• “‘Poor in spirit,’” as a virtue, must refer not to a poor quality of faith but to the acknowledgment of one’s spiritual powerlessness and bankruptcy apart from Christ” (Blomberg, Matthew, 98).
• Poverty often is tied to humility and drives people to rely completely on God: Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked (Revelation 3:17)
• The Kingdom of Heaven is a present reality for those who are poor in spirit (cf. Ps. 34:19; 37:14; Isa. 61:1; James 2:5).
• This verse may be an allusion to Isaiah 61:1-3:
61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; 61:2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 61:3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
• Those who mourn will be comforted.
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