Characteristics of a meek person

What does meek mean? When used in a positive way, meek describes someone who shows patient restraint. When used negatively, it means overly submissive. The positive sense of meek implies that someone is able to remain calm and subdued even when being provoked.

Literary examples

Meekness is used to characterise the nature of Tess in Tess of the D’Urbervilles. The Heroine of Possession: A Romance judges the hero as “a gentle and unthreatening being. Meek, she thought drowsily, turning out the light. Meek.”

But it also speaks to the idea of peace; a woman who is meek or gentle is a woman who is at peace in her heart, no matter what the rest of her life is like. She has no need to fight for her agenda or to resist her husband’s will.

In a general sense, meekness refers to the quality of being quiet, gentle, righteous, and obedient. On the other hand, humility refers to the quality of being humble. Meekness is a quality that a person displays towards others, but humility is something that one displays to one’s self.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”

This well known statement of our Lord is taken from the Sermon on the Mount when expressing the Beatitudes.

Meek doesn’t mean weak. It means being powerful without taking action. It is a strategy you must maintain to achieve the highest level of spiritual success. Meekness is important because not everyone is ready for our power and strength.

Meekness is not weakness! The meek have strength, but they have disciplined their strength. The Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary defines meekness as “A calm temper of mind, not easily provoked.” Meekness is refraining to use your strength, power or right, which gives another or others advantage over you.

notes for The meek shall inherit the Earth

The saying implies that those who forgo worldly power will be rewarded in the kingdom of heaven.

1 : in a humble or meek manner. 2 : in a low position, manner, or degree. 3 : not loudly.