Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Is persecution a blessing?

I am sure that you will love this alternative translation I found in a book. I am giving the basis for the translation from Strong’s Concordance. I like it.

Matthew 5:10 reads as follows:-

Blessed <G3107> are <G9999> they which are persecuted <G1377> for <G1752> righteousness' <G1343> sake <G1752>: for <G3754> theirs <G0846> is <G2076> the <G3588> kingdom <G0932> of heaven <G3772>.

The word persecute translates the Greek word dioko which means to chase or pursue and so could imply persecution. See the extract from Strong’s dictionary below:-

G 1377 dioko -- pronounced: dee-o'-ko
a prolonged (and causative) form of a primary verb dio (to flee; compare the base of 1169 and 1249); to pursue (literally or figuratively); by implication, to persecute: KJV -- ensue, follow (after), given to, (suffer) persecute(-ion), press forward.

But of we translate as chase or pursue we get this interesting alternative.

Blessed are those who pursue righteousness for theirs Is the kingdom of heaven.

In fact if we translate righteousness by the alternative justification (see extract from Strong’s below) we get blessed are they who pursue justification or salvation.

Then how do we explain verse 11? He suggests that the third person is used throughout the beatitudes but in verse 11 it is the second person used indicating that this is a later addition, either by Matthew or someone else. The Beattitudes logically and strucuturally ends with verse 10.


An interesting theory which makes a lot of sense.

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