Matthew 5:11
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
American King James Version (AKJV)
Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
American Standard Version (ASV)
Blessed are ye when men'shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
Happy are you when men give you a bad name, and are cruel to you, and say all evil things against you falsely, because of me.
Webster's Revision
Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
World English Bible
"Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
English Revised Version (ERV)
Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Definitions for Matthew 5:11
Clarke's Matthew 5:11 Bible Commentary
When men shall revile you, and persecute - The persecution mentioned in the preceding verse comprehends all outward acts of violence - all that the hand can do. This comprehends all calumny, slander, etc., all that the tongue can effect. But as διωκειν, which we render to persecute, is a forensic term, and signifies legal persecutions and public accusations, which, though totally unsubstantiated, were the means of destroying multitudes of the primitive Christians, our Lord probably refers to such. No Protestant can think, without horror, of the great numbers burnt alive in this country, on such accusations, under the popish reign of her who is emphatically called Bloody Queen Mary.
Barnes's Matthew 5:11 Bible Commentary
Blessed are ye when men shall revile you - Reproach you; call you by evil and contemptuous names; ridicule you because you are Christians. Thus, they said of Jesus that he was a Samaritan and had a devil John 8:48; that he was mad John 10:20; and thus they reviled and mocked him on the cross, Matthew 27:39-44. But, being reviled, he reviled not again 1 Peter 2:23; and thus being reviled, we should bless 1 Corinthians 4:12; and thus, though the contempt of the world is not in itself desirable, yet it is blessed to tread in the footsteps of Jesus, to imitate his example, and even to suffer for his sake, Philippians 1:29.
All manner of evil against you falsely - An emphasis should be laid on the word falsely in this passage. It is not blessed to have evil spoken of us if we deserve it; but if we deserve it not, then we should not consider it as a calamity. We should take it patiently, and show how much the Christian, under the consciousness of innocence, can bear, 1 Peter 3:13-18.
For my sake - Because you are attached to me; because you are Christians. We are not to seek such things. We are not to do things to offend others; to treat them harshly or unkindly, and. to court revilings. We are not to say or do things, though they may be on the subject of religion, designed to disgust or offend. But if, in the faithful endeavor to be Christians, we are reviled, as our Master was, then we are to take it with patience, and to remember that thousands before us have been treated in like manner. When thus reviled or persecuted, we are to be meek, patient, humble; not angry; not reviling again; but endeavoring to do good to our persecutors and slanderers, 2 Timothy 2:24-25. In this way many have been convinced of the power and excellence of that religion which they were persecuting and reviling. They have seen that nothing else but Christianity could impart such patience and meekness to the persecuted; and have, by this means, been constrained to submit themselves to the gospel of Jesus. Long since it became a proverb, "that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church."
Wesley's Matthew 5:11 Bible Commentary
5:11 Revile - When present: say all evil - When you are absent.