20And lifting his eyes to his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are destitute, for the kingdom of God is yours. [6:21] Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled to abundance. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. [6:22] Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and cast your name out as evil, on account of the Son of Man. [6:23] Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven — for their ancestors did the same things to the prophets."
LUK 6:20-23
The Beatitudes
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st-century Mediterranean world, poverty was not merely an economic condition but a social and spiritual identity. The '' (ptochos) were the destitute, often beggars, who relied entirely on others for survival. Their poverty marked them as socially marginalized, lacking honor in a culture deeply shaped by honor-shame dynamics. Jesus’ declaration that the 'poor' are '' (makarios)—blessed or favored—would have been jarring. In Greco-Roman thought, 'makarios' was reserved for the gods or the elite, those who enjoyed prosperity and divine favor. Jesus subverts this, declaring that the kingdom of God belongs to the marginalized. Similarly, hunger and weeping were signs of suffering and dishonor, yet Jesus promises reversal: the hungry will be '' (chortazo)—filled abundantly—and mourners will laugh. Exclusion (',' aphorizo) from communal life, especially in Jewish contexts, was a severe punishment, yet Jesus frames it as a mark of allegiance to the Son of Man, promising heavenly reward. This inversion of values challenges both Roman and Jewish social hierarchies.
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How other translations render this
LUK 6:20
- KJV
- And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
- BSB
- Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
- Koinōnos
- And lifting his eyes to his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are destitute, for the kingdom of God is yours.
LUK 6:21
- KJV
- Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
- BSB
- Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
- Koinōnos
- Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled to abundance. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
LUK 6:22
- KJV
- Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
- BSB
- Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.
- Koinōnos
- Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and cast your name out as evil, on account of the Son of Man.
LUK 6:23
- KJV
- Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
- BSB
- Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For their fathers treated the prophets in the same way.
- Koinōnos
- Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven — for their ancestors did the same things to the prophets.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
LUK 6:20
- Blessed [are]:The word translated 'Blessed' here refers to a state of deep, inner well-being and flourishing, often associated with divine favor, rather than merely happiness or good fortune.
- poor,:The word translated 'poor' here meant a destitute beggar — someone utterly dependent on alms and lacking any means of self-support — not merely someone of low economic status.
LUK 6:21
- you will be filled.:The word translated 'you will be filled' originally referred to feeding animals until they were completely satisfied, suggesting an abundant and complete satiation, not just enough to get by.
LUK 6:22
- they may exclude:The word translated 'they may exclude' carried the sense of setting someone apart or separating them, often with the implication of marking them off as distinct or even ostracizing them from a community.