SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:11
Bienaventurados sois cuando os vituperen y os persigan, y se dijere toda clase de mal de vosotros por mi causa, mintiendo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:11
Verse 11. When men shall revile you, and persecute] The persecution mentioned in the preceding verse comprehends all outward acts of violence-all that the hand can do. This comprehends all calumny, slander, &c., all that the tongue can effect. But as diwkein, which we render to persecute, is a forensic term, and signifies legal persecutions and public accusations, which, though totally unsubstantiated, were the means of destroying multitudes of the primitive Christians, our Lord probably refers to such. No Protestant can think, without horror, of the great numbers burnt alive in this country, on such accusations, under the popish reign of her who is emphatically called Bloody Queen Mary.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 11. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you , etc.] These words are particularly directed to the disciples of Christ, and are designed to inform them, that they should not be exempted from reproach and persecution, and to animate and fortify them against it; and are prophetical of what they, and the first Christians particularly, were to endure for Christs sake. Men should revile them, speak very reproachfully of them, brand them with infamy, and load them with disgrace; and persecute you from place to place, by ill usage of all sorts; and shall say all manner of evil against you : the worst things they could think of and invent, and all of them; such as that they were seditious persons, enemies to the commonwealth, and the public good, guilty of sacrilege, incest, and murder but what would serve to relieve them under these heavy charges is, that they were falsely laid; there was not a word of truth in them; wherefore their own hearts would not reproach them; but all were the malicious lies of men, invented on purpose to bring them and Christianity into disgrace: and that they were brought against them for Christs sake, for his names sake, for the sake of his Gospel and interest: the treatment they meet with is on his account, and the same that he himself met with; the like reproaches fell on him, which will be all wiped off from him and them another day; when they will appear to be the blessed persons, and their revilers and persecutors the unhappy ones. The Jews have some sayings not unlike these, and which may serve to illustrate them: ajal aht alw ajwl aht , be thou cursed, or bearing curses, but do not curse f249 . The gloss upon it is, it is better to be one of them that are cursed, than to be of them that curse; for, at the end, the curse causeless returns to him that curseth. Again f250 , for ever let a man be of them that are persecuted, and not of them that persecute; of them that suffer injury, and not of them that do it.
Once more f251 , they that suffer injury, and do it not; who hear reproach, and do not return it; who act from love, and rejoice in chastisements, of them the Scripture says, let them that love him, etc. ( Judges 5:31).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 3-12 - Our Saviour here gives eight characters of blessed people, whic represent to us the principal graces of a Christian. 1. The poor in spirit are happy. These bring their minds to their condition, when it is a low condition. They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. The see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The kingdom of grace is of such; the kingdom of glory is for them. 2. Thos that mourn are happy. That godly sorrow which worketh true repentance watchfulness, a humble mind, and continual dependence for acceptance of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, with constant seeking the Holy Spirit, to cleanse away the remaining evil, seems here to be intended Heaven is the joy of our Lord; a mountain of joy, to which our way is through a vale of tears. Such mourners shall be comforted by their God 3. The meek are happy. The meek are those who quietly submit to God who can bear insult; are silent, or return a soft answer; who, in their patience, keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcel keep possession of anything else. These meek ones are happy, even in this world. Meekness promotes wealth, comfort, and safety, even in thi world. 4. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are happy Righteousness is here put for all spiritual blessings. These ar purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ, confirmed by the faithfulness of God. Our desires of spiritual blessings must be earnest. Though all desires for grace are not grace, yet such a desir as this, is a desire of God's own raising, and he will not forsake the work of his own hands. 5. The merciful are happy. We must not only bea our own afflictions patiently, but we must do all we can to help thos who are in misery. We must have compassion on the souls of others, an help them; pity those who are in sin, and seek to snatch them as brand out of the burning. 6. The pure in heart are happy; for they shall se God. Here holiness and happiness are fully described and put together The heart must be purified by faith, and kept for God. Create in m such a clean heart, Of God. None but the pure are capable of seeing God nor would heaven be happiness to the impure. As God cannot endure to look upon their iniquity, so they cannot look upon his purity. 7. The peace-makers are happy. They love, and desire, and delight in peace and study to be quiet. They keep the peace that it be not broken, an recover it when it is broken. If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-breakers! 8. Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sak are happy. This saying is peculiar to Christianity; and it is mor largely insisted upon than any of the rest. Yet there is nothing in ou sufferings that can merit of God; but God will provide that those wh lose for him, though life itself, shall not lose by him in the end Blessed Jesus! how different are thy maxims from those of men of thi world! They call the proud happy, and admire the gay, the rich, the powerful, and the victorious. May we find mercy from the Lord; may we be owned as his children, and inherit his kingdom. With thes enjoyments and hopes, we may cheerfully welcome low or painfu circumstances.
Greek Textus Receptus
μακαριοι 3107 A-NPM εστε 2075 5748 V-PXI-2P οταν 3752 CONJ ονειδισωσιν 3679 5661 V-AAS-3P υμας 5209 P-2AP και 2532 CONJ διωξωσιν 1377 5661 V-AAS-3P και 2532 CONJ ειπωσιν 2036 5632 V-2AAS-3P παν 3956 A-ASN πονηρον 4190 A-ASN ρημα 4487 N-ASN καθ 2596 PREP υμων 5216 P-2GP ψευδομενοι 5574 5730 V-PEP-NPM ενεκεν 1752 ADV εμου 1700 P-1GS
Robertson's NT Word Studies
5:11 {Falsely, for my sake} (yeudomenoi heneken emou). Codex Bezae changes the order of these last Beatitudes, but that is immaterial. What does matter is that the bad things said of Christ's followers shall be untrue and that they are slandered for Christ's sake. Both things must be true before one can wear a martyr's crown and receive the great reward (misqos) in heaven. No prize awaits one there who deserves all the evil said of him and done to him here.
