28–30).