Matthew 5:3 kjva — Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3 in the King James Version with Apocrypha reads: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:3 is found in the New Testament, in the book of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 3.

Matthew is traditionally attributed to Matthew (Levi), tax-collector turned apostle. It was written c. AD 50–70.

Matthew presents Jesus as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah — son of David, son of Abraham, fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. Structured around five great teaching blocks including the Sermon on the Mount, it ends with the risen King commissioning his disciples to make disciples of all nations.

Matthew explores themes including Kingdom of Heaven, Messiah, Fulfillment, Discipleship, Great Commission. These themes shape the meaning and context of Matthew 5:3.

Matthew 5:3 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.

Matthew 5:3 reads (KJVA): “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.