"who don’t trust in their own power”

In Classical Greek praus was used to describe tame or gentle animals (an unbroken colt was useless), a soothing medicine (medicine that was too strong would harm rather than cure), a mild or soft word (cf Pr 15:1), a gentle voice (emotion out of control would destroy and tear down) or a gentle breeze (wind out of control would bring destruction).

And so a person without meekness is

“like a city that is broken into and without walls” (Pr 25:28).

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city” (Pr 16:32).

As Barclay relates...

It was the lack of that very quality which ruined Alexander the Great, who, in a fit of uncontrolled temper in the middle of a drunken debauch, hurled a spear at his best friend and killed him. No man can lead others until he has mastered himself; no man can serve others until he has subjected himself; no man can be in control of others until he has learned to control himself. But the man who gives himself into the complete control of God will gain this meekness which will indeed enable him to inherit the earth. (W. Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew The New Daily Study Bible Westminster John Knox Press)

As someone has said praus is a word with a "caress" in it. In this regard it is interesting to note John Wycliffe's translation of Mt 5:5 as...

Blessed be mild men.

MacArthur writes that...

Meekness is the opposite of violence and vengeance. The meek person, for example, accepts joyfully the seizing of his property, knowing that he has infinitely better and more permanent possessions awaiting him in heaven (Heb. 10:34). The meek person has died to self, and he therefore does not worry about injury to himself, or about loss, insult, or abuse. The meek person does not defend himself, first of all because that is His Lord’s command and example, and second because he knows that he does not deserve defending. Being poor in spirit and having mourned over his great sinfulness, the gentle person stands humbly before God, knowing he has nothing to commend himself. (MacArthur, J: Matthew 1-7 Macarthur New Testament Commentary Chicago: Moody Press)

As noted above the Greeks characterized meekness as power under control and in the case of the Spirit filled believer this means that he or she is under the control of God's Spirit. From a practical standpoint, the individual who is "praus" exhibits a freedom from malice, bitterness, or any desire for revenge. The only way to truly define meekness is in the context of relationships because it refers to how we treat others. A gentle spirit should characterize our relationship with both man and God.

Meekness/gentleness also implies self-control. Aristotle explained that it is the mean between excessive anger and excessive angerlessness. So the man who is meek is able to balance his anger. It is strength under control. The meek person is strong! He is gentle, meek, and mild, but he is in control. He is as strong as steel.

Meekness implies submission to God but it is not a passive submission that shrugs its shoulders and says, "Oh well, I can't do anything about it anyway," but it is an active submission, a choosing to accept God's ways without murmuring or disputing.

Meekness is not cowardice, emotional flabbiness, lack of conviction, complacency, timidity or the willingness to have peace at any cost.

Neither does meekness suggest indecisiveness, wishy-washiness, or a lack of confidence.  The meek person is gentle and mild in his own cause, though he may be a lion in God’s cause or in defending others.

Meekness is not shyness or a withdrawn personality, as contrasted with that of an extrovert. Nor can meekness be reduced to mere niceness. D Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains it this way...

There are people who seem to be born naturally nice. That is not what the Lord means when He says, `Blessed are the meek.' That is something purely biological, the kind of thing you get in animals. One dog is nicer than another, one cat is nicer than another. That is not meekness. So it does not mean to be naturally nice or easy to get on with. Nor does it mean weakness in personality or character. Still less does it mean a spirit of compromise or 'peace at any price. How often are these things mistaken. How often is the man regarded as meek who says, 'Anything rather than have a disagreement.  (Lloyd-Jones, D. M. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount)

Meekness is not weakness, but meekness does not use its power for its own defense or selfish purposes. Meekness is controlled strength or power completely surrendered to God’s control. It is an attitude of heart in which all energies are brought into the perfect control of the Holy Spirit.

The courage, strength, conviction, and softness of meekness come from the Spirit (see note Galatians 5:23), not from self. This spirit of meekness is ultimately the spirit of Christ Himself. Peter records our Lord's example of meekness that we might follow...

21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously (see notes 1 Peter 2:21; 22; 23).

Notice that in meekness Jesus did not attempt to defend Himself nor did He return evil for evil even though accused and suffering unjustly. This is our precious example of meekness beloved. Will you follow the Savior's steps along this narrow path? You will be blessed now and forever.

W E Vine writes that...

Meekness is an in-wrought grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly towards God.

It is that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing and resisting

Praus refers to one who is not overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance and is gentle, humble, considerate, meek and unassuming.

Lloyd-Jones explains that...

The meek man is not proud of himself, he does not in any sense glory in himself. He feels that there is nothing in himself of which he can boast. It also means that he does not assert himself...He does not make demands for his position, his privileges, his possessions, his status in life (see esp. Phil 2:5)...the man who is meek is not even sensitive about himself. He is not always watching himself and his own interests. He is not al­ways on the defensive...We spend the whole of our lives watching ourselves. But when a man becomes meek he has finished with all that; he no longer worries about himself and what other people say. To be truly meek means we no longer protect ourselves, be­cause we see there is nothing worth defending. So we are not on the defensive; all that is gone. The man who is truly meek never pities himself, he is never sorry for himself. He never talks to himself and says, 'You are having a hard time, how unkind these people are not to understand you: He never thinks: `How wonderful I really am, if only other people gave me a chance.' Self-pity! What hours and years we waste in this! But the man who has become meek has finished with all that. To be meek, in other words, means that you have finished with yourself altogether, and you come to see you have no rights or deserts at all. You come to realize that nobody can harm you. John Bunyan puts it per­fectly. 'He that is down need fear no fall.' When a man truly sees himself, he knows nobody can say anything about him that is too bad. You need not worry about what men may say or do; you know you deserve it all and more...A person who is of the type that I have been describing must of necessity be mild. Think again of the exam­ples; think again of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mild, gentle, lowly— those are the terms...But it also means that there will be a complete absence of the spirit of retaliation, having our own back or seeing that the other person pays for it. It also means, therefore, that we shall be patient and long-suffering, especially when we suffer unjustly...But it also means that we are ready to listen and to learn; that we have such a poor idea of ourselves and our own capabilities that we are ready to listen to others. Above all we must be ready to be taught by the Spirit, and led by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Meekness always implies a teachable spirit. It is what we see again in the case of our Lord Himself. Though he was the Second Person in the blessed Holy Trinity, He became man, He deliberately humbled Himself to the extent that He was dependent entirely upon what God gave Him, what God taught Him and what God told Him to do. He humbled Himself to that, and that is what is meant by being meek. We must be ready to learn and listen and especially must we surrender ourselves to the Spirit....Finally, I would put it like this. We are to leave everything — ourselves, our rights, our cause, our whole future — in the hands of God, and especially so if we feel we are suffering unjustly.  (Lloyd-Jones, D. M. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount)

Meekness speaks of a submissive and trusting attitude toward God. It is an attitude which accepts all of God's ways with us as good. It does not murmur or dispute (cf Phil 2:3, 14-16, James 5:9, Pr 13:10 15:18). It neither rebels nor retaliates (cf Pr 20:22, Ro 12:17-21, Mt 5:39, 44, 1Thes 5:15, 1Cor 13:5, 1Pet 3:8-9). It realizes that what comes to us from the hand of man has been permitted by God's sovereignty (Da 4:34-35, Ps 103:19  Da 7:27, 1Ti 6:15), has been filtered by His fingers of love, and will be used by God for His glory and our ultimate good. God is sovereign and in absolute control. Meekness looks beyond circumstances — no matter how upsetting and hurtful — and bows the knee to the sovereign God realizing that everything is permitted and used by Him for our chastening, our purifying.

Meekness says, "Not my will, but Yours be done."

Meekness bows before the throne and realizes that the God Who sits upon that throne is an all-wise God. God makes His wise plans on the basis of His righteous character. He has righteous ends in mind and chooses righteous means to achieve those ends.

Meekness knows that the God Who sits upon the throne of the universe is a good God. Meekness then, when faced with adversity, bows the knee. Why? How? Because the meek individual has come to know God's character. (Ponder a few of these passages -use InstaVerse (KJV free) - Isaiah 14:24, 27, Psalm 52:9, Psalm 107:9, Isaiah 45:5-7, Ecclesiastes 7:13-14, Psalm 31:14-15).

Meekness looks "not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). meekness does not accuse God of being unrighteous or unjust.

Meekness realizes that God is holy. He is a morally excellent, perfect being, pure in every aspect. So meekness makes itself low before His might and majesty.

Meekness whispers through its tears, "God, I trust You. I know You are holy. I know You are righteous. I know You are just. I accept everything that comes into my life without murmuring, without disputing, without retaliation. I know, God, that You are a God of wrath. I know that within You is a holy hatred for all that is unrighteous — an unquenchable desire to punish all unrighteousness. I know, God, that whatever is inconsistent with You must ultimately be consumed. And I wait for that day when You, in righteousness and justice, will move with wrath."

Meekness manifests itself in its reaction to evil — by turning the other cheek, loving its enemies, and praying for those who persecute it (Mt 5:39, 44).

Praus describes the man or woman whose temper is always under complete control. It means power put under control. The meek person knows when to be angry and when not to be angry. They patiently bear wrongs to themselves but are ever chivalrously ready to spring to the help of others who are wronged. When the meek person becomes angry, he or she is aroused by that which maligns God's Name or His work or is harmful to others, not by what is done against himself or herself. There is in fact is a lack of anger when they are harmed or criticized. And when they do demonstrate a "righteous anger" (cf Eph 4:26), it is controlled and carefully directed, not a careless and wild venting of emotion that spatters everyone who is near. People who are angered at every nuisance or inconvenience to themselves know nothing of meekness or gentleness or meekness.

Praus and prautes convey the idea of tenderness and graciousness, and can be accurately translated “meekness” and “meek” respectively. But unlike those English words, the Greek terms do not connote weakness but rather power under control. The adjective praus was often used of a wild horse that was broken and made useful to its owner. For believers, to be gentle is to be willingly under the sovereign control of God. Numbers 12:3 describes Moses as

“very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”

Yet that same Moses could act decisively, and flared up in anger when provoked.

How would you describe your attitude, beloved? Are you meek, humble, gentle, and mild, or do you tend to display an arrogant, selfish attitude toward others?

Gentleness is a God-honored character trait, a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23) and is never bitter, malicious, self-seeking, self-promoting, arrogant, or vengeful.

Adam Clarke writes that the English word "meek"

The person who is "gentle" or "meek" sees everything as coming from God and accepting it without murmuring and without disputing.

The "gentle, meek" person (empowered by the indwelling Spirit, gentleness being His fruit) is enabled to say

"God, in this situation (whatever it might be), You are in control. You are sovereign and You rule over all. You have a purpose and that one aspect of Your purpose is to make me more like Christ."

Robert Johnstone (in his excellent nineteenth-century commentary on James) has some insightful comments on meek or gentle writing...

"I do not know that at any point the opposition between the spirit of the world and the Spirit of Christ is more marked, more obviously diametrical, than with regard to this feature of character. That “the meek” should “inherit the earth”—they who bear wrongs, and exemplify that love which “seeketh not her own,”—to a world which believes in high-handedness and self-assertion, and pushing the weakest to the wall, a statement like this of the Lord from heaven cannot but appear an utter paradox. The man of the world desires to be counted anything but “meek” or “poor in spirit,” and would deem such a description of him equivalent to a charge of unmanliness. Ah, brethren, this is because we have taken in Satan’s conception of manliness instead of God’s. One Man has been shown us by God, in whom His ideal of man was embodied; and He, “when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, threatened not, but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously”; He for those who nailed Him to the tree prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” The world’s spirit of wrath, then, must be folly; whilst than a spirit of meekness like His, in the midst of controversy, oppositions, trials of whatever kind, there can be no surer evidence that “Jesus is made of God to His people wisdom.” (Johnstone, Robert : A Commentary on James. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1977, p261–62)

Strong's note on praus states that

"Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. In the OT, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend them against injustice. Thus, meekness toward evil people means knowing God is permitting the injuries they inflict, that He is using them to purify His elect, and that He will deliver His elect in His time." (cf Is41:17)

William Barclay (critique) has a lengthy discussion of praus (and the related word prautes) writing that praus has two main lines of meanings...

"(a) Aristotle, the great Greek thinker and teacher, has much to say about praotēs (related to praus). It was his custom to define every virtue as the mean between two extremes. On one side there was excess of some quality, on the other defect; and in between there was exactly its right proportion.

Aristotle defines praotēs (related to praus) as the mean between being too angry and never being angry at all.

To put that in another way, the man who is praus is the man who is kindled by indignation at the wrongs and the sufferings of others, but is never moved to anger by the wrongs and the insults he himself has to bear. So, then, the man who is (as in the Authorized Version), meek is the man who is always angry at the right time but never angry at the wrong time.

To reiterate Barclay's point, it is notable that the Greek term for meekness has its roots in the domestication of animals. Think of talk about a horse that has been "broken," meaning that the animal has learned to accept control by its master and is properly behaved. From there, the term has been extended to include people who are properly behaved. The meek are those of gentle behavior, loving and submissive.

Meekness is the attitude expressed by John Bunyan in The Pilgrim’s Progress writing...

He that is down needs fear no fall,
He that is low no pride;
He that is humble ever shall
Have God to be his guide.

Marvin Vincent has a long note on praus, meekness, writing that it is

Another word which, though never used in a bad sense, Christianity has lifted to a higher plane, and made the symbol of a higher good. Its primary meaning is mild, gentle. It was applied to inanimate things, as light, wind, sound, sickness. It was used of a horse; gentle.

As a human attribute, Aristotle defines it as the mean between stubborn anger and that. negativeness of character which is incapable of even righteous indignation: according to which it is tantamount to equanimity. Plato opposes it to fierceness or cruelty, and uses it of humanity to the condemned; but also of the conciliatory demeanor of a demagogue seeking popularity and power. Pindar applies it to a king, mild or kind to the citizens, and Herodotus uses it as opposed to anger.

These pre-Christian meanings of the word exhibit two general characteristics.

1. They express outward conduct merely.  2. They contemplate relations to men only.  The Christian word, on the contrary, describes an inward quality, and that as related primarily to God.

The equanimity, mildness, kindness, represented by the classical word, are founded in self-control or in natural disposition.  The Christian meekness is based on humility, which is not a natural quality but an outgrowth of a renewed nature.

To the pagan the word often implied condescension, to the Christian it implies submission.

The Christian quality in its manifestation, reveals all that was best in the heathen virtue — mildness, gentleness, equanimity — but these manifestations toward men are emphasized as outgrowths of a spiritual relation to God.

The mildness or kindness of Plato or Pindar imply no sense of inferiority in those who exhibit them; sometimes the contrary. Plato’s demagogue is kindly from self-interest and as a means to tyranny. Pindar’s king is condescendingly kind.

The meekness of the Christian springs from a sense of the inferiority of the creature to the Creator (cf Mt 5:3), and especially of the sinful creature to the holy God (Mt 5:4). While, therefore, the pagan quality is redolent of self-assertion, the Christian quality carries the flavor of self-abasement.

As toward God, therefore, meekness accepts his dealings without murmur or resistance as absolutely good and wise.

As toward man, it accepts opposition, insult, and provocation, as God’s permitted ministers of a chastening demanded by the infirmity and corruption of sin; while, under this sense of his own sinfulness, the meek bears patiently “the contradiction of sinners against himself,” forgiving and restoring the erring in a spirit of meekness, considering himself, lest he also be tempted (see Gal 6:1–5). The ideas of forgiveness and restoration nowhere attach to the classical word. They belong exclusively to Christian meekness, which thus shows itself allied to love. (Vincent, M. R. Word studies in the New Testament Vol. 1, Page 3-37)

Think about it...if gentleness or meekness governs the circumstances we encounter rather than the circumstances governing us, it has to be powerful.

Meekness is the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest. The meek have a special happiness because they are free of pride and ambition.

The gentle or meek are those who accept all as coming from God and demonstrate that same behavior to others in a gentleness of life, which is the fruit of the Spirit.

Meekness is an equanimity of spirit that is neither elated nor cast down because it is not occupied with self at all.

There is no discord possible on the bassviol to a string that does not exist, or that has not been brought to any tension. (H. W. Beecher.)

J C Ryle says that the meek are...

He means those who are of a patient and contented spirit. They are willing to put up with little honor here below; they can bear injuries without resentment; they are not ready to take offense. Like Lazarus in the parable, they are content to wait for their good things (Luke 16:20). Blessed are all such! They are never losers in the long run. One day they will “reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10). (Ryle, J. C. Matthew.)

J Vernon McGee asks...

D Martyn Lloyd-Jones makes an interesting observation regarding how meekness is contrasted with the first two beatitudes noting that...

here (meekness) we are reaching a point at which we begin to be concerned about other people. Let me put it like this. I can see my own utter nothingness and helplessness face-to-face with the demands of the gospel and the law of God (the first beatitude, "poor in spirit"). I am aware, when I am honest with myself, of the sin and the evil that are within me, and that drag me down (the second beatitude, "those who mourn"). And I am ready to face both these things.

But how much more difficult it is to allow other people to say things like that about me! I instinctively resent it. We all of us prefer to condemn ourselves than to allow somebody else to condemn us. I say of myself that I am a sinner, but instinctively I do not like anybody else to say I am a sinner. That is the principle that is introduced at this point. So far, I myself have been looking at myself. Now, other people are looking at me, and I am in a relationship to them, and they are doing certain things to me. How do I react to that? That is the matter which is dealt with at this point. I think you will agree that this is more humbling and more humiliating than everything that has gone before. (Meekness) is to allow other people to put the searchlight upon me instead of my doing it myself.  (Lloyd-Jones, D. M. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount)

"Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." (Genesis 50:19-20)

In the New Testament Jesus is our example of perfect gentleness or meekness, in His famous invitation...

28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest (refresh you, cause you to cease from movement or labor in order to recover your strength, which emphasizes the restorative character of the rest) 29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle (meek - praus) and humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST (noun form of "rest" in v28) FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 "For My yoke is easy (profitable, good for any use, easy to bear chrestos see related word chrestotes), and My load is light." (Mt 11:28-30)

A yoke was a wooden frame which was put on the backs of animals and around their necks joining the two animals for a common task, such as plowing or pulling a load. If you were yoked with Jesus Christ, who do you think would "pull the load"? Obviously the Lord. And so in order to manifest meekness we must yoke ourselves to Jesus, for He is the very essence and epitome of meekness. He promises us that if we take His we will find the rest of available in a meek, humble heart. The picture would have been very familiar to Jesus' audience for in Biblical times a young ox was commonly yoked to an older, more experienced ox so that the older ox might train the younger to perform properly. For example, by bearing the same yoke, the untrained ox would soon learn the proper pace and how to heed the direction of the master. By analogy believers learn by being yoked to Christ, as we surrender to His will in every area of your life.

His yoke is "easy" in that it is good and profitable and has nothing harsh or galling about it. Christ's yoke is not one which chafes, irks or galls, but is smooth and even. Hence, the term suggests that gracious nature which mellows that which otherwise would have been harsh and austere. Christ yoke is "easy" in that it is well-fitting. In Palestine ox yokes were made of wood. The ox was brought, and the measurements were taken. The yoke was then roughed out, and the ox was brought back to have the yoke tried on. The yoke was carefully adjusted, so that it would fit well, and not gall the neck of the patient beast. The yoke was tailor-made to fit the ox. And so is His yoke for you beloved, for He is "gentle and humble in heart". Learn meekness from the Master's touch.

Christ shows as alluded to earlier that meekness is by no means a reflection of weakness or a spineless character. In fact, as stated, genuine Spirit given meekness is anger under control. Anger that is properly motivated and apportioned. In short, it is a "righteous anger". It follows that meekness is not apathy, not a milquetoast mentality, nor a doormat demeanor! Let's look at how our gentle Lord manifested his "meekness" in appropriate anger...

And the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers seated. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the moneychangers, and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a house of merchandise." 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR THY HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME." (John 2:17-18)

The meekness of Christ could not ignore the moneychangers and sacrifice sellers. Instead we see His meekness manifest at the right time against the right people and for the right reason.

Kent Hughes sums up Jesus as the incarnation of meekness noting that

Hughes goes on to note some practical benchmarks by which you can assess whether you are manifesting the meekness Christ's calls for...

• Harshness: If you are mean in your treatment of others, if there is an absence of gentleness in your treatment of others, take heed.

• Grasping: If you make sure you always get yours first, if numero uno is the subtle driving force in your life, if you care little about how your actions affect others, beware.

• Vengeful: If you are known as someone never to cross, if you always get your "pound of flesh," be on your guard.

• Uncontrolled: If rage fills your soul so that life is a series of explosions occasioned by the "fools" in your life, watch out.

Again, this is not to suggest that you are not a Christian if you fall into these sins, but rather to point out that if they are part of your persona, if you are a self-satisfied "Christian" who thinks that the lack of gentleness and meekness is "just you" and people will have to get used to it, if you are not repentant, you are probably not a Christian. (Hughes, R. K. Sermon on the Mount: The Message of the Kingdom. Crossway Books)  (Bolding added)

Matthew Henry has an excellent summary of meekness writing...