经文研读
Matthew 5:9 — The Peacemakers Called Sons of God
The seventh Beatitude promises that those who actively pursue peace will be recognized as God's children.
经文
- 9.使 人 和 睦 的 人 有 福 了 ！ 因 為 他 們 必 稱 為 神 的 兒 子 。Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.
这段经文的意思
Matthew 5:9 is the seventh statement in the Beatitudes series delivered at the start of the Sermon on the Mount. The verse combines a beatitude formula with a promise: the group identified is 'peacemakers,' and the promised result is that they will 'be called sons of God.' Like the other Beatitudes, it follows the pattern of an opening condition and a closing eschatological reward, tying present character to future recognition.
The term 'peacemakers' describes people who actively work toward reconciliation rather than simply possessing peace as an inner state. The reward 'shall be called sons of God' frames peace-making as a participation in God's own character and action; being 'called' by God points to a definitive standing rather than a mere label. The verse thus connects the disciple's present activity with their final identity before God.
Within the Beatitude sequence, this verse sits between 'the merciful' (5:7) and 'the pure in heart' (5:8) on one side, and the persecuted (5:10) on the other. Read in that flow, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and endurance under persecution form a single portrait of kingdom character. The full chapter later expands the theme of peace in concrete terms — reconciliation at the altar (5:23–24), agreement with an adversary (5:25), and love toward enemies (5:44).
背景
Matthew 5 opens the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus sits down on a mountainside and teaches his disciples before the crowds (5:1–2). Verses 3–12 form the nine Beatitudes, a sequence of blessings that each announce a present state of the disciples and a corresponding eschatological reward. The collected chapter note summarizes the section as 'Beatitudes, salt and light, fulfilling the law.'
Matthew 5:9 is the seventh Beatitude. It stands after the merciful (5:7) and the pure in heart (5:8) and directly before the blessing on those persecuted for righteousness (5:10). Later in the same chapter, Jesus addresses peace-related behavior in concrete situations: reconciliation before offering a gift (5:23–24), settlement with an adversary on the road (5:25–26), and love for enemies (5:44).
原文关键词
- G3107 μακάριοι ('blessed') opens the verse and marks it as the seventh Beatitude; the term announces a divine approval spoken over a group, not an inner feeling.
- G1518 εἰρηνοποιοί ('peacemakers') is a compound noun pointing to people who actively produce or make peace; the provided gloss describes it as 'pacificatory, peaceable,' emphasizing activity rather than passive tranquility.
- G5207 υἱοὶ ('sons') in 'sons of God' is defined in the provided entry as 'a son,' used widely for kinship relationships, including figurative kinship with God; the verse applies this to those who make peace.
相关经文
- James 3:18 James 3:18 supplies a matching image from the New Testament: the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace, paralleling Matthew 5:9's identification of peacemakers.
- Romans 12:18 Romans 12:18 turns the Beatitude into an imperative: 'as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men,' matching Matthew 5:9's call to active pursuit of peace.
- Romans 8:14 Romans 8:14 grounds the 'sons of God' language of Matthew 5:9: those led by the Spirit are sons of God, tying divine sonship to a Spirit-shaped life of which peacemaking is one expression.
常见问题
Why does Matthew 5:9 promise that peacemakers will be 'called sons of God' rather than 'daughters'?
The Greek phrase uses υἱοὶ ('sons'), a generic kinship term that, in Jewish idiom, designated members of a household or group. In context the verse identifies a class of people — those who make peace — and assigns them a standing before God; the masculine plural is the standard inclusive form for that standing, not an exclusion of women.
Is the peace in Matthew 5:9 an inner feeling or an active activity?
The compound noun εἰρηνοποιοί indicates people who make or produce peace; the chapter itself illustrates this in 5:23–26 (reconciliation at the altar, agreement with an adversary) and 5:44 (love for enemies). The verse describes peace as an action, not merely an internal state.
How does Matthew 5:9 fit between 5:7–8 and 5:10?
Within the Beatitude sequence, the merciful (5:7) and the pure in heart (5:8) lead directly into the peacemakers of 5:9, which is then immediately followed by the persecuted (5:10). Read together, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and patient endurance under persecution form a continuous portrait of kingdom character.