KJV Verse:
Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Greek Verse:
μακάριοι “οἱ πενθοῦντες,” ὅτι αὐτοὶ “παρακληθήσονται.”
Literal Alternative:
Happy are those who are lamenting [in mourning] for they are going to be called upon.
Interesting and Hidden Aspects:
Christ is creating a series of contrary statement using the various meanings of the same word, the Greek term translated as "Blessed." When he referenced the poor in Mat 5:3, he implied the sense of the word as "wealthy." By talking about crying, he is referencing its other meaning as "happy."
The word translated as "they who mourn" is a participle of the the Greek verb meaning "to wail" and "to lament." This word is closely associated with the idea of mourning. The word is plural and masculine, but in Greek, as in English, the broad usage is masculine. The specific usage is feminine.
The "for" here is a causal adverb that means "seeing that", "because", or "since."
The "they" is used explicitly as the subject of the final phrase. This is unnecessary in Greek because the subject is also a part of the verb ending. Christ only uses the pronoun when he wants to emphasize it.
The Greek word that translated as "comfort," literally means will be "to be called near." So it primarily means "to be summoned" since it is in the passive. It also means "to demand," ("called from") "to encourage," ("called along") and "to excite" (called beyond"). We will see this word again when it is translated as "to call," "to beseech," and "to pray", (Mat 18:32, Mat 18:29, and Mat 26:53). In all of them, "call upon" works best in English both in the sense of "summoned" and "to ask." In Luke 15:28, it is translated as "intreated" (entreated).
What are mourned called upon to go or do? Since the topic is mourning, we can only assume that mourner are being summoned "beyond" this world, the realm that is "near." Both "near" and "beyond" are the basic meanings of the prefix of the "called near" verb.
Greek Vocabulary:
μακάριοι (adj pl masc nom) "Blessed" is from makarios (makarios) which means "blessed", "happy," and "fortunate."
“οἱ πενθοῦντες,” (part pl pres act masc nom) "Those who mourn" is from pentheo, which means "to bewail", "to mourn", "to go into mourning," and "to lament."
ὅτι (conj) "For" is from hoti (hoti), which means "for what," and "wherefore." A form of hostis (hostis), which means "that", "anyone who", "anything which", "whosoever," "whichsoever" and "anybody whatsoever."
αὐτοὶ (adj pl masc nom) "They " is from autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself", "yourself", "himself", "herself", "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him", "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord."“
παρακληθήσονται.” (3rd pl fut ind pass) "Will be comforted" is from parakaleo which means "call in", "send for", "invite," "summon", "address", "demand", "exhort", "encouraged", "excite", "demand," and "beseech." It means literally "call closer." The prefix, para, means "beside", "from the side of", "from beside,", "from", "issuing from", "near", "by", "with", "along", "past", "beyond" and so on. The based word kaleo, means "call", "summon", and "invite".
Wordplay:
The implication that those who are lamenting a loss should be happy.
The Spoken Version:
The teacher moved toward a pair of widows dressed for mourning.
“Lucky! Those in mourning!” He said warmly, indicating the women.
Some in the crowd chuckled at the idea of people in mourning being lucky. Others shushed them.
“Because,” the speaker explained, holding the women’s outstretched hands. “They themselves are going to be summoned.”