The meaning of meek isn’t peace, harmony or gentleness. It is a combination of two Hebrew words: נַעֲרָה and מוּכָן. Together, these words mean “to spare” or “to protect” and relate to the spiritual trait of being gentle. Meekness doesn’t mean tiptoeing around people in order to not offend them or keep the peace, but it means treating people with goodness and respect on an ongoing basis.
That’s because meekness is often associated with being weak and wimpy—a doormat to walk all over. For this reason, meekness may be among the most misunderstood words in the scriptures! But the Savior referred to Himself as “meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29).
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Meek Definition Greek
The meek is an English word taken from the Latin meaning “mild” or “gentle”. The word itself entered the English language from the Old Testament in which it meant humble and patient as a way to describe those who are blessed by God. In this sense, it can also be seen as meaning poor or needy. The word is often considered in contrast to a second biblical figure, the Messiah, or Christ. The Messiah himself is considered to be meek.
Meek’s meaning has to do with an ability to control one’s temper, or a disposition that is not easily angered or provoked. The term meek also connotes humility, submissiveness and docility. Generally these are seen in reference to how the meek shall inherit the earth and should characterize Christlike behavior.
the meaning of meek in the bible
Who are the Meek? Meaning and Examples of Meekness
“Meekness” is a humble attitude that expresses itself in the patient endurance of offenses. “Gentleness” is a practical synonym. It implies mercy and self-restraint. Meekness is not weakness. Sometimes we confuse the two. But the difference between a meek person and a weak person is this: a weak person can’t do anything. A meek person, on the other hand, can do something but chooses not to.
Meaning of “Blessed are the Meek”
Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). The word meek from the original language was used to describe reining in a stallion. It is the idea of a horse being controlled by a bit and bridle. The horse is choosing to submit to authority. That is meekness. It is power under constraint.
Meekness is not weakness; it is power under control. As the writer of Proverbs says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city” (Proverbs 16:32). In contrast, the individual who is not gentle is likened to “a city that is broken into and without walls” (Proverbs 25:28). Gentleness always uses its resources appropriately, unlike the out-of-control emotions that so often are destructive and have no place in your life as a believer.
Meekness vs. Pride
Pride has been redefined in American culture as a virtue. The strong, the beautiful, the powerful, the intelligent, and the privileged take every opportunity to put themselves forward. Politicians manifest pride in speeches and debates; entertainers glamorize pride in their movies and lifestyles; educators teach pride by emphasizing self-esteem and making every child a winner (whether they deserve it or not), and sports icons reinforce pride as the path to greatness.
Probably the least admired character quality in America is meekness. And yet the greatest Person who ever lived was a meek and humble man-“learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Jesus exemplified meekness during His first advent, even as He ministered in the power of God. Those who follow Him will also demonstrate meekness, or gentleness as the fruit of a Spirit-filled life (Galatians 5:22).
And don’t equate gentleness with cowardice, lack of conviction, or mere human niceness. It’s a virtue that draws courage, strength, conviction, and good disposition from God, not from self-centered human resources.
examples of meekness in the bible
The Meekness of Jesus
Gentleness characterizes our Lord Jesus Christ. He always defended God’s glory and ultimately gave Himself in sacrifice for others (see 1 Peter 2:21-23). Jesus didn’t lash back when criticized, slandered, or treated unjustly, but He did respond fittingly and firmly when God’s honor was profaned or His truth was perverted or neglected. He twice cleansed the Temple by force (Matthew 21:12-17; John 2:14-15), and He repeatedly and fearlessly denounced the hypocrisy of the Jewish religious leaders (Matthew 23:13-36; Mark 12:13-40; John 8:12-59; 9:39-41).
When His time of suffering came, however, Jesus submitted to the will of His Father and endured the abuse and murderous intentions of the hypocritical leaders. He demonstrated meekness to the very end. “While being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23).
Although Jesus said, “Blessed [happy] are the meek,” we don’t celebrate meekness in our culture. Instead, we celebrate assertiveness. We celebrate getting things from other people, sometimes even taking advantage of other people. When is the last time you saw a movie that celebrated the virtue of meekness? When is the last time the big buildup for the movie was the moment when the good guy meekly restrains himself, even though he was wronged? We don’t want to go to a movie like that. We want to see a payback movie in which the first half consists of bad things happening to the hero, and the last half consists of bad things that come to the people who did those things to the hero. That is what entertains us. That is what our culture celebrates.
How different this is from what the Bible teaches. The Bible celebrates meekness. The biblical worldview says last is first. Giving is receiving. Dying is living. Losing is finding. The least is the greatest. Meekness is a strength. The idea is that we are living by God’s truth—not by what our culture says should make us happy.
The Meek Will Inherit the Earth – Matthew 5:5
Transcribed from the video above, Johnnie Moore discusses the meaning of the scripture quote “the meek will inherit the earth” from Matthew 5:5.
And when Jesus says that, “the meek will inherit the earth,” he’s speaking an incredibly counter-cultural truth to these people sitting on this hill in the middle of this village overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Because this was a world that didn’t understand weakness or meekness. This was a world that understood power. This is a world overruled by Caesar’s. This is a world where armies made people in rebellion subject to their sheer force. This is a world that turned on the tables of power. Those were the people that inherited the earth.
And, by the way, Jesus’s message was preached within a context. He’s not preaching to the rich and powerful. He’s not preaching to the people that had the ability to, in our modern way, make a phone call to make something happen. I mean, he’s preaching to villagers, and he’s saying if you’re a meek person, if you have strength under control, if you’re that type of personality, that not only will you be happy but you’ll have a type of life and a type of power that transcends even the power of Caesar. Because every time Jesus preaches a sermon, he’s not just preaching to our life in this world. He’s preaching to something greater, and I’m convinced that those who inherit the earth sometimes are those whose stories are never known on the earth except one day when we’re standing in heaven and we find out that that little person sitting on the hill was the unlikely character God used to change history. You never know the end of the story until you get to it.
8 Ways Meekness Is Not Weakness
“Now, let’s be meek about this!”
That’s not something you’re likely to hear very often. That’s because meekness is often associated with being weak and wimpy—a doormat to walk all over. For this reason, meekness may be among the most misunderstood words in the scriptures! But the Savior referred to Himself as “meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). As His disciples, shouldn’t we also try to be meek?
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said: “Meekness is strong, not weak; active, not passive; courageous, not timid; restrained, not excessive; modest, not self-aggrandizing; and gracious, not brash. A meek person is not easily provoked, pretentious, or overbearing and readily acknowledges the accomplishments of others.”
Meekness is an attribute of the Savior that’s desperately needed today. Here are eight ways meekness is a strength, not a weakness.
1. The Meek Have Self-Control
There are going to be days when things don’t go your way. If, say, your younger sibling gets on your nerves one day, how do you respond? You could get angry, yell, storm off to your room, and slam the door. But not if you’re meek.
One of Heavenly Father’s greatest gifts is the freedom to act for ourselves. We can control how we act. We don’t have to yell or scream. Instead, the scriptures say we should interact “by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:41). Or we may just need to walk away.
2. The Meek Are Humble and Teachable
When I was learning to drive, my dad wanted to teach me how to jump-start a car. With jumper cables in hand, he opened the hood of our car and told me where the cables go on the engine.
“Yeah, I already know how to do it, Dad!” I said, even though I really didn’t.
A short time later, my friend’s car battery died. He asked if I could give his car a jump. I grabbed the jumper cables from my trunk, looked at my friend’s car, and just stood there. I had no clue how to jump start a car. At that moment, I wished I had been humble enough to listen to my dad.
When we’re humble, we’re teachable. When we’re teachable, we learn. Learning brings knowledge, skill, progress—and strength.
We’re here to learn and prepare for eternal life—something way more important than how to use jumper cables. And our Heavenly Father has a lot to teach us about it. He promises the humble that He will lead them by the hand (see Doctrine and Covenants 112:10). Being humble and teachable is essential to our progress and happiness.
3. The Meek Are Bold
The Book of Mormon provides a great example of how meekness and boldness work together. Abinadi boldly taught and testified before King Noah that if he and his people did not repent, they would be brought into bondage. This made King Noah mad. He ordered that Abinadi be killed.
But King Noah’s men couldn’t touch Abinadi because the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. He continued to deliver his message with power and authority from God.
Because Abinadi would not deny his words, he was sentenced to death by fire. Through all of this, Abinadi was both bold and meek. Because he was meek, he feared God more than man and boldly fulfilled his mission, no matter what might happen to him.
You can be bold too. You can boldly stand up and testify of what you know to be true. As you do so, you show meekness because you are willing to follow the Savior.
4. The Meek Forgive
Has someone hurt your feelings or mistreated or disrespected you? It can be hard to forgive and let it go. But if we don’t forgive, bitterness and anger can grow and become a very heavy burden.
The Savior taught us to forgive. He said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). With the Savior’s help, you can forgive, rise above the hurt, and move forward with peace. Forgiving is a sign of meekness.
5. The Meek Say “I’m Sorry”
There might be times when you are the one who has hurt someone’s feelings. Owning up to your mistakes is not easy, but saying “I’m sorry”—and meaning it—is an important part of meekness. A genuine apology requires strength of character. It shows that you’re willing to make things right when you’ve done wrong.
6. The Meek Are Confident
When the Spirit asked Nephi if he knew the meaning of the condescension of God, Nephi said, “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things” (1 Nephi 11:17). Like Nephi, those who are meek are willing to admit that they don’t know everything, but they’re confident in their testimony of things they do know. The meek acknowledge their shortcomings but don’t dwell on them. They trust in Heavenly Father.
7. The Meek Serve Others
When Jesus and His disciples were gathered for the Passover, Jesus took a moment to wash His disciples’ feet. He then told them, “The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him” (see John 13:12–17).
The meek consider it a privilege to serve others. King Benjamin was a ruler over his people, but he took time to serve them. He said, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17).
8. The Meek Have the Spirit with Them
Meekness is a fruit, or result, of having the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22–23). At the same time, meekness also brings the Spirit into our lives (see Moroni 8:26). We should strive to have the Spirit with us in all we do. Submitting ourselves to being guided and directed by the Spirit shows our willingness to follow the Savior throughout our lives. This quality is at the heart of meekness—and brings us great strength.
Walk in Meekness
Being meek might seem challenging, but we are promised that we are not alone in our efforts. The Savior taught, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29). He also said, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:23).
Elder Bednar says, “Meekness is an attribute developed through desire, the righteous exercise of moral agency, and striving always to retain a remission of our sins. It also is a spiritual gift for which we appropriately can seek.” We will learn what it means to be meek. We can also feel the peace and joy that comes from humbly living His gospel.