Last week we began our word study from the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12) by examining makarioi, "the blessed joyful happiness of the soul" received from God to everyone who enters into the kingdom of heaven. In this study we will look at the first beatitude of the Lord: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3). The Greek noun πτωξο (Strong's #4434), translated "poor" in this beatitude means literally: "one who is bent or folded;"F1 metaphorically "one utterly destitute."F2 Thayer defines the term: "one who slinks and crouches, often involving the idea of roving about in wretchedness; reduced to beggary, begging, mendicant, asking alms; hence, poor, needy."F3 Pickering states: one "primarily, timid; crouching; hence, poor, beggarly."F4 This noun is allied to its verb form 'ptossein': "to crouch or cringe," thus it "conveys the idea of utter destitution, which abjectly solicits and lives by alms."F5 Parkhurst defines this verb: "to shrink with fear, tremble; poor, indigent, destitute of the goods and necessaries of this life."F6 Thayer adds to this: "to be thoroughly frightened, to cower down or hide one's self for fear."F7 We see, therefore, in this common Greek word for "poor," one who is bent or folded over, crouching and cowering as one utterly destitute and helpless, living by begging for alms. All one needs to do is go into the slums and poor districts of local cities and townships in their respective country and such individuals can readily be found. Throughout the New Testament there are three Greek words expressing poverty; 'ptochoi,' the common word we have just defined used 34 times and the two kindred terms of 'penes' and 'penichros' we have yet to mention referenced once each. The word 'penes' used by Paul to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 9:9) is derived from 'penomai'F8 and refers to one who "earns a scanty pittance,"F9 hence, one who works for his daily bread and so has reference to a laborer who works for a living earning a small meager wage. The second term 'penichros' is recorded in Luke's gospel in reference to the very poor widow who worked for her daily bread, yet, of her want did cast into the treasury the two mites of all the living that she had. Luke used both the words 'penichran' (Luke 21:2) and 'ptoche' (Luke 21:3) to describe this very poor widow. The reason Luke uses both terms is because she barely sustained herself by earning a meager wage, but after giving all that she had she was then utterly destitute. Jesus stated that since she gave of all her means, where the others were just giving of their abundance, her offering was the greater to God (Luke 21:-1-4).
The word "poor" is therefore a metaphor and carries the idea of complete dependence on something other than one's self. This term is generally descriptive of what one has, or does not have, but the Lord said the "poor in spirit" and that refers to what one is. Jesus is describing those who are utterly destitute in spirit, their will bent or folded cowering in total helplessness before God, who feeds and sustains their souls with His mana from heaven. Notice the image that is portrayed by the original language of scripture and how much more vivid it is than the word "poor" in our English translations! Anyone who is willing to bend their will before God and depend upon Him for their direction shall be allowed to enter into heaven's kingdom, the Lord's church, by accepting the conditions of His gospel. Jesus said for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them, thus it consists of those who are first and foremost "poor in spirit." It is the "kingdom of the heavens" (Literal translation), for it exists most perfectly in heaven itself where those before God live the ideal life of love and service to the Almighty. Christ brought down to earth in His own person this blessed life of sinless perfection and made it available for all humanity. Every baptized believer who proudly wears the name of Christian is taught by the Lord to pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth" (Matthew 6:10). Its meaning is let God's will be done by humanity on earth as it done by angels and saints in heaven. The kingdom of God, therefore, is just the heavenly life brought down to earth dwelling within us (Luke 17:21). Its aim and standard is nothing short of the perfection of God Himself, for Jesus said, "Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).
As the prophet Isaiah gazed through the telescope of the ages he prophesied concerning the humble-hearted and the "poor in spirit" of whom Jesus is speaking. This truth was proclaimed by Jesus when He was teaching from the synagogue on the Sabbath and He "stood up to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down: and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears" (Luke 4:16-21; Isaiah 61: 1, 2). Jesus affirmed that the time of which Isaiah saw and prophesied was beginning to be fulfilled during His earthly ministry. Isaiah was blessed with the opportunity to look into the future and see many things concerning the kingdom of the Messiah and those who shall enter therein. He foretold, "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite" (Isaiah 57:15). Earlier, the prophet had prophesied concerning the wayfaring men who fare by the way and are not acquainted with the territory through which they are passing. Therefore, realizing their need for guidance they become fools so as not to err therein (Isaiah 35:8-10). To the Corinthians Paul said, "Let no man deceive himself. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise" (1 Corinthians 3:18). Paul told the Corinthians to lay down the human wisdom of their philosophers and accept the guidance of divine revelation. The kingdom principles of the beatitudes of Jesus are exactly the opposite of humanism, which teaches dependency on the world's resources and breeds the independence of self-sufficiency and human wisdom. Jeremiah stated, "O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jeremiah 10:23). The simple truth is "A man's pride shall bring him low; But he that is of a lowly spirit shall obtain honor" (Proverbs 29:23). The fool to whom both the prophet Isaiah and the apostle Paul refer to in the texts just referenced is the same as the "poor in spirit' of the first beatitude. It is any who cower in the helplessness of their own self importance and have bent their will in complete dependence upon God; therefore, the Lord has blessed them with supreme happiness for "belonging to them is the kingdom of the heavens." Such a one depends solely upon God for his direction, and that is the fundamental condition of participation in the kingdom of the Messiah and the precondition for being "rich toward God" (see Luke 12:21; 6:23). When anyone cowers from the fear of their own self righteousness and becomes utterly destitute of spirit by depending upon God to direct their steps, they receive joy as a well of water springing up from the Lord forever quenching their thirst (John 4:14) and taking care of their every need (Matthew 6:25-27).
FOOTNOTES:
F1: Robert Young, LL.D., F.E.S.L., Concise Critical Commentary of the N.T. (London: Pickering & Inglis, 1883), pg., 5.
F2: M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. 1 (Florida: MacDonald Publishing Company, reprint of 2nd edition 1888), pg., 29.
F3: Joseph Henry Thayer, D.D., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1901), pg., 557.
F4: John Pickering, LL.D., Comprehensive Lexicon Of The Greek Language Adapted To The Use Of Colleges And Schools In The United States (Boston: Wilkins, Carter, and Company, 1847), pg.,1147.
F5: M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. 1 (Florida: MacDonald Publishing Company, reprint of 2nd edition 1888), pg., 29.
F6: John Parkhurst, M.A., A Greek And English Lexicon To The New Testament (London: T. Davison, Whitefriars, 1812), pg., 585.
F7: Joseph Henry Thayer, D.D., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1901), pg., 557.
F8: Archibald Thomas Robertson, A.M., D.D., LL.D., Litt.D., Word Pictures in the New Testament, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House), pg. 40.
F9: M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. 1 (Florida: MacDonald Publishing Company, reprint of 2nd edition 1888), pg., 29.
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Bill Klein has been a pastor, counselor, and educator for the past 41 years. He has had extensive training and education in biblical languages, and has authored a Biblical Greek course.
He is currently serving as Professor of Biblical Greek at Master's Graduate School of Divinity, and president of BTE Ministries - The Bible Translation and Exegesis Institute of America, a non-profit organization located in California that provides Bible study tapes and Greek study materials through their website BTEMinistries.org.