The Beautiful Beatitudes of YESHUA in Aramaic and Greek
1. When Yeshua stepped up onto that hillside, He didn’t start with power or spectacle. There was no fire from heaven, no immediate judgment, no signs that would make people gasp. He looked out over the crowd, the fishermen, the tax collectors, the women, the children, the weary, the broken, and He spoke a sentence that would have felt almost scandalous to anyone clinging to their own sense of spiritual pride: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
Stop for a moment. Think about it. Let it sink in. Blessed, and poor? Poor in spirit? Not poor in wallet, not lacking friends or influence, but empty in the one place most people hate to admit emptiness, their own heart before God.
In Aramaic, the words He spoke were likely Ashrei d’ruḥḥin. Ashrei, blessed, favored, filled with divine satisfaction. D’ruḥḥin, of the spirit, the inner life, the core of who we are. That is what He was pointing to first, the very thing people are often most ashamed to show.
The Gospel writers, recording His words for the Greek-speaking world, translated this as Makarioi hoi ptōchoi tō pneumati. Makarioi, blessed beyond the reach of worldly chaos, full in a way no human circumstance can touch. Ptōchoi, completely destitute, crouched, empty, without resources or hope of saving themselves. Pneumati, spirit, the unseen center of life where true need is felt.
And then comes the incredible statement: “Yours is the Kingdom” (Matthew 5:3). Not “will be”, but is. The Kingdom of God is not something you earn after cleaning yourself up or proving your worth. It is given to the one who has nothing to offer but honesty about their need.
This is the first step, the first beautiful attitude. It is the foundation of everything Yeshua teaches on that mountain. You cannot climb higher into the Kingdom until you start here, in the valley, acknowledging your emptiness. Those who think they are spiritually rich, who rely on their own wisdom or piety, will stumble. The ones who are empty, who are ready to stop pretending, are the ones He calls blessed.
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2. After Yeshua speaks about the poor in spirit, the crowd has a moment of quiet. They have felt His words like a mirror, revealing what is hidden in their hearts. And then He goes deeper, not easing them back into comfort, but pointing straight at the places that ache: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”(Matthew 5:4).
Take a breath and consider that. He is not talking about casual sadness or fleeting disappointment. He is speaking about grief that runs deep, the kind that touches the soul and opens it to God. Those who mourn are the ones who see the brokenness in the world, who recognize their own failings, who feel the weight of sin and separation from God. They do not ignore it, do not numb it, and do not cover it with pretense.
In Aramaic, Yeshua likely said something like Ashrei ha-baykhon, or blessed are those who grieve. The mourning He points to is profound, it is interior, it is real. Greek readers hear it as Makarioi hoi penthountes, with penthountes being the word for deep, unrestrained lament, like the weeping at a funeral that cannot be softened or hidden. And the promise: hoti autoi paraklēthēsontai, they shall be comforted.
This comfort is not superficial. The Greek comes from parakaleō, to come alongside, to draw near. It is the same root as Paraklētos, the Holy Spirit. God Himself moves close to the mourning, holds their grief, and begins the healing. Comfort is not a gentle pat on the back; it is divine nearness, presence, and restoration.
This Beatitude is the next step after recognizing spiritual poverty. The first attitude empties us. The second one breaks us. It allows God to enter where there is honesty about our need, where sorrow is met with His presence. Mourning is not weakness; it is the pathway to being fully held by God.
So Yeshua is teaching this: grief is holy when it points us to God, and those who do not harden themselves against sorrow are the ones whose hearts are soft enough to receive His comfort. Ashrei ha-baykhon, blessed are those who mourn, because in their brokenness, God Himself is moving.
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3. The crowd has been shaken. They’ve heard about emptiness and mourning, about seeing their own need and grief. Many are quietly wondering, “What kind of teaching is this? Is anyone truly blessed?” And Yeshua continues, guiding them gently but firmly up the mountain: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
Now, stop and think about that word, meek. In English, it sounds soft, gentle, almost weak. But Yeshua was speaking something far richer. In Aramaic, it might have sounded like Ashrei dalin, blessed are the gentle, the lowly in spirit. This is not weakness, it is strength under control, power surrendered to God.
The Greek translators expressed it as Makarioi hoi praeis, with praeis meaning bridled strength. It is the power of a warhorse trained, tempered, and under command, the energy of a person who could act forcefully but chooses restraint. Yeshua Himself was praus, meek, yet strong. He flipped tables, confronted devils, and spoke truth to the powerful, but never acted out of pride or ego. He was fully under the Father’s control even in the most extreme circumstances.
And then comes the promise: “they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). The word in Greek, klēronomēsousin, is legal, it means they will become the rightful heirs. This is not poetic. The earth, the world, is not claimed by the loud, the violent, the grasping. It belongs to those who exercise their strength with humility, to those who wait for God to act.
This Beatitude overturns the world’s values. In the kingdoms of men, the powerful seize and dominate. In the Kingdom of God, the meek inherit. The ones who could strike, but choose obedience. The ones who could fight, but trust heaven to defend them. The ones who are still in the middle of chaos, yet hold themselves under God’s hand.
Here, Yeshua is showing that Kingdom strength is not about acting out of pride, control, or fear. It is holy restraint, power under Spirit-led surrender. Those who have learned to let God be their defender are the ones who truly inherit the earth.
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4. The hillside is quiet now. The crowd has been drawn into reflection. They have seen the call to acknowledge emptiness, the blessing hidden in grief, and the power of meekness. And Yeshua continues, guiding them gently but firmly deeper into the heart of God’s Kingdom:“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6).
Pause for a moment. Hunger and thirst are not casual desires. They are intense longings, cravings that drive the whole person. Yeshua is pointing to a spiritual appetite that cannot be ignored. This is the longing for God’s justice, for God’s presence, for the right order of things, not the shallow comfort of human approval.
In Aramaic, He may have said something like Ashrei te’evei u-te’avei d’tzidqa, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Te’evei u-te’avei, to hunger and to thirst. D’tzidqa, for righteousness, for alignment with God’s will and moral order. It is the deep, unrelenting craving for life as God intended.
The Greek translation captures this as Makarioi hoi peinōntes kai dipsōntes tēn dikaiosynēn. Peinōntes and dipsōntes are present participles, emphasizing ongoing hunger and thirst. Dikaiosynēn—righteousness, right standing before God, the fulfillment of His holy order. The promise is clear: hoti autoi chortasthēsontai, they shall be satisfied. Satisfaction comes, but not from the world. It comes from God Himself, who fills the longing soul with His presence and justice.
This Beatitude is a call to desire what God desires. It is not enough to be spiritually empty or to mourn. Those attitudes open the heart. Now Yeshua calls for active longing, a soul’s deep reaching for God’s righteousness. This is hunger that cannot be satisfied by worldly gain or human recognition. It is spiritual appetite that only God can fill.
Notice how the promise flows naturally from the desire. The Kingdom rewards longing. Those who genuinely seek righteousness are not left empty. Their hunger draws God near. Their thirst invites His presence. The blessing is both immediate and eternal.
Here, Yeshua is showing that true satisfaction is not in abundance, power, or wealth. It is in the heart fully aligned with God, in the soul fully longing for His will. This is the fourth beautiful attitude:long for God’s righteousness with your whole being, and you will be filled.
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5. By now, the crowd is following a rhythm they did not expect. First, they are called to emptiness, then mourning, then meekness, and hunger for righteousness. Yeshua’s words are unsettling, but they are opening hearts, showing the Kingdom from the inside out. And now He speaks of a quality that is radical in its simplicity and its power:“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7).
Mercy is not popular in human terms. It is not strength, it is not status, it is not force. And yet, in God’s Kingdom, mercy carries the weight of heaven. In Aramaic, He may have said Ashrei raḥmīn, blessed are the merciful. Raḥmīn comes from raḥma, tender compassion, inner pity that moves to action. This is not a feeling only. It is a decision, a way of living, a reflection of God’s own heart.
The Greek text gives us Makarioi hoi eleēmōnes, with eleēmōnes describing active mercy, a compassion that seeks to restore, to forgive, to meet need. The promise follows immediately: hoti autoi eleēmōnēsontai, they shall obtain mercy. Mercy given flows back to the one who gives it. This is a Kingdom law, not a human contract. It is not transactional in a selfish sense, but natural in God’s economy.
Think about that. Those who see the wounds, the brokenness, the failures around them and respond with open hands and tender hearts are the ones blessed by God. The world often calls this weakness. The Kingdom calls it strength, because mercy carries God’s own power and presence. It breaks cycles of bitterness, opens paths to reconciliation, and reveals the nature of God Himself through human action.
This Beatitude flows naturally from the previous ones. Empty hearts, mournful hearts, restrained hearts, hungry hearts, all now meet the world with mercy. And in mercy, they discover the heart of God. Yeshua is showing that mercy is not optional; it is the current that carries the Kingdom forward.
The fifth beautiful attitude, then, is this: be merciful in your life, and God’s mercy will be your portion. It is the heartbeat of the Gospel lived out in everyday action, where heaven touches earth through human hands.
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6. The hillside has grown quiet again. The crowd has been drawn into something unexpected. They have felt emptiness, sorrow, meekness, hunger, mercy. And now Yeshua speaks to the heart itself: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
Pause and feel that. Pure in heart. Not pure by human standards, not someone who pretends or polishes their image, but pure in the deepest place, where choice and intention dwell. This is inner alignment with God, sincerity without deceit, transparency before the Holy One.
In Aramaic, He may have said Ashrei qadīshīn b’l’bābā, blessed are the pure in heart. Qadīshīn, holy, set apart, clean. B’l’bābā, in the heart, the center of will, emotion, and thought. This is not just emotional clarity. It is moral clarity, spiritual integrity, an undivided inner life.
The Greek translators wrote Makarioi hoi katharoi tē kardia, with katharoi meaning clean, pure, unmixed. Kardia, the heart, the seat of our choices and character. And the promise is astonishing: hoti autoi ton theon opsontai, they shall see God. Seeing God is not only a future event; it is a present reality for those whose hearts are undivided.
Think about the Hebrew background here. Psalm 24:3-4 reminds us: only clean hands and a pure heart may stand on God’s holy hill. The purity Yeshua points to is a daily surrender, a life shaped by the Spirit, where God Himself purifies motives and intentions. It is a practice of ongoing inner alignment, where the veil begins to fall and the Divine becomes perceptible in everyday life.
This Beatitude is the next step after mercy. After you empty, mourn, restrain, hunger, and extend mercy, your heart is tested for integrity. Purity of heart is not innocence; it is alignment with God, transparency, honesty, and the willingness to be refined. And when your heart is pure, the promise follows naturally: God becomes visible to you, present, intimate, undeniable.
So the sixth beautiful attitude is this: keep your heart clean and undivided, and you will know God’s presence like never before. This is the Kingdom’s call to integrity, spiritual clarity, and a life fully surrendered to the Father.
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7. The mountain teaching has begun to reveal its rhythm. The crowd has felt the pull of emptiness, the ache of mourning, the strength of meekness, the hunger for righteousness, the power of mercy, and the clarity of a pure heart. And now Yeshua turns their attention outward:“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Pause for a moment. Peacemakers. Not the passive, the avoiders of conflict, the quiet ones who shrink away. No, these are the ones who actively bring peace, who step into brokenness with courage, who reconcile hearts and restore harmony. In Aramaic, He may have said Ashrei shlemīn, blessed are the peacemakers. Shlemīn comes from shalom, peace, wholeness, completeness. It is the fullness of life God intends, the balance and restoration of relationships and souls.
The Greek translators give us Makarioi hoi eirēnopoioi, with eirēnopoioi meaning literally “makers of peace.” Eirēnē is peace, the kind that is abundant and restorative, not mere absence of conflict. Poieō is to do, to act, to bring about. This is active, intentional, often costly peace-making. And the promise: hoti autoi huios theou klēthēsontai, they shall be called children of God.
Think about that. The identity of a peacemaker is not just what you do; it is who you become. To be called a child of God is to bear His nature, to reflect His character. God is the ultimate Peacemaker. He spoke harmony into the chaos of the void. Yeshua, the Prince of Peace, shows the same path. Those who walk it imitate the Father, carrying His image into the world.
This Beatitude flips the world’s expectations. Strength is not measured by conquest or dominance but by the courage to step into division and actively restore it. The Kingdom values those who heal, who reconcile, who bear God’s peace into every fractured situation.
The seventh beautiful attitude is this: work for peace in the world and in hearts, and you will be recognized as God’s own. It is not a call to passivity. It is a call to courageous, Spirit-led action, mirroring the heart of the Father.
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8. The crowd is leaning in now. They have heard about emptiness, mourning, meekness, hunger, mercy, purity, and peacemaking. They are seeing the Kingdom in ways they never imagined. And now Yeshua speaks about a reality that will be both challenging and life-giving: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”(Matthew 5:10).
Think about that. Persecuted for righteousness. Not for convenience, not for personal gain, not because of popularity. These are those who stand for what is right before God, whose lives are aligned with His justice and holiness. In Aramaic, He may have said Ashrei ha-dinīn d’tsidqā, blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness. Dinīn—those pursued, hunted, oppressed. D’tsidqā—for righteousness, for alignment with God’s moral order.
The Greek text captures this as Makarioi hoi hoi diōkōmenoi dia tēn dikaiosynēn. Hoi diōkōmenoi—those being hunted or chased. Dia tēn dikaiosynēn—because of righteousness. And the promise is staggering: hoti autōn estin ē basileia tōn ouranōn, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Present tense. The Kingdom belongs to them already. Persecution is not loss. Suffering for righteousness is gain. It is a mark of being part of God’s Kingdom even before the final inheritance.
This Beatitude is paradoxical to human eyes. In worldly terms, those who are oppressed, rejected, or attacked are considered weak or unfortunate. In God’s Kingdom, they are blessed, marked as His own, already part of the inheritance. This echoes the prophets and the Messiah Himself, who endured rejection because of obedience to God.
Here, Yeshua shows that faithfulness is not safe, but it is secure. Standing for God’s righteousness may bring opposition, but it also brings assurance, identity, and belonging in the Kingdom.
The eighth beautiful attitude is this: stand firm in righteousness, even under persecution, because the Kingdom belongs to you. It is a radical call to faithfulness, courage, and trust in God’s justice. Suffering is not meaningless; it is a sign of alignment with His Kingdom, a badge of honor in His eyes.
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9. By now, the crowd has heard teachings that touch emptiness, mourning, meekness, hunger, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and righteous persecution. They have been challenged and comforted, lifted and humbled. And now Yeshua turns to them personally, to each listener:“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven”(Matthew 5:11-12).
Pause. This is not general instruction. Yeshua is speaking directly to each person, to the heart. This is a Kingdom identity being conferred. In Aramaic, He may have said Ashrei at d’yan ʿalaykhon u-tzidqōn d’tsidqā, blessed are you when they insult you and accuse you falsely because of Me. At—you. ʿAlaykhon—against you. Tsidqōn d’tsidqā—for righteousness, because you belong to God’s Kingdom.
The Greek gives us Makarioi este hoti diōkousin humas kai enegalasan kai eipon pantos ponērou pseudē dia eme. Diōkousin—they persecute. Enegalasan—they insult. Eipon pantos ponērou pseudē—they speak every kind of false evil. Dia eme—because of Me. And then comes the encouragement: chairete kai agalliasthe, rejoice and be glad. Misthos, your reward, is great in heaven.
Notice the rhythm here. First comes persecution, then insult, then false accusations. And yet, Yeshua calls it blessing. The world may see shame, isolation, and harm. God sees faithfulness, courage, and alignment with His Kingdom. Rejoice, He says. Be glad, because in heaven, your loyalty to Him is already recognized, already rewarded.
This Beatitude is intensely personal. The blessings of the Kingdom are not abstract ideas. They are tied to your identity, your choices, your courage, your willingness to follow Him even when it costs. This is the final crown of the mountain teaching: the one who has emptied, mourned, restrained, hungered, shown mercy, kept a pure heart, made peace, and endured persecution is now invited to rejoice even in personal suffering for the sake of Christ.
The ninth beautiful attitude is this: when you are falsely attacked because of Yeshua, hold onto joy—your true reward is with the Father. It is the ultimate demonstration of Kingdom living, the heart of the Gospel fully realized: blessing in suffering, joy in rejection, hope in trials.
This completes the vision of the Kingdom that Yeshua gave. These nine beautiful attitudes are not abstract ideals; they are the rhythm of life in God’s Kingdom, the ways of the Spirit working in hearts, the path to fullness and divine presence.
And that is the ninth beautiful attitude: when people insult you, persecute you, or say lies about you because of Yeshua, hold onto joy. Your true reward is with the Father. This finishes the mountain.
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The Beatitudes show us the way God wants us to live, from realizing we need Him, to being sad about the wrong in the world, from being humble to showing kindness, from having a clean heart to helping make peace, and finally to standing strong when life gets hard because of Him.
Now, some of you might be wondering, “Wait, aren’t there supposed to be ten Beatitudes?” Here’s the simple answer. Matthew lists nine Beatitudes in verses 3-10. Then verses 11-12 talk directly to you: about personal attacks, lies, and persecution because you follow Jesus. Some people call that a tenth Beatitude, but really it’s part of the ninth. It’s the personal, “this is for you” moment.
Think about it like this: the first eight Beatitudes teach us how to live like God wants; what attitudes we should have. The ninth says, “This is for you personally… from me. Even if people are mean or lie about you because of Me, you are blessed, and your reward is already waiting for you in heaven.” That’s why it feels like a tenth, but it’s really the ending of the ninth, showing that God’s Kingdom is personal and real.
So, whether you call it nine or ten, the point is the same: God blesses those who follow Him, even when it’s hard, even when the world pushes back. You belong to Him, and that’s more important than anything else.
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