Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
All Commentaries on Matthew 5:3 Go To Matthew 5
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
De Cons. Evan., ii, 19: Or He may be thought to have sought to shun the thickest crowd, and to have ascended the mountain that He might speak to His disciples alone.
de Serm. Dom. in Mont. i. 1: Or, He ascends the mountain to show that the precepts of righteousness given by God through the Prophets to the Jews, who were yet under the bondage of fear, were the lesser commandments; but that by His own Son were given the greater commandments to a people which He had determined to deliver by love.
Or, to teach sitting is the prerogative of the Master. “His disciples came to him,” that they who is spirit approached more nearly to keeping His commandments, should also approach Him nearest with their bodily presence.
de Serm. in Mount. i, 1: Or, the phrase is introductory of an address longer than ordinary.
Whoever will take the trouble to examine with a pious and sober spirit, will find in this sermon a perfect code of the Christian life as far as relates to the conduct of daily life. Accordingly the Lord concludes it with the words, "Every man who heareth these words of mine and doeth them, I will liken him toa wise man”.
City of God, book 19, ch. 1: The chief good is the only motive of philosophical enquiry; but whatever confers blessedness, that is the chief good; therefore He begins, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”.
de Serm. in Mont., i, 1: Augmentation of ‘spirit’ generally implies insolence and pride. For in common speech the proud are said to have a great spirit, and rightly - for wind is a spirit, and who does not know that we say of proud men that they are ‘swollen,’ ‘puffed up. 'Here therefore by “poor in spirit” are rightly understood ‘lowly,’ ‘fearing God,’ not having a puffed up spirit.
The proud seek an earthly kingdom, of the humble only is the kingdom of Heaven.
