Matthew 5:6

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"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."

Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

Matthew 5:6 (NIV)

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

Matthew 5:6 (KJV)

"God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied."

Matthew 5:6 (NLT)

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

Matthew 5:6 (ESV)

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied."

Matthew 5:6 (NASB)

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

"Blessed [joyful, nourished by God's goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied."

Matthew 5:6 (AMP)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

"Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied!"

Matthew 5:6 (AMPC)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat."

Matthew 5:6 (MSG)

Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.

New Covenant Meaning

The Natural Appetite of the New Heart

The hunger and thirst described here is not a spiritual discipline you must generate. It is the natural appetite of a new creation heart. In the New Covenant, righteousness is not the goal of your striving. It is your given identity (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Beatitude is not a condition you must achieve to receive blessing. It is a description of what Kingdom life looks like from the inside. Those who hunger for righteousness are those who have tasted it and want more. The desire itself is the evidence of the new nature, not the output of human determination.

They Shall Be Filled, Not Rationed

The promise is complete satisfaction, not partial. The Greek chortazo means to be fed until completely full, the same word used when the five thousand ate until they were satisfied (Matthew 14:20). God does not ration righteousness. He fills. John 6:35 says Jesus is the bread of life: whoever comes to Him shall never hunger, and whoever believes in Him shall never thirst. The hunger the Spirit produces in you is answered by God's supply, not by your effort. You do not work up the appetite and then earn the meal. You are given both the hunger and the fullness.

John 6:35 is the direct New Covenant fulfillment of Matthew 5:6: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." The Beatitude announces what the Kingdom life produces: hunger for righteousness. John 6:35 names the supply: Jesus Himself is the bread and the water. The hunger of Matthew 5:6 is answered in the Person of Christ, not in a program of righteousness-building.

Application for Your Life

Your Hunger Is Given, Not Generated

If you find yourself desiring more of God, more of His righteousness, more of what is true and just and holy, that desire is not evidence of your spiritual accomplishment. It is evidence of the new nature He placed in you. Ezekiel 36:26-27 says God gives a new heart and puts His Spirit within you. The hunger described in Matthew 5:6 is the product of that new heart. You do not need to manufacture it. You need to recognize it, follow it, and trust that the One who gave you the hunger will also provide the fullness.

You Are Blessed Now, Not When You Arrive

The Beatitude is present tense: blessed are, not blessed will be when they achieve enough righteousness. The blessing is the current condition of those who hunger and thirst. You do not need to wait until you reach a certain level of righteousness to be considered blessed. If you hunger for it now, you are blessed now. The filling is the promise, and the promise is not conditional on the degree of your hunger but on the faithfulness of the One who promised to fill.

Prayer Based on This Verse

Father, I recognize the hunger You have placed in me, the desire for what is right, for what is true, for more of You. I did not create this desire. You put it in me when You gave me a new heart. And You have promised to fill those who hunger. I come hungry. I trust You to fill. Not because I have hungered perfectly, but because You are faithful to Your word. Fill me with the righteousness that is already mine in Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen.