Thomas Aquinas on the Beatitudes: Edition of the Basel Manuscript

There is a renewed interest in Thomas Aquinas’ interpretation of the beatitudes. An important source for the study of the beatitudes is Aquinas’ commentary on the gospel of Matthew. However, the available editions of this commentary present a text that ignores the oldest manuscript, and has omissions and deviations with regard to this Basel manuscript. In this article, we offer an edition of that part of the manuscript which contains the commentary on Matthew 5:1-10. The critical apparatus has a double function: it records variant readings, and it provides references to the Biblical, patristic, and philosophical sources employed by Aquinas. While we await the Leonine edition of the commentary on Matthew, the present text can serve as a basis for studying Aquinas’ interpretation of the beatitudes.