Luke 6:20. And he lifted up his eyes . This look indicates the solemn opening of His discourse; comp. Matthew 5:2: ‘opened His mouth.'

His disciples, in the wider sense, though the Twelve were nearest and the people present. Alford: ‘The discourse was spoken to the disciples generally, to the Twelve particularly, to the people prospectively.' Our Lord probably sat as He taught (comp. Matthew 5:1), as this was His custom and that of Jewish teachers in general. Nor is this forbidden by Luke 6:17, since an interval of healing had elapsed.

Blessed . Luke gives four beatitudes, answering to the first, fourth, second, and last mentioned by Matthew, and adds four corresponding woes,

Ye . This is properly supplied, since in the reasons for the blessedness the second person is used. In Matthew the direct address appears first in Luke 6:11, but is implied throughout.

Poor, i.e., ‘poor in spirit' (Matthew). To refer this only to literal poverty, etc., and to limit the blessings to the temporal recompense in the Messiah's kingdom, is forbidden by the context no less than by the account in Matthew. Neither the Evangelist nor our Lord could mean this. In chap. Luke 12:21; Luke 16:11, Luke shows his knowledge of the distinction between spiritual and earthly riches. An appeal on the part of our Lord to the prejudices of the poor and miserable, like a modern demagogue, is as contrary to His character as to the effect of His teaching.

The kingdom of God . Equivalent to ‘the kingdom, of heaven' (Matthew). See on Matthew 5:3.

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Old Testament