“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”
Matthew 5:5
There are three elements to the third beatitude that need explaining: (1) the meaning of “blessed,” (2) the meaning of “meek,” and (3) what it means to inherit the earth. This article will look at each element individually and then (4) bring everything together for an explanation of the meaning of the third beatitude (click the hyperlinks to jump to the section you desire).
I. The Meaning of “Blessed”
The term “blessed” that occurs at the beginning of all the beatitudes is μακάριοι, the plural form of the adjective μακάριος. Although it has become common to hear μακάριος translated as “happy” (such as in the CEB), the term “happy” is much too shallow and superficial. In the New Testament and especially in the Gospel of Matthew, μακάριος is best understood as being the privileged recipient of God’s favour which results in a deep-seated joy. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature (BDAG) states the focus of μακάριος can either be on happiness/joy because of one’s circumstances or the focus can be on privilege that results in happiness/joy (BDAG, s.v. μακάριος).
In the Gospel of Matthew and in the beatitudes, the focus of μακάριος is on being the privileged recipient of God’s favour, rather than the joy or happiness, which is a result of God’s favour (also see Charles Quarles, Sermon on the Mount, 42; Donald Hagner, Matthew 1–13, 91).
We see this idea of being the privileged recipient of God’s favour that results in a deep-seated joy in many passages throughout the New Testament and the Gospel of Matthew. Note the following two passages from the Gospel of Matthew: 13:16–17 and 16:15–17.
In Matthew 13:16–17, Jesus tells his disciples that they are “blessed” (μακάριοι) because they have seen and heard Jesus, his mighty works and his teaching:
“But blessed [μακάριοι] are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
—MATTHEW 13:16–17
Jesus is not simply saying that his disciples are “happy,” but that they are the privileged recipients of God’s favour in that they get to see and hear Jesus and understand what it is that they see and hear! This seeing, hearing, and understanding results in a deep-seated joy of seeing, hearing, and knowing God’s messiah who is in the process of setting up the Kingdom of Heaven.
Another powerful passage that demonstrates Jesus’ understanding of μακάριος is Matthew 16:15–17:
“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed [μακάριος] are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’”
—MATTHEW 16:15–17
After asking his disciples who they think he (Jesus) is, Simon Peter answers that Jesus is the messiah (“Christ”), who is “the Son of the living God.” Jesus then tells Peter that he is “blessed” (μακάριος). Jesus is not telling Peter that he should now be happy that he got Jesus’ question correct; rather, Jesus is telling Peter that he is the privileged recipient of God’s favour in that the Father himself revealed to Peter the identity of Jesus. This revelation will result in a deep-seated joy because now Peter knows who Jesus truly is.
Thus, we can conclude that the term “blessed” (μακάριος) in the Gospel of Matthew means to be the privileged recipient of God’s favour that results in a deep-seated joy. Regarding the third beatitude, Jesus says that those who are “meek” are the privileged recipients of God’s favour, resulting in a deep-seated joy. Let us now turn to the meaning of “meek” and then we will discover how those who are meek are privileged recipients of God’s favour.
II. The Meaning of “Meek”
The term Jesus uses for “meek” is πραΰς. The term πραΰς is frequently translated as “gentle,” “humble,” or even “self-controlled” (see BDAG, s.v. “πραΰς”). However, the meaning of πραΰς is best sought in the Old Testament because the third beatitude is a clear allusion to Psalm 37:11, with the Greek terms “meek” (πραΰς), “inherit” (κληρονομέω), and “earth” (γῆ) occurring in the exact same order:
Psalm 37:11: οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσιν γῆν (“the meek shall inherit the earth/land”)
Matthew 5:5: μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν (“Blessed are the meek because they shall inheritthe earth/land”)
Because of the clear allusion to Psalm 37:11, the meaning of “meek” should be sought in the Old Testament, with special attention to Psalm 37.
A. The Meaning of “Meek” in the Old Testament
The term πραΰς is used 16 times in the Greek translations of the Old Testament (LXX). Of those uses that have a corresponding Hebrew text, πραΰς is used to translate two Hebrew words: עָנָו (Num 12:3; Ps 25:9 [x2]; 34:2; 37:11; 76:9; 147:6; 149:4) and עָנִי (Job 24:4; Zeph 3:12; Zech 9:9; Is 26:6). Although עָנָו and עָנִי are not synonyms, they do have a close semantic range. Within context, the uses of עָנָו and עָנִי in the above-mentioned passages refer to a person who has submitted to Yahweh and is in a servant relationship to him.
This idea of πραΰς referring to submission to God is highlighted when one recognizes that at times the LXX also translates עָנָו and עָנִי with πτωχός, the Greek term for “poor,” which Jesus uses in the first beatitude (Matthew 5:3). As Charles Quarles notes, “The LXX translators evidently saw two important connotations of the Hebrew term: dependence and submission” (Charles Quarles, Sermon on the Mount, 55). The term πτωχός (“poor”) emphasizes dependence (see my article on the first beatitude HERE), while the term πραΰς (“meek”) emphasizes submission, which is what we see in the above listed verses. An analysis of Psalm 37:11, which is alluded to by Jesus in the third beatitude, confirms the connection of πραΰς (“meek”) with submission to God, while also giving more detail.
B. The Meaning of “Meek” in Psalm 37:11
The ultimate key to understanding the meaning of “meek” is Psalm 37 because the third beatitude clearly alludes to Psalm 37:11, which means the Psalm must be sought for understanding of Jesus’ third beatitude. Psalm 37:11 says “the meek shall inherit the land/earth.” Within Psalm 37, “the meek” refers to those who seek to live in accordance with God’s instructions (i.e., one who lives righteously) because they delight in God, trust God to deliver them from wicked people, and trust God to act justly in his judgment.
More specifically, Psalm 37 describes the meek as those who “trust in Yahweh” (vv 3, 5), “delight yourself in Yahweh” (v 4), “wait patiently” for Yahweh (v 7), “hope in Yahweh” (v 9), whose “way is upright” (v 14), who are “righteous” (vv 17, 21, 25, 29, 30, 39), “blameless” (vv 18, 37), and who has “the instruction of his God in his heart” (v 31). Psalm 37 also reiterates that Yahweh is the one who will take care of the meek by both providing for the meek (vv 4, 5, 6, 11, 17, 18–19, 39–40) and punishing the wicked (vv 1–2, 9, 10, 14–15, 17, 20, 38).
In short, the term “meek” in Psalm 37 describes a person who loves, submits to, and is completely dependent on Yahweh.
C. The Meaning of “Meek” in Matthew 5:5
In light of the meaning of πραΰς (“meek”) in the Old Testament, especially in Psalm 37, the meaning of meek in Matthew 5:5 can be defined as follows: a person who lives in complete submission to God and dependence on God. This definition aligns with the definition provided in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (s.v. “πραΰς”): “one who feels that he is a servant in relationship to God and who subjects himself to Him quietly and without resistance.”
III. What It Means to Inherit the Earth
In the third beatitude, Jesus claims that those who are meek are blessed “because” (ὅτι) “they will inherit the earth” (Matt 5:5).
A. The Meaning of “Earth” (γῆ)
The Greek term for “earth” in Matthew 5:5 is γῆ, which can refer to the entire earth or a specific portion of land on the earth, such as the land of Judah. A number of scholars have argued that γῆ in Matthew 5:5 refers to the promised land, the land of Israel, because (1) γῆ in Psalm 37:11 most likely refers to the land of Israel and (2) the Gospel of Matthew has a focus on the land of Israel as the location of Jesus’ earthly ministry (see Matt 4:25; John Nolland, The Gospel of Matthew, 528–30; Craig Keener, The Gospel of Matthew, 376–78).
However, the modern translations of γῆ as “earth” in Matthew 5:5 are most likely correct on a number of grounds. First, the context of Matthew 5:5 supports the translation of “earth.” The following use of γῆ in Matthew 5:13 is clearly “earth” and not “land.” Jesus says “You are the salt of the earth (γῆ)” (Matt 5:13). This saying is in parallel with the saying, “You are the light of the world (κόσμος)” (Matt 5:14). Because of the clear parallelism, γῆ must be understood as referring to the entire earth, not a portion of land on the earth. Another good example of γῆ referring to “earth” is Matthew 5:18:
“For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth (γῆ) pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
—MATTHEW 5:18
The merism in Matthew 5:18 (“heaven/sky” and “earth”) make it clear that γῆ cannot refer to a plot of land, but refers to the entire earth. One more example of γῆ meaning “earth” comes from outside the Sermon on the Mount:
“‘But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth (γῆ) to forgive sins’—he then said to the paralytic—‘Rise, pick up your bed and go home’”
—MATTHEW 9:6
If γῆ only referred to the land of Israel, then Jesus only has authority to forgive the sins of those who dwell in that land. In actuality, however, Jesus is saying that he has authority to forgive the sins of anyone anywhere on the planet. There are many other uses of γῆ throughout the Gospel of Matthew that support the translation of “earth” for γῆ, especially in the Sermon on the Mount where all uses clearly refer to the “earth.”
Second, even if Psalm 37 refers to the land of Israel, it does not necessitate that meaning in Matthew 5:5. Jesus is alluding to Psalm 37, not quoting it, which allows him to interpret γῆ (אֶרֶץ in Hebrew) typologically, which is what is happening in Matthew 5:5. Jesus understands the promised land as typologically predictive of the greater land to come, which is the entire earth. This is how the New Testament understands the land promises of the Old Testament. A clear example is Romans 4:13:
“For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world (κόσμος) did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.”
—ROMANS 4:13
The unambiguous term κόσμος is used for world, which does not refer to a plot of land but to the entire earth or the entire created order. Both the Old and the New Testament understand Jesus as inheriting the entire created order and those who believe in Him as inheriting it alongside of Jesus. God’s kingdom was never meant to be confined to the land of Israel, but was always intended to encompass the entire earth. Jesus, in Matthew 5:5, is saying that those who are meek will inherit the entire earth alongside of Jesus.
Third, ancient Jewish communities interpreted γῆ (אֶרֶץ in Hebrew) in Psalm 37 as referring to the earth. The Dead Sea Scroll 4Q171 contains a commentary on Psalm 37. Although some portions of it are missing, the commentary interprets Psalm 37, especially the land promises, eschatologically, referring to the entire earth. Regarding verse 11, 4Q171 says the following:
“And the meek shall possess the land/earth and enjoy peace and plenty. Its interpretation concerns the congregation of the of the poor/meek who will tough out the period of distress and will be rescued from all the snares of Belial. Afterwards, all who shall po[sse]ss the land/earth will enjoy and grow fat with everything enjoy[able to] the flesh”
—4Q171, col II.9–12
4Q171 understands the inheriting of the land/earth as coming after a period of testing by Satan who is called “Belial” (col II.12) and “the Man of Lies” (col I.26 and col IV.14) throughout. Further, the result of remaining steadfast to the Lord is eternal peace and prosperity, an idea associated with the kingdom covering the entire planet.
Further evidence that 4Q171 understands γῆ/אֶרֶץ as referring to the entire earth is the comment that those who remain steadfast during a period of trial will be given “the inheritance of Adam,” which refers to the entire earth, which was given to the first man.
“those who have returned from the wilderness, who will live for a thousand generations, in salva[tio]n; for them there is all the inheritance of Adam, and for the descendants for ever”
—4Q171, col III.1–2
Finally, although key portions of the text are missing, the translators of 4Q171 in The Dead Sea Scroll Study Edition believed that the Qumran community understood γῆ/אֶרֶץ as referring to the entire earth as reflected in their translation:
“The just [will possess the earth and live] on it [for] ever. [Its interpretation . . . they shall possess the earth] over a thousand [generations]”
—4Q171, col IV.2–3
The context of Matthew, the understanding of the New Testament regarding the promise of land to Abraham, and the earliest interpreters of Psalm 37 provide overwhelming evidence that γῆ in the third beatitude refers to the entire earth, not the marked-out land of Israel. With this concluded, we now need to discern what Jesus meant when he said the meek will inherit the earth.
B. The Meaning of Inheriting the Earth
Like inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 5:3 (click HERE to see my article on that beatitude), to inherit the earth means that the entire planet will be given over to the meek to own and rule. This is the great promise of Scripture, that God’s people will possess the planet and dwell in it with God in security and prosperity. The earth belonged to Adam and Eve when they were first created. And inheriting the earth has been the goal since Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the garden of Eden. Inheriting the earth has been the goal since God called Abraham and promised him a plot of land (Gen 12, 15, 17). Paul in Romans 4, especially verse 13, understood the promise of land to Abraham this way and was clear that all who are offspring of Abraham by faith in Jesus will inherit the entire planet alongside of Jesus (Rom 4:1–25; 8:16–17). God’s people do not remain in heaven; they return to earth with Jesus and reign forever with him (1 Thess 4:13–5:11; Rev 19:6–22:5).
IV. The Meaning of the Third Beatitude (Matt 5:5)
Now that we understand (1) what it means to be blessed, (2) what it means to be meek, and (3) what it means to inherit the earth, we are able to understand the meaning of Jesus’ third beatitude: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
In Matthew 5:5, Jesus says that those who live in complete submission to God (the meek) are privileged recipients of God’s favour (blessed) in that they will own and rule the entire planet alongside of Jesus (inherit the earth).