Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
What does Matthew 5:6 mean?
Jesus here gives eight characters of blessed people, which represent to us the principal graces of a Christian. The poor in spirit are happy.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Matthew 5:6-7 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Matthew 5:6
Blessed are they which do hunger ... - Hunger and thirst, here, are expressive of strong desire. Nothing would better express the strong desire which we ought to feel to obtain righteousness than hunger and thirst. No needs are so keen, none so imperiously demand supply, as these. They occur daily, and when long continued, as in case of those shipwrecked, and doomed to wander months or years over burning sands, with scarcely any drink or food, nothing is more distressing. An ardent desire for anything is often represented in the Scriptures by hunger and thirst, Psalm 42:1-2 ; Psalm 63:1-2 .
Context in Matthew 5
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Matthew 5 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as birth and preparation. Matthew presents Jesus as Davidic Messiah, new Moses, teacher of the kingdom, suffering Son of Man, and risen Lord who commissions the nations. Read this chapter with the wider themes of fulfillment, kingdom of heaven, and discipleship in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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Bible verses about justice and mercy
Key texts on public righteousness, neighbor-love, social ethics, compassion, and the prophetic refusal to separate worship from justice.