πρᾳεῖς· (praeis) in Matthew 5:5: Adjective Nominative Plural Masculine
πρᾳεῖς· (praeis) in Matthew 5:5
Textual Witness
The witness reads πρᾳεῖς· in Matthew 5:5.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The adjective identifies the third blessed group as the meek.
How To Communicate It
Use it to keep meekness tied to Jesus' inheritance promise.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Keep the adjective tied to Matthew 5:5.
- Do not detach meekness from the inheritance promise.
- Do not make grammar settle every virtue question.
- Do not use this form to flatten meekness into passivity.
What Does The Label Mean?
Adjective: the form describes or qualifies another word in the clause.
Nominative: marks the subject or predicate role as the context requires.
Plural: the number should be read from this occurrence, not generalized beyond the clause.
Masculine: grammatical gender marks form agreement and does not by itself make a theological claim.
What The Form Does In This Verse
The meek
Jesus' third Beatitude declaration in Matthew 5:5
Describes the people named in the third Beatitude.
Do not reduce meekness to weakness, passivity, or temperament alone.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The adjective names the group promised inheritance.
Substantival adjective naming the blessed group. identifies those called meek. Attached to the meek. Governed by Jesus' third Beatitude declaration in Matthew 5:5. Read with the inheritance promise in the second half of the verse.
Who will inherit the earth in this Beatitude? The meek.
Direct: The form directly supports meek.
The adjective names meek people but does not by itself define every dimension of meekness.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads πρᾳεῖς· in Matthew 5:5.
The lemma πραΰς carries the gloss "mild, gentle", and here it describes the meek or gentle.
The adjective stands with the article to name the group Jesus calls blessed.
Jesus declares the meek blessed because they will inherit the earth.
The form fits Matthew's kingdom reversal, where gentleness receives inheritance rather than loss.
Use it to keep meekness tied to Jesus' inheritance promise.
Do not use the adjective alone to define the whole virtue of meekness.