Matthew 5:12

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:11-12

Parallel passage: Luke 6:22 , Luke 6:23 . read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:11-12

The Beatitude of suffering for the sake of Jesus. "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." It cannot be denied that we have here before us a Beatitude, and one warm with life and comfort and love. It is, however, particularly addressed to the disciples present, face to face,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:11-16

Some critics ( e.g. Godet, Weiss) think that Matthew 5:13-16 are no part of the original sermon, but only an interweaving of sayings which were originally spoken at other times. This is possible, but external evidence exists only in the case of Matthew 5:13 and Matthew 5:15 (for Matthew 5:14 and Matthew 5:16 are peculiar to Matthew); and even in the ease of these verses it is by no means clear ( vide infra ) that the occasions on which, according to the other Gospels, the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 5:12

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad ( χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε ). Our Lord uses no weaker expressions than those which describe the joy of the saints over the marriage of the Lamb ( Revelation 19:7 ). The first word expresses joy as such, the second its effect in stirring the emotions; this thought St. Luke carries still further in σκιρτήσατε . (For joy felt under persecution, cf. Acts 5:41 .) For great . The order of the Greek, ὅτι ὀ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολύς , does not bear out... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Matthew 5:12

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad - Regard it as a great privilege thus to be persecuted and to suffer - a thing not to be mourned over, but as among the chief blessings of life.For great is your reward in heaven - That is, your reward will be great in the future world. To those who suffer most, God imparts the highest rewards. Hence, the crown of martyrdom has been thought to be the brightest that any of the redeemed shall wear; and hence many of the early Christians sought to become martyrs, and... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 5:11-12

Matthew 5:11-12. Blessed are ye My true and faithful followers, when men shall revile you Shall unjustly and injuriously reproach you; and say all manner of evil against you falsely This both the Jews and heathen did with respect to the first Christians, and this the Papists have done with regard to the Protestants: for my sake Because you believe in, love, obey, and follow me. Rejoice, &c. Let not this load of infamy and oppression discourage and cast you down, but rather ... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Matthew 5:1-12

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNTWhen people enter Jesus’ kingdom they enter a new life. They come under the rule of Jesus and, as his disciples, listen to his teaching and put it into practice. Their behaviour is not governed by a set of rules such as the law of Moses, but by the character of Jesus, who wants to reproduce that character in them. The collection of Jesus’ teachings commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount deals with the attitudes, behaviour and responsibilities of those who have come... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Matthew 5:12

Rejoice, &c. See 1 Peter 4:13 . Compare Acts 16:25 . for = because. Not the same as in Matthew 5:3 , &c. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Matthew 5:12

Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.The apostles took to heart this admonition of the Saviour to rejoice in persecutions. James (James 1:2-4), Paul (1 Timothy 3:12; Colossians 1:24), and the Twelve (Acts 5:41) were happy in persecutions. In this passage, Christ firmly underscored the principle motive undergirding human submissiveness to God. There were, in fact, three of these: love, fear, and hope of... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 5:11-12

Matthew 5:11-12. Blessed are ye when men shall revile, &c.— Macknight understands this as a distinct beatitude from that in the 10th verse, supposing the former to refer to liberty and external ease; the present to reputation: and accordingly he paraphrases it nearly in the following words: "Fame, or the applause of the world, does not give true contentment, by satisfying true ambition; but to be reviled falsely, in the ways of righteousness, and to share in affronts with and for God, is a... read more

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