Matthew 5:11–12
Jesus says to rejoice when they insult you because of him
Study it word by word11Happy are you when they insult you and persecute you and say every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
In its context
9Happy are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10Happy are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
…
13“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what will it be salted? It is good for nothing any longer except to be thrown out and trampled by people.
14You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Its words in the original
- μακάριοίmakarioi· blessed, happy
Blessed: truly happy, in the condition God blesses. It is the "happy" or "blessed" of the Psalms.
- ἐστεeste· be
Be, exist.
- ὅτανhotan· when, whenever
When, whenever.
- ὀνειδίσωσινoneidisōsin· insult, reproach
Insult, reproach someone.
- διώξωσινdiōxōsin· persecute, pursue
Persecute, pursue; also strive after.
- εἴπωσινeipōsin· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- πονηρὸνponēron· evil, wicked
Bad, wicked. "The evil one": the devil.
- ψευδόμενοιpseudomenoi· lie
To lie.
- ἕνεκενheneken· because of
On account of, for the sake of.
- χαίρετεchairete· rejoice
Rejoice, be glad. As a greeting, "hail!" or "greetings!".
- ἀγαλλιᾶσθεagalliasthe· rejoice greatly
Leap for joy, rejoice greatly.
- μισθὸςmisthos· wages, reward
Pay, wages; reward.
- πολὺςpolys· much, many
Much, great; in the plural, many.
- οὐρανοῖςouranois· heaven, sky
Heaven: the sky and, above all, the place of God. "The heavens" is sometimes a respectful way of saying "God".
- προφήταςprophētas· prophet
Prophet: someone who speaks on God's behalf.