Matthew 5:12

BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

“Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.”

What this verse means

A short, plain-language explanation of Matthew 5:12 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.

Compare translations
BSBPD

“Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.”

Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)
KJVPD

“Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

King James Version · Public Domain
ASVPD

“Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.”

American Standard Version · Public Domain
YLTPD

“rejoice ye and be glad, because your reward <FI>is<Fi> great in the heavens, for thus did they persecute the prophets who were before you.”

Young's Literal Translation · Public Domain
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Cross references

Other passages that echo Matthew 5:12 — 24 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  1. Genesis 15:1After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
  2. Ruth 2:12May the LORD repay your work, and may you receive a rich reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge.”
  3. 1 Kings 18:4for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)
  4. 1 Kings 18:13Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD, fifty men per cave, and I provided them with food and water.
  5. 1 Kings 19:2So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those you killed!”
  6. 1 Kings 19:10“I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”
  7. 1 Kings 21:20When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.
  8. 1 Kings 22:8The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.
  9. 1 Kings 22:26And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
  10. 2 Kings 1:9Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’”
  11. 2 Chronicles 16:10Asa was angry with the seer and became so enraged over this matter that he put the man in prison. And at the same time Asa oppressed some of the people.
  12. 2 Chronicles 24:20Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’”
  13. 2 Chronicles 36:16But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.
  14. Nehemiah 9:26But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.
  15. Psalms 19:11By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward.
  16. Psalms 58:11Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!”
  17. Proverbs 11:18The wicked man earns an empty wage, but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward.
  18. Isaiah 3:10Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
  19. Jeremiah 2:30“I have struck your sons in vain; they accepted no discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a voracious lion.”
  20. Jeremiah 26:8and as soon as he had finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people seized him, shouting, “You must surely die!
  21. Jeremiah 26:21King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and officials heard his words, and the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah found out about it, he fled in fear and went to Egypt.
  22. Matthew 6:1“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
  23. Matthew 6:4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
  24. Matthew 6:16When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.

Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

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