Texts in Conversation
In Matthew, Jesus’ teaching that the pure in heart will see God uses the language of Psalm 24, which says that those with clean hands and a pure heart may climb to the top of God’s mountain.
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Psalm 24:3
Hebrew Bible
1 A psalm of David. The Lord owns the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live in it. 2 For he set its foundation upon the seas, and established it upon the ocean currents. 3 Who is allowed to ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may go up to his holy dwelling place? 4 The one whose deeds are blameless who has clean hands and a pure heart*, who does not lie, or make promises with no intention of keeping them. 5 Such godly people are rewarded by the Lord, and vindicated by the God who delivers them.
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Matthew 5:8
New Testament
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
Date: 70-90 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The concern for those who “hunger and thirst” evokes Ps 107.5–6,9 (see also Ps 22.26); LXX Prov 14.21 (LXX; see also LXX Prov 17.5) underlies the concern for the merciful. “Pure in heart” or “clean of heart” recalls Ps 24.3–6 (see also Ps 73.1), another reference to the land; it also echoes Ps 51.10 (Heb 51.12; LXX 50.12), kardian katharan in the Greek text of the Psalm and katharoi tē kardia in Matthew ..."
Levine, Amy-Jill & Brettler, Marc Zvi
The Jewish Annotated New Testament
(p. 10) Oxford University Press, 2011
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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Psalm 11:7 is a closer allusion