Matthew 5:11 (ASV)

Passage

Blessed are ye when [men] shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness` sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye when [men] shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Matthew 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.

Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "blessed", "shall", "reproach", "persecute", "manner", "evil", "against", and "falsely". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "blessed" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "Blessed are they that have been persecuted..." into verse 12's "Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great...", so "blessed" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "blessed" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.