| The Hebrew Synoptic Gospels |
| Matthew 5: 3 |
"The kingdom" means "those who are ruled," never a territorial designation."Heaven" is a synonym for "God." "Theirs" should be "of such as these." Thus, it is the type ofpeople who have no righteousness of their own and cry out to God in despair who will enter theKingdom and find salvation.
| CEV | God blesses those people who depend on him. They belong to the kingdom ofheaven! Footnote: Or "The kingdom belongs to them." |
| CNT | A blessing rests on those whose spirit makes them think but poorly of themselves; thekingdom of heaven shall be theirs. |
| GW | Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs tothem. |
| IV | Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit, who come unto me; for theirs is the kingdom ofheaven. [verse 5 in this version] |
| LBP | Blessed are the humble, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Footnote:humble: Aramaic, poor in spirit; unassuming. |
| NBV | Blessed are they who know their spiritual poverty, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. |
| NEB | How blest are those who know their need of God; the kingdom of heaven is theirs. |
| NET | Blessed are those who are poor in spirit, for the Kingdom of heaven belongsto them. |
| NLV | Those who know there is nothing good in themselves are happy, because the holy nation ofheaven is theirs. |
| NWT | Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the kingdom of the heavens belongsto them. |
| PRS | How happy are those who know their need for God, for the kingdom of Heaven is theirs! |
| SGAT | Blessed are those who feel their spiritual need, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them! |
| SV | Congratulations to the poor in spirit! Heaven's domain belongs to them. Footnote: Sources: Q, Thomas. [In pink print, meaning thatthis quote sounds like Jesus.] |
| TM | You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of Godand his rule. |
| WET | ..., Spiritually prosperous are the destitute and helpless in the realm of the spirit,because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. |
| WNT | Blessed are those who feel poor in spiritual things, for the kingdom of heaven belongs tothem. |
| WMF | The basis for all happiness is laid on a person's willingness to be humble before God,recognizing the need for God, and therefore being willing to seek God's way for life. |
| YLR | Happy the poor in spirit -- because theirs is the reign of the heavens. |
Several of the versions improve on the phrase "poor in spirit." However, mostdo not do as well with the phrase "kingdom of heaven." It is often implied that it is aphysical place. Two versions pluralize "heaven." It is interesting that "heaven" or "kingdom"may be capitalized, also both or neither may be capitalized. Matthew is the only gospel to use"kingdom of heaven," using it twenty-three times. The other gospels use "kingdom of God,"Matthew doing so only four times. "Jews do not write or say the name of God (YHWH), other thanthe High Priest, only on Yom Kippur. They are aware of the third of the Ten Commandments. A newpractice has come into being in recent decades, that of using 'G-d' and 'L-rd' in writing. Thisis considered by most authorities no more than a passing fad." Because the Gospel of Matthewwas written to the Jews, is it possible that Matthew was respecting the reverence for the nameof God by using the phrase "the kingdom of heaven?"