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1
What "Poor in Spirit" Means
Commentators are clear this isn't about financial status but a spiritual posture. To be "poor in spirit" is to recognize your complete spiritual bankruptcy before God. It means acknowledging your sinfulness, having no righteousness of your own, and depending entirely on God's grace and mercy for salvation. As multiple scholars state, it is the humble foundation upon which all other Christian virtues are built.
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Book Overview
Matthew
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Commentaries
13
Albert Barnes
On Matthew 5:3
18th Century
Theologian
Blessed are the poor in spirit. The word blessed means happy, referring to that which produces true happiness, from what…
AT Robertson
On Matthew 5:3
Blessed (μακαριο). The English word "blessed" is more exactly represented by the Greek verbal ευλογητο as in Lu 1:68 of God by Zac…
Charles Spurgeon
On Matthew 5:2–3
19th Century
Preacher
Saying, Blessed—
The Old Testament closes with the word "curse." The New Testament begins here, in the preaching of Christ, with the…
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Expositor's Bible Commentary
On Matthew 5:3
(38–39a) The OT prescription of the lex talionis (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:19–20) was not given to foster vengeance; the …
John Calvin
On Matthew 5:3
16th Century
Theologian
Happy are the poor in spirit. Luke 6:20. Happy (are you) poor. Luke gives nothing more than a simple metaphor.…
John Gill
On Matthew 5:3
17th Century
Pastor
Blessed are the poor in spirit
Not the poor in purse, or who are so with respect to things temporal: for though God …
Matthew Henry
On Matthew 5:3–12
17th Century
Minister
Our Savior here gives eight characteristics of blessed people, which represent to us the principal graces of a Christian.
The poor …
Thomas Aquinas
On Matthew 5:3–10
13th Century
Philosopher
The Evangelist, above, set forth a kind of brief preamble to Christ’s teaching; now he relates the teaching itself and its effect, namely, the admi…