The Meek Shall Inherit What???
“But the meek will inherit the land” Psalm 37:11 “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth ” Matt 5:5, Sermon on the Mount The Greek version of both of these verses has the same word translated land (Psalms) and earth (Matthew), yet in English we get two different words. Is there a difference in meaning between inheriting the land or inheriting the earth? Or, more important, how would those listening to Jesus’ words have understood it? Jesus’ sermon on the mount was spoken to Jews who descended from Abraham. God had promised a plot of land to Abraham and his descendants, marked out by specific boundaries (see Gen 15:18 or Num 34:1-10). This land would eventually be called Israel - named after Abraham’s grandson. Jesus was giving the Sermon on the Mount to his fellow Israelites whose forefathers had returned from exile to live in their promised land. Although they were physically living in the land they were promised, they we...