“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus highlights a surprising reversal: those who experience hardship now—hunger and tears—will find ultimate satisfaction and joy. This isn't just about physical comfort, but about a deep spiritual fulfillment that makes present suffering temporary and ultimately meaningful.
“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just chosen his twelve closest disciples after a night of prayer, and now he’s delivering a foundational teaching on what it truly means to be blessed. He's addressing a large crowd and his disciples, contrasting the worldly perspective of who is "successful" with God's upside-down kingdom. These beatitudes are the introduction to his Sermon on the Plain, setting the stage for his radical call to love enemies and live differently.
Jesus starts with 'Blessed are you who hunger now.' It sounds almost backward, doesn't it? Why would a present state of lack be a blessing?
Jesus is flipping our perspective on what truly matters. In Luke's Gospel, these beatitudes are directed towards those experiencing tangible hardship. The 'hunger' and 'weeping' aren't just abstract feelings; they can represent physical deprivation and deep sorrow.
A Kingdom Contrast
Jesus highlights a stark contrast between the present experience of his followers and their future reality in God's kingdom. What seems like a disadvantage now—hunger, sorrow—will be met with abundant satisfaction and joy later. It's a promise that current suffering is not the final word.
Satisfied and Laughing
The fulfillment isn't just the absence of hunger or tears, but a positive abundance. 'Satisfied' speaks of deep, complete fulfillment, and 'shall laugh' is a vibrant expression of overwhelming joy, a stark contrast to present weeping.
While Jesus certainly addresses physical hunger and sorrow, the commentators point out a deeper layer. What is this spiritual hunger Jesus might be talking about?
It's true that Jesus’ words in Luke 6 resonate with those experiencing literal hardship. Yet, the parallel in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 5:6) clarifies that this blessing also extends to a profound spiritual longing.
Hunger for Righteousness
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This deeper hunger is a yearning for God's justice, for alignment with His ways, and for the deep satisfaction found only in Him. It’s an emptiness that worldly comforts can never fill, a thirst only God can quench.
Mourning for Sin and God's Ways
Similarly, the weeping can represent mourning over sin—our own and the world's—and a deep grief over brokenness. This isn't about wallowing in sadness, but a tender heart that grieves where God grieves.
Jesus uses the word 'laugh' to describe the future joy for those who weep now. Why 'laugh' instead of 'be comforted' as in Matthew?
The choice of the word 'laugh' is striking and intentional. While Matthew uses 'comforted,' Luke employs a term that suggests a more outward, exuberant expression of joy.
From Grief to Glee
This isn't a mild, polite contentment. Jesus is promising a future where sorrow is completely overwhelmed by a vibrant, uncontainable gladness. Think of the relief and sheer delight when a long period of distress finally breaks into open, joyful laughter.
A Higher Form of Joy
Commentators suggest the Aramaic word Jesus may have used carried a richer sense than the Greek word often implied. It points to a joy rooted in God's presence and redemption, a deeper, more profound mirth than mere worldly happiness. It’s the joy of seeing God’s justice and love fully realized.
Understand the original words
makarioi · Greek Adjective
A state of spiritual wellbeing and joy that comes from God’s favor, often contrary to outward circumstances. It describes the favorable condition of those who belong to the kingdom of God.
peinōntes · Greek Adjective/Participle
A literal or metaphorical state of lacking essential sustenance, often used in Scripture to describe a spiritual yearning for righteousness and dependence on God.
klaiontes · Greek Verb/Participle
To mourn, lament, or cry; in a biblical context, it often refers to sorrow caused by the brokenness of the world or conviction of sin, which precedes divine comfort.
Jesus' words about hunger and weeping draw on deep Old Testament imagery of God's provision and comfort. He reinterprets these familiar themes, offering a radical blessing to those currently suffering, promising a future reversal of their circumstances and a joy that transcends present hardship.
c. 2nd millennium BC
The Name Isaac is Given
The name Isaac is associated with laughter, a concept Jesus uses to describe future joy. This ancient naming practice suggests a cultural understanding of laughter as a sign of divine blessing and mirth.
c. 7th century BC
Psalm 107 is Written
This psalm speaks of God satisfying the thirsty and filling the hungry, echoing the themes Jesus uses in Luke 6:21. It demonstrates a long-standing association of divine provision with physical and spiritual needs.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus Teaches the Beatitudes
Jesus delivers the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17-49) in Galilee, a region facing Roman occupation and internal social stratification. He addresses a crowd of his disciples, including many who are poor and oppressed.
c. AD 30
Jesus Chooses the Twelve
Prior to delivering the Sermon on the Mount/Plain, Jesus spends a night in prayer. This intense devotion prepares him to select the twelve apostles, who would be instrumental in spreading his message.
c. AD 60-65
Paul Writes to the Corinthians
Paul references the concept of weeping and laughing in relation to spiritual joy and sorrow, showing how these themes resonated within the early Christian communities.
This passage is a direct parallel to Luke 6:21, explicitly stating the blessing on those who hunger and thirst 'for righteousness,' adding a crucial spiritual dimension to the physical hunger mentioned in Luke.
Psalm 107:9This Old Testament psalm echoes the promise of satisfaction for the hungry soul, stating that God 'satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry with good things,' highlighting God's consistent care for those in need.
2 Corinthians 6:10This verse offers a powerful contrast, describing believers as those who 'sorrow, yet always rejoicing' and 'as poor, yet making many rich,' reflecting the paradoxical blessing of present hardship leading to future joy and abundance.
Revelation 21:4This prophetic vision beautifully fulfills the promise of weeping being replaced with joy, stating that God 'will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore,' offering a ultimate picture of satisfaction and laughter.
barnesLuke 6:21: "Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh."
That hunger now - Matthew has it, "that hunger and thirst after righteousness." Matthew has expressed more fully what Luke has briefly, but there is no contradiction.
gillLuke 6:21: "Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh."
Blessed are ye that hunger now,.... Not only suffer hunger and thirst in a literal sense, in this present life, but who have hunger and thirst in a spiritual sense, after righteousness and eternal life, as in Matthew 5:6 where it is also said as here: for ye shall be filled: with righteousness and life; See Gill on Matthew 5:6. blessed are ye that weep now; under afflictions an…
Jesus highlights a surprising reversal: those who experience hardship now—hunger and tears—will find ultimate satisfaction and joy. This isn't just about physical comfort, but about a deep spiritual fulfillment that makes present suffering temporary and ultimately meaningful.
Jesus has just chosen his twelve closest disciples after a night of prayer, and now he’s delivering a foundational teaching on what it truly means to be blessed. He's addressing a large crowd and his disciples, contrasting the worldly perspective of who is "successful" with God's upside-down kingdom. These beatitudes are the introduction to his Sermon on the Plain, setting the stage for his radical call to love enemies and live differently.
Jesus has just chosen his twelve closest disciples after a night of prayer, and now he’s delivering a foundational teaching on what it truly means to be blessed. He's addressing a large crowd and his disciples, contrasting the worldly perspective of who is "successful" with God's upside-down kingdom. These beatitudes are the introduction to his Sermon on the Plain, setting the stage for his radical call to love enemies and live differently.
"“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh." — Jesus highlights a surprising reversal: those who experience hardship now—hunger and tears—will find ultimate satisfaction and joy. This isn't just about physical comfort, but about a deep spiritual…
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Last reviewed October 2026