And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

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

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

And turning his eyes to his disciples he said, Happy are you who are poor: for the kingdom of God is yours.

Then, raising his eyes and looking at his disciples, Jesus said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

See this passage fully illustrated in the sermon on the mount, in Matt. 5-7.

Blessed be ye poor - See the sermon on the mount paraphrased and explained, Matthew 5 (note), Matthew 6 (note), Matthew 7 (note),

(4) And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed [be ye] poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
(4) Christ teaches against all philosophers, and especially the Epicureans, that the greatest happiness of man is laid up in no place here on earth, but in heaven, and that persecution for righteousness' sake is the right way to achieve it.

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples,.... Either the whole company of them, or rather the twelve apostles, whom he saw coming to him, and fixing his eyes on them, he sat,
and said; what follows, with many other things recorded by Matthew:
blessed be ye poor; not only in the things of this world, having left all for Christ, but poor in Spirit, as in Matthew 5:3; see Gill on Matthew 5:3,
for yours is the kingdom of God; or heaven, so in Matthew 5:3.

Here begins a discourse of Christ, most of which is also found in Matthew 5 and 7. But some think that this was preached at another time and place. All believers that take the precepts of the gospel to themselves, and live by them, may take the promises of the gospel to themselves, and live upon them. Woes are denounced against prosperous sinners as miserable people, though the world envies them. Those are blessed indeed whom Christ blesses, but those must be dreadfully miserable who fall under his woe and curse! What a vast advantage will the saint have over the sinner in the other world! and what a wide difference will there be in their rewards, how much soever the sinner may prosper, and the saint be afflicted here!

In the Sermon on the Mount the benediction is pronounced upon the "poor in spirit" and those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matthew 5:3, Matthew 5:6). Here it is simply on the "poor" and the "hungry now." In this form of the discourse, then, our Lord seems to have had in view "the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love Him," as these very beatitudes are paraphrased by James (James 2:5).

Blessed. These beatitudes are given more fully in Matthew 5:3-12, where see notes. Luke says kingdom of God; Matthew, of heaven, showing that the two are the same.

In the following verses our Lord, in the audience of his newly - chosen disciples, and of the multitude, repeats, standing on the plain, many remarkable passages of the sermon he had before delivered, sitting on the mount. He here again pronounces the poor and the hungry, the mourners, and the persecuted, happy; and represents as miserable those who are rich, and full, and joyous, and applauded: because generally prosperity is a sweet poison, and affliction a healing, though bitter medicine. Let the thought reconcile us to adversity, and awaken our caution when the world smiles upon us; when a plentiful table is spread before us, and our cup is running over; when our spirits are gay; and we hear (what nature loves) our own praise from men. Happy are ye poor - The word seems here to be taken literally: ye who have left al] for me. Matthew 5:3.