Blessed

ALL THE BEATITUDES IN THE BIBLE
AND MANY OF THOSE IN OTHER LATE SECOND TEMPLE LITERATURE

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—1998

The beatitude (macarism<Grk makarios) is a sub-genre of wisdom, specifically that branch of wisdom which includes proverbial sayings for success in life, in this world or in the world to come. It appears in two forms, either of which can have a singular subject (personal: "blessed is the one who...") or a plural subject (collective: "blessed are those who..."; see Appendix):

1. Simple/basic congratulations form—Blessed is the one who...

• In the simple form, the advantage is self-evident and needs no explanation.

2.. Compound/complex congratulations form—Blessed is the one who... + adjunct

• In the compound form, the advantage is not immediately evident and includes an explanation. Alternatively, there may be an additional advantage not readily apparent in the clause or, if the clause does not appear advantageous, there may be reversal of fortune (thereby creating a paradox). Complex beatitudes fall into the following subcategories:

• Causal

Sometimes an author does not state the cause immediately, and the delay may obscure a beatitude's classification (i.e., Does the cause really adhere to the beatitude? e.g., Deut 33:29; Ps 1:1, 6). Other times the cause may appear before the clause (italicized and reconstructed in the more common order below). 

• Resultive

•  Adversative (antithetical)  

• Conditional

•  Inferential  

Structurally, beatitudes may occur singly or in groups (usually of 7-8, as a program for living), though grouping seems to be a later development (Second Temple Period; e.g., Sir 14:20-27; 25:7-10; 4Q525; see Viviano 1992), and the final beatitude in a group may be longer to mark closure. Beatitudes may also have specific reference to this world (Temporal) or to the next (Eschatological).

For a pdf including Bibliography and an extensive Appendix categorizing beatitudes see here.