Luke 6:20
New International Version
Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

New Living Translation
Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.

English Standard Version
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Berean Standard Bible
Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Berean Literal Bible
And He, having lifted up His gaze upon His disciples, was saying: "Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

King James Bible
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

New King James Version
Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.

New American Standard Bible
And He raised His eyes toward His disciples and began saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

NASB 1995
And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

NASB 1977
And turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Legacy Standard Bible
And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Amplified Bible
And looking toward His disciples, He began speaking: “Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are you who are poor [in spirit, those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for the kingdom of God is yours [both now and forever].

Christian Standard Bible
Then looking up at his disciples, he said: Blessed are you who are poor, because the kingdom of God is yours.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then looking up at His disciples, He said: You who are poor are blessed, because the kingdom of God is yours.

American Standard Version
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Contemporary English Version
Jesus looked at his disciples and said: God will bless you people who are poor. His kingdom belongs to you!

English Revised Version
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus looked at his disciples and said, "Blessed are those who are poor. The kingdom of God is theirs.

Good News Translation
Jesus looked at his disciples and said, "Happy are you poor; the Kingdom of God is yours!

International Standard Version
Then Jesus looked at his disciples and said, "How blessed are you who are destitute, because the kingdom of God is yours!

Majority Standard Bible
Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

NET Bible
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God belongs to you.

New Heart English Bible
He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Weymouth New Testament
Then fixing His eyes upon His disciples, Jesus said to them, "Blessed are you poor, because the Kingdom of God is yours.

World English Bible
He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for God’s Kingdom is yours.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And He, having lifted up His eyes to His disciples, said: “Blessed the poor—because yours is the Kingdom of God.

Berean Literal Bible
And He, having lifted up His gaze upon His disciples, was saying: "Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Young's Literal Translation
And he, having lifted up his eyes to his disciples, said: 'Happy the poor -- because yours is the reign of God.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he having lifted up his eyes upon his disciples, said, Happy the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And lifting up his eyes to his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

New American Bible
And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.

New Revised Standard Version
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said, Blessed are you poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he lifted his eyes upon his disciples and he said, “Blessed are you poor ones, because yours is the Kingdom of God.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: Blessed are you that are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Godbey New Testament
And He lifting up His eyes to His disciples, said, Blessed are ye poor: because the kingdom of God is yours.

Haweis New Testament
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Mace New Testament
Then directing himself to his disciples, he said, blessed are ye, that are poor: for the divine kingdom is yours.

Weymouth New Testament
Then fixing His eyes upon His disciples, Jesus said to them, "Blessed are you poor, because the Kingdom of God is yours.

Worrell New Testament
And He, lifting up His eyes on His disciples, said, "Happy, ye poor; because yours is the Kingdom of God.

Worsley New Testament
And lifting up his eyes on his disciples He said, Blessed are ye though poor; for the kingdom of God is yours.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Beatitudes
19The entire crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all. 20 Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.…

Cross References
Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,

James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?

Matthew 11:5
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

Psalm 37:11
But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.

Zephaniah 3:12
But I will leave within you a meek and humble people, and they will trust in the name of the LORD.

Matthew 5:10
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

1 Samuel 2:8
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s, and upon them He has set the world.

Proverbs 16:19
It is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.

Matthew 19:23-24
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. / Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

1 Corinthians 1:26-29
Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth. / But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. / He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, ...

Isaiah 66:2
Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.

Psalm 34:6
This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.

Matthew 25:34
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.


Treasury of Scripture

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be you poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

he lifted.

Matthew 5:2
And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Matthew 12:49,50
And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! …

Mark 3:34,35
And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! …

Blessed.

Luke 6:24
But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

Luke 4:18
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Luke 16:25
But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

for.

Luke 12:32
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Luke 13:28
There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

Luke 14:15
And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

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Luke 6
1. Jesus reproves the Pharisees;
12. chooses apostles;
17. heals the diseased;
20. preaches to his disciples before the people: the beattitudes;
27. Love your Enemy
37. Do not Judge
43. A Tree and Its Fruit
46. The House on the Rock














Looking up at His disciples
This phrase sets the scene for Jesus' teaching, indicating His direct engagement with His followers. The Greek word for "looking up" is "anablepō," which implies a deliberate and attentive gaze. This suggests that Jesus is about to impart something significant. The context here is crucial; Jesus is addressing His disciples, those who have chosen to follow Him closely. This moment is intimate and personal, emphasizing the importance of the message that follows. Historically, this setting is part of what is often referred to as the "Sermon on the Plain," paralleling the "Sermon on the Mount" in Matthew, highlighting the consistency and importance of Jesus' teachings across different settings.

He said
This simple phrase introduces the authoritative teaching of Jesus. The Greek verb "eipen" (He said) is in the aorist tense, indicating a definitive action. Jesus' words are not just casual remarks; they are declarations with authority. In the Jewish tradition, a rabbi's words carried weight, and here, Jesus speaks with even greater authority as the Son of God. This introduction prepares the listener for the profound truths that are about to be revealed.

Blessed are you who are poor
The word "blessed" comes from the Greek "makarios," which conveys a sense of divine favor and happiness. This blessing is not merely a superficial happiness but a deep, spiritual joy that comes from being in right relationship with God. The term "poor" in Greek is "ptōchos," which refers to those who are economically disadvantaged and dependent on others for support. However, in the biblical context, it also signifies spiritual poverty—a recognition of one's need for God. This statement is revolutionary, as it turns worldly values upside down, suggesting that true blessedness is found not in material wealth but in spiritual dependence on God.

for yours is the kingdom of God
The phrase "kingdom of God" is central to Jesus' teaching. In Greek, "basileia tou Theou" refers to God's sovereign rule and reign. This kingdom is both a present reality and a future hope. Jesus declares that those who are poor, in spirit or materially, are already part of this kingdom. This promise offers hope and assurance, affirming that God's kingdom is accessible to all, regardless of their earthly status. Historically, this would have been a radical message to Jesus' audience, who lived under Roman rule and societal structures that favored the wealthy and powerful. Jesus' words offer a vision of a new order where God's values prevail.

(20) Blessed be ye poor . . .--See Notes on Matthew 5:1. The conclusion there arrived at--that the two discourses differ so widely, both in their substance and in their position in the Gospel narrative, that it is a less violent hypothesis to infer that they were spoken at different times than to assume that the two Evangelists inserted or omitted, as they thought fit, in reporting the same discourse--will be taken here as the basis of interpretation. It was quite after our Lord's method of teaching that He should thus reproduce, with more or less variation, what He had taught before. The English, "Blessed be ye poor," is ambiguous, as leaving it uncertain whether the words are the declaration of a fact or the utterance of a prayer. Better, Blessed are ye poor. We note at once the absence of the qualifying words of St. Matthew's "poor in spirit." Assume the identity of the two discourses, and then we have to think of St. Luke or his informant as omitting words, and those singularly important words, which our Lord had spoken; and this, it is obvious, presents a far greater difficulty than the thought that our Lord varied the aspects of the truths which He presented, now affirming the blessedness of the "poor in spirit," now that of those who were literally "poor," as having less to hinder them from the attainment of the higher poverty. See Notes on Matthew 5:3. It seems to have been St. Luke's special aim to collect as much as he could of our Lord's teaching as to the danger of riches. (See Introduction.)

Note the substitution of the "kingdom of God" for the "kingdom of heaven" in St. Matthew.

Verses 20-49. - St. Luke's report of the discourse of our Lord commonly termed the sermon on the mount. We consider that the discourse contained in the following thirty verses (20-49) is identical with that longer "sermon on the mount" reported by St. Matthew (5.). Certain differences are alleged to exist in the framework of the two discourses. In St. Matthew the Lord is stated to have spoken it on the mountain; in St. Luke, in the plain. This apparent discrepancy has been already discussed (see above, on ver. 17). The "plain" of St. Luke was, no doubt, simply a level spot on the hillside, on the fiat space between the two peaks of the hill. The more important differences in the Master's utterances - of which, perhaps, one of the weightiest is the addition of St. Matthew to that first beatitude which explains what poor were blessed - the" poor in spirit " - probably arose from some questions put to the Master as he was teaching. In his reply he probably amplified or paraphrased the first utterance, which gave rise to the question; hence the occasional discrepancies in the two accounts. It is, too, most likely that many of the weightier utterances of the great sermon were several times reproduced in a longer or shorter form in the course of his teaching. Such repetitions would be likely to produce the differences we find in the two reports of the great sermon. The plan or scheme of the two Gospels was not the same. St. Luke, doubtless, had before him, when he compiled his work, copious notes or memoranda of the famous discourse. He evidently selected such small portions of it as fell in with his design. The two discourses reported by SS. Matthew and Luke have besides many striking resemblances - both beginning with the beatitudes, both concluding with the same simile or parable of the two buildings, both immediately succeeded by the same miracle, the healing of the centurion's servant. It is scarcely possible - when these points are taken into consideration - to suppose that the reports are of two distinct discourses. The theory held by some scholars, that the great sermon was delivered twice on the same day, on the hillside to a smaller and more selected auditory, then on the plain below to the multitude in a shorter form, is in the highest degree improbable. No portion of the public teaching of the Lord seems to have made so deep an impression as the mount-sermon. St. James, the so-called brother of Jesus, the first president of the Jerusalem Church, repeatedly quotes it in his Epistle. It was evidently the groundwork of his teaching in the first days. Barnabas, Clement of Rome, Ignatius, and Polycarp, the nameless author of the recently found 'Teaching of the Apostles,' whose writings represent to us most of the Christian literature which we possess of the first century after the death of St. Paul, quote it often. It may be taken, indeed, as the pattern discourse which mirrors better and mere fully than any other portion of the Gospels the Lord's teaching concerning the life he would have his followers lead. It is not easy to give a precis of such a report as that of St. Luke, necessarily brief, and yet containing, we feel, many of the words, and even sentences, in the very form in which the Lord spoke them. What we possess here is, perhaps, little more itself than a summary of the great original discourse to which the disciples and the people listened. Godet has attempted, and not unsuccessfully, to give a resume of the contents of St. Luke's memoir here. Still, it must be felt that any such work must necessarily be unsatisfactory. There appear to be three main divisions in the sermon:

(1) A description of the persons to Whom Jesus chiefly addressed himself (vers. 20-26).

(2) The proclamation of the fundamental principles of the new society (vers. 27-45).

(3) An announcement of the judgment to which the members of the new kingdom of God will have to submit (vers. 46-49). Verse 20. - Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God; better rendered, blessed are ye poor, etc. It is the exact equivalent of the well-known Hebrew expression with which the Psalms begin: אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ, which should be rendered, "Oh the blessedness of the man," etc.! This was probably the exact form in which Jesus began the sermon: "Blessed are the poor." He was gazing on a vast congregation mostly made of the literally poor. Those Standing nearest to him belonged to the masses - the fishermen, the carpenters, and the like. The crowd was mainly composed of the trading and artisan class, and they, at least then, were friendly to him, heard him gladly, came out to him from their villages, their poor industries, their little farms, their boats. The comparatively few rich and powerful who were present that day in the listening multitude were for the most part enemies, jealous, angry men, spying emissaries of the Jerusalem Sanhedrin, men who hated rather than loved the words and works of the Galilaean Teacher. The literally poor, then, represented the friends of Jesus; the rich, his enemies. But we may conceive of some like Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathaea, Gamaliel, or the wealthy patrician centurion, in that listening crowd, gently asking the Teacher as he taught, "Are only the poor, then, to be reckoned among thy blessed ones?" Some such question, we think, elicited the qualifying words of Matthew, "Blessed are the poor in spirit,' with some such underlying thought as, "Alas! this is not very often the character of the rich." It certainly was not while the Lord worked among men. While, then, the blessedness he spoke of belonged not to the poor because they were poor, yet it seemed to belong to them especially as a class, because they welcomed the Master and tried to share his life, while the rich and powerful as a class did not. It runs indisputably all through the teaching of Paul and Luke, this tender love for the poor and despised of this world; full of warnings are their writings against the perils and dangers of riches. The awful parable of the rich man and Lazarus gathers up, in the story form best understood by Oriental peoples, that truth of which these great servants of the Redeemer were so intensely conscious, that the poor stand better than the rich for the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God. Not here, not now. Just a few drops from the river of joy which flows through that kingdom will sprinkle the life of his blessed ones while they live and struggle to do his will on earth; but the kingdom of God, in its full glorious signification, will be only enjoyed hereafter. It is an expression which includes citizenship in his city, a home among the mansions of the blessed, a place in the society of heaven, the enjoyment of the sight of God - the beatific vision.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Looking up
ἐπάρας (eparas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1869: To raise, lift up. From epi and airo; to raise up.

at
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

disciples,
μαθητὰς (mathētas)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3101: A learner, disciple, pupil. From manthano; a learner, i.e. Pupil.

[Jesus]
αὐτὸς (autos)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

said:
ἔλεγεν (elegen)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“Blessed [are]
Μακάριοι (Makarioi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3107: Happy, blessed, to be envied. A prolonged form of the poetical makar; supremely blest; by extension, fortunate, well off.

[you] who are
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

poor,
πτωχοί (ptōchoi)
Adjective - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4434: Poor, destitute, spiritually poor, either in a good sense (humble devout persons) or bad.

for
Ὅτι (Hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

yours
ὑμετέρα (hymetera)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Feminine 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 5212: Your, yours. From humeis; yours, i.e. Pertaining to you.

is
ἐστὶν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

the
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

kingdom
βασιλεία (basileia)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 932: From basileus; properly, royalty, i.e. rule, or a realm.

of God.
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


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NT Gospels: Luke 6:20 He lifted up his eyes to his (Luke Lu Lk)
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