BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS: makarioi oi eirenopoioi: (1 Chronicles 12:17; Psalms 34:12; 120:6; 122:6-8; Acts 7:26; Romans 12:18; 14:1-7; Romans 14:17-19; 1 Corinthians 6:6; 2 Corinthians 5:20; 13:11; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 2:1-3; Philippians 4:2; Colossians 3:13; 2 Timothy 2:22-24; Hebrews 12:14; James 1:19,20; 3:16-18)

Will and Ariel Durant, in The Lessons of History, begin the chapter on "History and War" noting that:

"War is one of the constants of history, and has not diminished with civilization and democracy. In the last 3,421 years of recorded history only 268 have seen no war."

Clearly mankind is in need of a peacemaker. As we discuss below, the real need for peace is first between God and man. Man has been at perpetual war with God since Genesis 3, with no years in which there has not been war. This record therefore is even worse than the record between men!

Blessed (see makarios) means spiritually prosperous, independent of one's circumstances. So Jesus is saying blessed, happy, satisfied, fulfilled, spiritually prosperous are the ones who work for and do the things that make for peace. Notice Jesus advocates an active and not passive involvement in the process ("makers" but not "shakers"). The way of the Lord's peacemaker is not a weak-kneed approach, but is the way of Spirit given courage (interwoven with the spirit of meekness or power under control, Matthew 5:5 [note]), which is counter to the world's usual methods (frequently strife, discord, bickering, wars, rumors of wars, etc) of bringing about change.

Spurgeon comments that these are...

Those who always end a quarrel if they can, those who lay themselves out to prevent discord,-

Peacemakers (1518) (eirenopoios from eirenopoiéo = make peace from eirene = peace + poieo = make) those who make peace not war.  (Click for in depth study of the root word eirene). Eirene signifies a harmonious relationship and is not merely the absence of war or uneasy truce. Eirene signifies parties holding differences of opinion who are willing to turn toward each other and embrace one another in spite of their differences.

Eirene is derived from the verb eiro which means to bind or join together that which is broken or divided. The idea is to set at one again. So we can expand the definition of "peacemaker" as those who facilitate the binding together those who were divided, thus setting them at one. Jesus is referring to those who actively intervene to bind together those that are divided. By making peace, kingdom citizens manifest themselves as sons of God.

The related Hebrew word is shalom (see study of shalom) See discussion of the related Name of God, Jehovah Shalom - 1: The LORD our Peace and Jehovah Shalom -  2

Marvin Vincent feels that "peacemakers"

Should be held to its literal meaning, peace-makers; not as Wycliffe, peaceable men. The founders and promoters of peace are meant; who not only keep the peace, but seek to bring men into harmony with each other. Tyndale renders, the maintainers of peace. (Vincent, M. R. Word Studies in the New Testament Vol. 1, Page 3-38) (Bolding added)

In classical Greek a “peacemaker” was an ambassador sent to entreat for peace and was sometimes used to describe a strong rulers who establishes peace by force. This forceful pacification is distinguished from that extolled by the Rabbis extol who considered pacification as an act of love, humility and self-denial. Philo used eirenopoios of God as a peacemaker.

English dictionaries define peacemakers as those who make establish or make peace especially by reconciling parties marked by a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony. Synonyms include appeaser, arbitrator, conciliator, mediator, pacifier, pacificator, peacemonger.

Illustration of "peace"

Jim Walton was translating the NT for the Muinane people of La Sabana in the jungles of Colombia. But he was having trouble with the word peace. During this time, Fernando, the village chief, was promised a 20-minute plane ride to a location that would have taken him 3 days to travel by walking. The plane was delayed in arriving at La Sabana, so Fernando departed on foot. When the plane finally came, a runner took off to bring Fernando back. But by the time he had returned, the plane had left. Fernando was livid because of the mix-up. He went to Jim and launched into an angry tirade. Fortunately, Walton had taped the chief's diatribe. When he later translated it, he discovered that the chief kept repeating the phrase, "I don't have one heart." Jim asked other villagers what having "one heart" meant, and he found that it was like saying, "There is nothing between you and the other person." That, Walton realized, was just what he needed to translate the word peace. To have peace with God means that there is nothing--no sin, no guilt, no condemnation--that separates us. And that peace with God is possible only through Christ (see note Romans 5:1). Do you have "one heart" with God? If so you are qualified and sent out as His peacemaker.

Braid Scots translates Mt 5:9 as "makers up o' strife"

Isaac from Syria notes that...

"If you are not a peacemaker, at least do not be a troublemaker."

It is hard enough to keep the peace. It is still more difficult to bring peace where it is not.  (See study on Seven "thieves" that can steal your peace)

Peacemakers are not power brokers but people lovers. The promised kingdom is characterized by peace, as described in Isaiah 9:6-7; 66:12-13; Micah 4:3.

A T Robertson rightly reminds us that

“The perfect peacemaker is the Son of God (Eph. 2:14)” (McNeile). Thus we shall be like our Elder Brother." (Word Pictures in the New Testament)

It is interesting to read how some of the older commentaries like John Calvin handle this passage. Calvin for example writes...

By peacemakers he means those who not only seek peace and avoid quarrels, as far as lies in their power, but who also labor to settle differences among others, who advise all men to live at peace, and take away every occasion of hatred and strife.

While there is certainly an element of truth in Calvin's interpretation, he completely bypasses the role of peacemakers between God and men.

Warren Wiersbe nicely summarizes this beatitude noting that...

Christians should bring peace, between people and God and between those who are at odds with each other. We share the Gospel of peace. (Wiersbe, W. W. Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books)

Expositor's Bible Commentary adds that...

Jesus does not limit the peacemaking to only one kind, and neither will his disciples. In the light of the gospel, Jesus himself is the supreme peacemaker, making peace between God and man, and man and man. Our peacemaking will include the promulgation of that gospel. It must also extend to seeking all kinds of reconciliation. Instead of delighting in division, bitterness, strife, or some petty "divide-and-conquer" mentality, disciples of Jesus delight to make peace wherever possible. Making peace is not appeasement: the true model is God's costly peacemaking (see notes Ephesians 2:15; 2:16; 2:17; Colossians 1:20). (Gaebelein, F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament. Zondervan Publishing)

Don't misinterpret what Jesus stated. He is not speaking about people with a peaceful disposition or those who love peace at any cost. He did not say "Blessed are the pacifists". Barclay alludes to that possible misinterpretation writing that

The blessing is on the Peace-makers, not necessarily on the peace-lovers. It very often happens that if a man loves peace in the wrong way, he succeeds in making trouble and not peace. We may, for instance, allow a threatening and dangerous situation to develop, and our defense is that for peace’s sake we do not want to take any action. There is many a person who thinks that he is loving peace, when in fact he is piling up trouble for the future, because he refuses to face the situation and to take the action which the situation demands. The peace which the Bible calls blessed does not come from the evasion of issues; it comes from facing them, dealing with them, and conquering them. What this beatitude demands is not the passive acceptance of things because we are afraid of the trouble of doing anything about them, but the active facing of things, and the making of peace, even when the way to peace is through struggle. (Barclay, W: The Gospel of Matthew The New Daily Study Bible Westminster John Knox Press) (Bolding added)

He goes on to add his paraphrase of this passage....

"Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be doing a God-like work." The man who makes peace is engaged on the very work which the God of peace is doing (Romans 15:33 [note]; 2 Corinthians 13:11; 1Thessalonians 5:23 [note]; Hebrews 13:20 [note]). (ibid)

Isaiah 9:6 prophesied of the birth of the "Prince of Peace" and the angels announced His birth in an oft misquoted verse...

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." (Luke 2:14) not "on earth peace good will to men".

Elsewhere Luke underscores that although Jesus, the Prince of Peace, did come to bring peace, it was of a different kind than what most in the world were seeking...

(Jesus declared) "Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." (Luke 12:51-53)

In John Jesus explains His peace declaring...

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." (John 14:27)

Jesus is not physically present now to give the world the kind of peace it desperately needs...but His "peacemakers" are present! But in order to be His peacemaker, one must first be at peace with God. So the question is...

How does one become a "peacemaker"? In the Garden of Eden there was perfect peace until sin entered the world. With Adam's sin came enmity (Genesis 3:15) with God. Those once at perfect peace were now enemies. All men are descended from Adam and "just as through one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death through sin...so death spread to all men, because all sinned" (see note Romans 5:12). And so all mankind has inherited Adam's propensity to sin and are by nature "helpless...sinners" (see note Romans 5:6,  5:8) and "enemies" of God (see notes Romans 5:10, cf Romans 8:7 "hostile toward God") in desperate need of Jesus the Redeemer Who "Himself is our Peace" (see note Ephesians 2:14). In a word, sinful mankind needed reconciliation. And it was God Who sought to reconcile man to Himself. When man moved away from God because of his sin, God in His love moved toward man to bring him back to Himself.

In Colossians Paul explains that...

it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself (note Who initiated the reconciliation), having made peace (means He binds together those who have been separated by enmity from God) through the blood of His Cross (this is the only way a man can come to peace with God); through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated (estranged - it always implies loss of affection or interest) and hostile (hateful) in mind (this was mankind's condition when God initiated reconciliation!), engaged in evil (evil in active opposition to good) deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless (without blemish, spot or fault) and beyond reproach (legally unaccused = an entirely legal term  which implies not merely acquittal, but the absence of even a charge or accusation against a believer!)" (see notes Colossians 1:19; 1:20; 1:21; 1:22)

In Romans Paul explains that...

while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. (notes Romans 5:10; 5:11)

Paul had earlier explained the benefit of this reconciliation writing that...

having been justified (declared righteous) by faith (by believing in the substitutionary Sacrifice of the Prince of Peace, Isaiah 9:6), we have peace with (literally "facing", in the very presence of) God through (pictures a conduit or channel - all God's gifts come through Christ our Mediator) our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God... (see note Romans 5:1; 5:2)

Christ then is our model for as the "Prince of peace" (Isaiah 9:6), He is the great Peacemaker, as Paul explained to the church at Corinth writing that...

the love of Christ controls us (primarily His love for us is the controlling influence, cf 1John 4:9), having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all  (substitutionary death available to all who will come), that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. (cf 1Cor 6:20, see note 1Thessalonians 5:10) Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh (no longer evaluating people on the basis of external, human, worldly standards - such as race, appearance, human credentials, etc); even though we have known Christ according to the flesh (as merely another man), yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away (past completed action = once for all when we were justified or declared righteous by faith = aorist tense); behold, new (brand new, never seen before) things have come (and will remain = perfect tense). Now all these things are from God, Who reconciled (changed the relation two parties at enmity into one of peace) us to Himself through Christ (our Peacemaker), and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, (means to restore to harmony that which was disrupted by enmity) namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (New Creatures in Christ called to be peacemakers) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:14-21)

The only men and women who can be peacemakers are those who themselves have experienced peace with God. Now those who were once alienated and hostile to God are restored to harmony with Him and are given the sacred privilege to be His peacemakers in the hostile, alienated world, entreating God's enemies with His word of reconciliation as His ambassadors for Christ.

As Dwight Pentecost wrote...

When Christ said, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” He was not providing a special reward for patient diplomats. He was speaking of those who are themselves at peace with God, who bring a message of peace to men, that they might be brought into harmony with the God from Whom they have been alienated (see notes Romans 5:6; 5:8; 5:10). Blessed are those who announce to sinful men the fact that a Saviour has come...A man will never come to a knowledge of salvation without one to proclaim salvation to him. Man will never go from alienation from God to peace with God (Ed note: this pictures reconciliation) without a peacemaker. Recognizing the lostness of those in His day, religious as they were, the Lord said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Blessed are those who go as the Son of man went to seek and to save that which was lost, to lead them out of the wilderness into the safety of the fold...Paul recognized he had been appointed by the God of peace to be a peacemaker. As he traveled the length and breadth of the Roman Empire, he saw himself as God’s peacemaker, who had come to tell men that Christ had established a way of peace by the blood of His cross, and that through the cross they might come to peace with God. (Pentecost, J. D. Design for living: Lessons in Holiness from the Sermon on the Mount. Kregel Publications) (Bolding added)

And Paul explains that as God's peacemaker you have new "footwear"...

having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. (note on Ephesians 6:15)

Long ago Isaiah spoke of peacemakers declaring...

How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation... (Isaiah 52:7, quoted in Romans 10:15 see notes)

Peacemakers as the ambassadors for Christ and citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, are to

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

In addition, it is clear from Scripture that Kingdom citizens are also to be peacemakers between men shown in passages such as the following...

(Believers are to be) "diligent to preserve the unity (between believers) of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (notes Ephesians 4:3) (Here we see that peace is the bond or the 'cord' so to speak that ties us all together. By nature and by instinct, we would never act as one body. But God's peace can accomplish that and we as peacemakers are to be diligent to pursue that end).

(Writing to believers Paul said) "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." (see note Colossians 3:15) (Here peacemakers are to allow peace to function like a referee who blows the whistle on any action that is out of line since God has called believers to peace)

Pursue (continually = present imperative) peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. (see note Hebrews 12:14)

"(Jesus) by abolishing in His flesh the enmity (between Jew and Gentile), which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances (which the Jews "possessed"), that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace" (Here the peace is between Jew and Gentile believers) (see note Ephesians 2:15)

(Believers are commanded - present imperative - to continually) "Live in peace with one another." (see note 1Thessalonians 5:13) (To live in such a way means that believers must all be peacemakers)

Later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presented an illustration of Matthew 5:9 "in action" declaring

"But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. (see notes Matthew 5:22, 5:23; 5:24)

As those who have received such great mercies from God (note Romans 12:1), citizens of the Kingdom of heaven are instructed...

If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men (see note on Romans 12:18)

Paul again reminds the saints at Rome of the call on their lives noting that...

the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (the only way we can be peacemakers is filled with the Spirit).  For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.  (see note on Romans 14:17-19) (cf related references Ro 12:18 Ps 34:14 133:1 Mt 5:9 Mk 9:50 2Co 13:11 Eph 4:3-7 Php 2:1-4 Col 3:12-15 Heb 12:14 Ja 3:13-18 1Pe 3:11)

How is peacemaking a present and continual possibility for believers once we have been regenerated and are new creations in Christ? Paul explains that...

the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (see note Galatians 5:22)

In his letter to Timothy Paul adds that believers are to...

flee (continually = present imperative) from youthful lusts and pursue (continually = present imperative) righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (see note on 2 Timothy 2:22)

Believers can be "peacemakers" by praying as David writes in Psalm 122...

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May they prosper who love you.
May peace be within your walls,
And prosperity within your palaces."
For the sake of my brothers and my friends,
I will now say, "May peace be within you. (Psalms 122:6-8) (See Spurgeon's notes on Verse 6; Verse 7; Verse 8)

Solomon records that...

There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace. (Proverbs 12:20, NIV)

David exhorts us to...

Depart from evil, and do good;
Seek peace, and pursue it. (Psalm 34:14 - Spurgeon's note)

James in his description of worldly versus godly wisdom notes that...

wisdom (which manifests bitter jealousy and selfish ambition) is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder (instability, state of confusion, disturbance, disarray, or tumult, even rebellion or anarchy, all far from peace) and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure (hagnos = idea of free of contamination or defilement as used by Greeks to describe a cleansing ceremony whereby worshipers were made pure enough to approach their false gods), then peaceable, (godly wisdom is peace loving and thus does not perpetrate conflict but peace) gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed (i.e., godly wisdom) whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:16-18)

What is James' point? How can we raise the "fruit" called righteousness? James is saying it cannot be in an atmosphere of jealousy and selfish ambition. If we want to harvest righteousness, we need to sow seeds of godly wisdom under peaceful conditions by those who are disposed to peace ("peacemakers"). Such sowing of godly wisdom will produce a harvest of righteousness in the life of the sower and in the lives of those with whom he comes in contact. Stated another way, righteousness grows best (and only) in a climate of peace.

Keep in mind the cultural and historical context of the meaning of peace, for as the TDNT explains...

For the Greeks eirene primarily denotes a state, not a relationship or attitude. It is the opposite of pólemos (“war”). It is linked with treaties of peace or the conclusion of peace. It is also the opposite of disturbance. In a negative sense, it may denote a peaceful attitude, i.e., the absence of hostile feelings. In the age of Augustus it carries echoes of redemption, but also implies in everyday reality the legal security of the pax Romana...(in the Rabbinic writings). Shalom (the Hebrew term for peace) is a common term in rabbinic works. It occurs in greetings in the general sense of well-being. The rabbis also use it for God’s gift to his people. Peace is the portion of the righteous and the sum of messianic blessings, although with a stress on concord in Israel. Peace is also the opposite of individual or national strife. Along these lines peacemaking holds a high place in rabbinic estimation. Envy and strife are opposed to God’s will, threaten the continuation of the world, and impede the coming of the Messiah. Conflict exists between God and the human race, or even God and Israel when Israel is guilty of idolatry; there is thus a reciprocal relationship with God in which we, too, must act for the establishment of peace. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W.  Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Abridged: Page 207. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans)

The "big Kittel" feels that eirenopoios...

This is to be understood in terms of the Rabbinical (make peace) which denotes the establishment of peace and concord between men. It is thus a mistake to refer with Dausch to those who promote human happiness and well-being. Nor is it a matter of helping others to peace with God, as Brouwer suggests. The reference is to those who disinterestedly come between two contending parties and try to make peace. These God calls His sons because they are like Him. (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Vol 2, Page 419. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans)

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) comments that

The word (peacemakers) in Matthew 5:9 would, perhaps, be better rendered “peace-workers,” implying not merely making peace between those who are at variance, but working peace as that which is the will of the God of peace for men. (Orr, J. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: 1915 edition)

The modern revision of the ISBE adds that a peacemaker is ...

One who seeks to end strife and establish harmony, particularly between oneself and one’s neighbors. The noun is rare in classical Greek, but it is sometimes used of rulers who have established peace in the empire.... The background for eirēnopoiós in Mt. 5:9, however, is to be found in Hebrew rather than classical Greek tradition. Although eirēnopoiós does not appear in the LXX, the verb eirenopoiéo does, in Pr. 10:10, LXX (cf. also Isa. 27:5, Aq, Symm, Th; the LXX has poiéō eirnēn).

Rabbinic literature refers frequently to the virtue of “making peace” in the sense of ending strife. There is a famous saying of Hillel:

“Be of the sons of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving mankind and bringing them nigh to the Law"

Closely related to the teaching of Mt. 5:9 is that of Ja 3:18, which uses Gk hoi poioúsin eirnēn for those who promote unity and reconciliation within the Christian community. The Beatitude makes clear that those who strive for an end discord and the establishment of harmony (Hebrew = shalom) within the human community are doing the will of God and are therefore worthy to be called God’s children. (Bromiley, G. W.  The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Revised Vol. 3, Page 733. Wm. B. Eerdmans)

The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia describes "peacemakers" as...

Those who through personal work and preaching bring about or effectuate peace between God and the sinner, God is now propitious to the sinner because Christ has “made peace through the blood of his cross” (see note Colossians 1:20), but the Christian still needs to plead with the sinner to be “reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20). That it is making peace between man and God and not the reverse, between God and man, is proved by the fact God has already made His peace through Christ at the cross. That it is not peace between nation and nation, but between man and God, is proved by the fact the peacemakers are called the children of God, those who are His by the new birth. Theirs is the ministry of the Great Commission in Mt 28:19–20. (C. F. Pfeiffer, H. F. Vos & J. Rea, Ed The Wycliffe Bible encyclopedia. 1975. Chicago: Moody Press)

FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF GOD: hoti autoi huioi theou klethesontai. (3PFPI):. (Mt 5:45,48; Psalms 82:6,7; Luke 6:35; 20:36; Ephesians 5:1,2; Philippians 2:15,16; 1 Peter 1:14-16)

Are you a peacemaker? Do you have peace with God? Do you seek to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace? Are you sharing the gospel of peace with others? If so, you will be called a son of God.

Called (2564) (kaleo) means to speak to another in order to bring them nearer, either physically or in a personal relationship.

Called is in the passive voice which indicates the call is external and clearly presupposes God as the One initiating the action of declaring them "sons".  The idea of "to be called" is synonymous with "to become".

Phillips paraphrases it

"for they will be known as sons of God!"

Sons (5207) ( huios) means descendants. The contrast is illegitimate sons. Note that Jesus is not referring to "male offspring" only but is using the term more generically to mean "children" or "offspring".

The reward of peacemakers is that they are recognized as true children of God. They share His passion for peace and reconciliation, the breaking down of walls between people.

The Hebrew idea of the term "son" was one who reflects the character of another. For example, the OT word belial literally meant worthless or useless and was usually employed as a term descriptive of a person, e.g., a son of Belial. Here the positive aspect is emphasized with the term "sons of God", sons who reflect the character of their Heavenly Father.

Sinclair Ferguson has an intriguing insight on the meaning of "sons of God" explaining that...

The blessing implies that in the kingdom of God we are restored to what we were meant to be – children of God (cf. Luke 3:38 "Adam the son of God"). We see him as children who love and trust their Father, and who know that he will supply all their needs. Jesus develops this point at great length in the middle section of his challenging sermon. Being aware of this particular blessing will set us free, he says, from both hypocrisy and paralysing anxiety about temporal concerns. Best of all, since sons inherit their father's riches as well as their father's characteristics, this beatitude summarises all the beatitudes. It tells us that God speaks to us in these words:

My son...you are always with me and everything I have is yours. (Lu 15:31)

Blessed, indeed, is the man or woman who has heard God say that!
 (Ferguson, Sinclair: Sermon on the Mount :Banner of Truth) (Bolding added)

The UBS Handbook makes an interesting clarification writing that

The phrase sons of God (or, children of God) causes a problem in cultures where readers would not understand this phrase to be figurative and, further, would not accept the idea of God having physical offspring. Translators in these cases sometimes use similes, as in “God will say they are like children to him,” “God will consider them as if they were his children,” or “God will have a relationship with (or, will care for) them like a father with his children.” (Newman, B. M., & Stine, P. C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. UBS handbook series New York: United Bible Societies)

Jesus' exhortation which He gave to correct the teaching they had heard that they were to hate your enemy in Matthew 5:44 [note]; 45 [note] offers an excellent commentary on the character and conduct of true sons of God:

But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you (such a righteous conduct won't make you a son of God but it does prove you are a son of God for they are not a natural reactions of our fallen nature!) in order that  you may be sons of your Father Who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

As background notice that the NT uses another Greek word, teknon, which can be translated "sons" but more often is translated "children". Although distinction between the teknon and huios is not always clear-cut, in general teknon refers more specifically to a child produced where that child as viewed in relation to the parents or family. Thus believers who are in God's family, are called the "children of God". As the redeemed, we become the "children of God" (see note Romans 8:16), a term which does not indicate childlikeness, but the fact that we are members of God's family and thus heirs (see notes Romans 8:17, cf Matthew 5:5). Teknon draws our attention to individuals not simply as children but as members of particular families, as those who must be understood within the context of their family and its character. This is seen in our common saying "Like father, like son". Note also that there are only two basic families to which one can be a teknon, either God's family or  Satan's family!

Now back to our discussion of huios - the point is that teknon is a more general designation for offspring and contemplates the individual as one who is parented, one who has been born to another. Nevertheless, because these words often overlap and are used without discrimination, their semantic differences cannot always be pressed. And so huios is used to describe believers as "sons of God" (see notes Romans 8:14, 8:19; Gal 3:26; 4:6, 7 Hebrews 12:7). Teknon is used to describe believers as "children of God" (Jn 1:12 Romans 8:16;