The Beatitudes & the Sermon on the Mount

The Beatitudes are eight blessings in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. Each is a proverb-like proclamation, without narrative, and "cryptic, precise, and full of meaning". Each one includes a topic that forms a major biblical theme. Four of the blessings also appear in the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke, and these are followed by four woes which mirror the blessings.

The term "beatitude" comes from the Latin noun beātitūdō, which means "happiness". In the Vulgate (Latin), the book of Matthew titles this section "Beatitudines", and "Beatitudes" was anglicized from that term. Each beatitude consists of two phrases: the condition and the result. In almost every case, the condition is from familiar Old Testament context, but Jesus teaches a new interpretation. Together, the Beatitudes present a new set of Christian ideals that focus on a spirit of love and humility different in orientation than the usual force and exaction taken. They echo the highest ideals of the teachings of Jesus on mercy, spirituality, and compassion