5:8a

Blessed are: For help in translating the word Blessed, see the note at 5:3a.

the pure in heart: The word pure means “clean” and “without sin.” People who are pure in heart have nothing in their hearts for which they can be blamed or accused. They are completely devoted to God and his will/commands.

The word heart here refers to one’s inner life. It indicates the essential person, where one’s emotions, thoughts, and motives occur.

For the word heart, use a term that is normally used in your language for “inner life.” It may be a different organ such as “liver” or “throat.” Or it may be a more general term such as “insides” or “spirit.”

Here are some other ways to translate the phrase the pure in heart:

those whose thoughts are pure (God’s Word)
-or-
people who only have morally pure desires
-or-
those who have nothing evil in their insides

5:8b

for: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the reason that “the pure in heart” are blessed. They are blessed because they will see God. For example:

because they will be with God (New Century Version)

In some languages, no conjunction is necessary here. For example:

They will see God. (God’s Word)

In other languages, it will be more natural to put 5:8b before 5:8a. For example:

Those who are pure in heart will see God, ⌊so⌋ they are blessed.

they will see God: The clause they will see God refers to seeing God in the next life.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

they will see God ⌊face to face⌋

-or-

they will see God ⌊in heaven⌋

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