Psalm 37:11

Hebrew Bible

7 Wait patiently for the Lord! Wait confidently for him! Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, a man who carries out wicked schemes. 8 Do not be angry and frustrated. Do not fret. That only leads to trouble. 9 Wicked men will be wiped out, but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land. 10 Evil men will soon disappear; you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone. 11 But the oppressed will possess the land and enjoy great prosperity. 12 Evil men plot against the godly and viciously attack them.

Matthew 5:5

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.

 Notes and References

"... Matthew 5:5 reaffirms the Old Testament land promises made to Israel - yet this reaffirmation needs to be nuanced in two ways: First, this reaffirmation is not a flat reading of Scripture; the Old Testament land promises are reaffirmed by Christ himself and his allusions to Psalm 37 and Isaiah 61 indicate that he is the greater David in fulfillment of Psalm 37 and he is Isaiah’s servant of the LORD in fulfillment of Isaiah 61. Second, this reaffirmation should also not be understood by itself, but read together with other statements in Matthew’s Gospel about the future, a future which will certainly include territorial blessings for the Gentiles (e.g. Matthew 8:11; 19:28; 25:34). When read as a whole, Matthew’s Gospel presents both a particular re-affirmed land inheritance for Israel that will fit into and be part of the universal, global inheritance for all ..."

Hsieh, Nelson S. Matthew 5:5 and the Old Testament Land Promises: An Inheritance of the Earth, or the Land of Israel? (pp. 41-75) Master's Seminary Journal, Vol. 28, No. 1, 2017

 User Comments

Do you have questions or comments about these texts? Please submit them here.