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Isaiah

About this book
Chapter 61

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has chosen me. He has commissioned me to encourage the poor,⁠ to help the brokenhearted,⁠ to decree the release of captives and the freeing of prisoners,⁠ 2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,⁠ the day when our God will seek vengeance, to console all who mourn, 3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor. 4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins and restore the places that were desolate; they will reestablish the ruined cities, the places that have been desolate since ancient times. 5 “Foreigners will take care of your sheep; foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards. 6 You will be called, ‘the Lord’s priests, servants of our God.’⁠ You will enjoy the wealth of nations⁠ and boast about the riches you receive from them. 7 Instead of shame, you will get a double portion; instead of humiliation, they will rejoice over the land they receive.⁠ Yes, they will possess a double portion in their land and experience lasting joy. 8 For I, the Lord, love justice and hate robbery and sin. I will repay them because of my faithfulness; I will make a permanent covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations, their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will recognize that the Lord has blessed them.” 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; I will be overjoyed because of my God. For he clothes me in garments of deliverance; he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would; I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry. 11 For just as the ground produces its crops and a garden yields its produce, so the Sovereign Lord will cause deliverance to grow and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations.

Texts in conversation

Compare Isaiah 61:1 and Matthew 5:3

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

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Summary

Matthew opens the beatitudes with blessings for the poor and those who mourn, echoing Isaiah 61. Both focus on the suffering and describe a reversal of loss, connecting blessing and God’s kingdom with restored dignity.

Passages

Isaiah 61:1

Hebrew Bible
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has chosen me. He has commissioned me to encourage the poor, to help the brokenhearted, to decree the release of captives and the freeing of prisoners, 2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor, the day when our God will seek vengeance, to console all who mourn, 3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor.
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

Matthew 5:3

New Testament
1 When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. After he sat down his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to teach them by saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 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.
70–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Matthew

References

"... The expression “blessed are” appears sixty-eight times in the LXX, usually for the Hebrew ashrei (“happy are ...”; see, e.g., Psalm 84.4, “Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise. Selah”) known from the Jewish liturgy, where it introduces Psalm 145. In terms of content as well, the Beatitudes draw upon scriptural precedent. For example, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “Blessed are those who mourn” may be dependent on Isaiah 61:1–3, which also speaks of the poor and those who mourn ..."
Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds., The Jewish Annotated New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), 10.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Isaiah 61:1 and Matthew 5:3

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