馬太福音 5章3節 到 5章3節     上一筆  下一筆
 {Blessed} (makarioi). The English word "blessed" is more
exactly represented by the Greek verbal eulog(8874)oi as in  Lu
1:68  of God by Zacharias, or the perfect passive participle
eulog(886d)enos as in  Lu 1:42  of Mary by Elizabeth and in  Mt
21:9 . Both forms come from euloge(935c), to speak well of (eu,
logos). The Greek word here (makarioi) is an adjective that
means "happy" which in English etymology goes back to hap,
chance, good-luck as seen in our words haply, hapless, happily,
happiness. "Blessedness is, of course, an infinitely higher and
better thing than mere happiness" (Weymouth). English has thus
ennobled "blessed" to a higher rank than "happy." But "happy" is
what Jesus said and the _Braid Scots New Testament_ dares to say
"Happy" each time here as does the _Improved Edition of the
American Bible Union Version_. The Greek word is as old as Homer
and Pindar and was used of the Greek gods and also of men, but
largely of outward prosperity. Then it is applied to the dead who
died in the Lord as in  Re 14:13 . Already in the Old Testament
the Septuagint uses it of moral quality. "Shaking itself loose
from all thoughts of outward good, it becomes the express symbol
of a happiness identified with pure character. Behind it lies the
clear cognition of sin as the fountain-head of all misery, and of
holiness as the final and effectual cure for every woe. For
knowledge as the basis of virtue, and therefore of happiness, it
substitutes faith and love" (Vincent). Jesus takes this word
"happy" and puts it in this rich environment. "This is one of the
words which have been transformed and ennobled by New Testament
use; by association, as in the Beatitudes, with unusual
conditions, accounted by the world miserable, or with rare and
difficult" (Bruce). It is a pity that we have not kept the word
"happy" to the high and holy plane where Jesus placed it. "If you
know these things, happy (makarioi) are you if you do them"
( Joh 13:17 ). "Happy (makarioi) are those who have not seen
and yet have believed" ( Joh 20:29 ). And Paul applies this
adjective to God, "according to the gospel of the glory of the
happy (makariou) God" ( 1Ti 1:11 . Cf. also  Tit 2:13 ). The
term "Beatitudes" (Latin _beatus_) comes close to the meaning of
Christ here by makarioi. It will repay one to make a careful
study of all the "beatitudes" in the New Testament where this
word is employed. It occurs nine times here ( 3-11 ), though the
beatitudes in verses 10 and 11 are very much alike. The copula is
not expressed in either of these nine beatitudes. In each case a
reason is given for the beatitude, "for" (hoti), that shows the
spiritual quality involved. Some of the phrases employed by Jesus
here occur in the Psalms, some even in the Talmud (itself later
than the New Testament, though of separate origin). That is of
small moment. "The originality of Jesus lies in putting the due
value on these thoughts, collecting them, and making them as
prominent as the Ten Commandments. No greater service can be
rendered to mankind than to rescue from obscurity neglected moral
commonplaces " (Bruce). Jesus repeated his sayings many times as
all great teachers and preachers do, but this sermon has unity,
progress, and consummation. It does not contain all that Jesus
taught by any means, but it stands out as the greatest single
sermon of all time, in its penetration, pungency, and power. {The
poor in spirit} (hoi pt(9363)hoi t(9369) pneumati). Luke has only "the
poor," but he means the same by it as this form in Matthew, "the
pious in Israel, for the most part poor, whom the worldly rich
despised and persecuted" (McNeile). The word used here
(pt(9363)hoi) is applied to the beggar Lazarus in  Lu 16:20,22  and
suggests spiritual destitution (from pt(9373)s(935c) to crouch, to
cower). The other word pen(8873) is from penomai, to work for
one's daily bread and so means one who works for his living. The
word pt(9363)hos is more frequent in the New Testament and implies
deeper poverty than pen(8873). "The kingdom of heaven" here means
the reign of God in the heart and life. This is the _summum
bonum_ and is what matters most.

重新查詢 專卷研經 馬太福音系列
錯誤回報,請聯繫comm[@]fhl.net