Matthew 5:9
New Testament
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. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me.
Date: 70-90 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Mishnah Peah 1
Mishnah
Rabbinic
These are the things that have no definite quantity: The corners [of the field]. First-fruits; [The offerings brought] on appearing [at the Temple on the three pilgrimage festivals]. The performance of righteous deeds; And the study of the torah. The following are the things for which a man enjoys the fruits in this world while the principal remains for him in the world to come: Honoring one’s father and mother; The performance of righteous deeds; And the making of peace between a person and his friend; And the study of the torah is equal to them all. They should not leave peah of less than one-sixtieth [of the field]. But even though they said, “there is no measure for peah,” everything depends upon the size of the field, the number of poor people, and the extent of the yield.
Date: 190-230 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Texts in Conversation
The Gospel of Matthew's emphasis on peacemaking connects closely with teachings in the Mishnah and other early Rabbinic literature, where peacemaking is also shown to be an important value. Figures like Hillel urged the pursuit of peace even under persecution, echoing Matthew's link between peacemaking and divine blessing. This shared emphasis shows a common moral vision across early Jewish and Christian texts.
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Notes and References
"... Another foundational principle of Hillel was the pursuit of peace. He taught “Love and pursue peace” and “Increase peace” (Mishnah Avot 1:12, 2:8; compare Matthew 5:9; Romans 12:18; Ephesians 2:17). Hillel overcame his adversaries by gentleness and humility (Babylonian Talmud Eruvin 13b) and even lowered himself to the position of a slave in order to serve his fellow man (Tosefta Peah 4:10; Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 67b; compare John 13:4–17; Philippians 2:5–7). This approach to conflict may have been learned from his teachers, Shemiah and Avtalion, who advised making peace with Herod the Great when he was besieging Jerusalem (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 15:1–3). Under this influence, his students taught, “Thus if someone curses [you, then you] should answer with the blessing, ‘Peace be upon you’” (Kallah Rabbati 3; compare Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28; Romans 12:14) ..."
Palmer, Michael D.
"G’meelut Chasadim (Deeds of Kindness)" in Palmer, Michael D., and Stanley M. Burgess (eds.) The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Religion and Social Justice
(pp. 292-305) Wiley-Blackwell, 2012
* 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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