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The Beatitudes through the Ages is unavailable, but you can change that!

Blessed are the poor in spirit … the mourners … the meek … the hungry … the merciful … the pure in heart … the peacemakers … the persecuted. The Beatitudes are among the most influential teachings in human history. For two millennia, they have appeared in poetry and politics, and in the thought of mystics and activists, as Christians and others have reflected on their meaning and shaped their...

Why did the ancient writers see “poor in spirit” and read “humble”? They found a precedent in some scriptural texts that linked a lowly spirit to humility. Some exegetes pointed to Prov 29:23, which contrasts lowliness of spirit with pride.17 In rabbinic thought, Abot. 5:22 compares “a haughty mind and a proud spirit” to “a humble mind and a lowly spirit.”18 But for the majority of interpreters in this strand of thought, one text from Isaiah appears over and
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