Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
thee a fathers blessing, better than that of thy
(2, 3) Thou shalt be a blessing.More correctly, Be
thou a blessing. The promises made to Abram are partly
personal and partly universal, embracing the whole
world. In return for all that he abandons he is to
become the founder of a powerful nation, who will
honour his name, and teach the inheritors of their
spiritual privileges to share in their veneration for him.
But in the command to be or become a blessing, we and conduct, shall make thee a blessing in all places
reach a higher level, and it is the glory of Abrams faith
that it was not selfish, and in return for his consenting
to lead the life of a stranger, he was to be the means of
procuring religious privileges, not only for his own
descendants, but also for all families of the earth
(Heb., of the groundthe admh). Not for the earth as
the material universe, but solely in its connection with
man. Wherever man makes his home upon it, there,
through Abram, spiritual blessings will be offered him.
I will bless . . . These words indicate relations
mysteriously close between Jehovah and Abram,
whereby the friends and enemies of the one become so
equally to the other. But in the second clause our version
has not noticed an essential difference between the
verbs used. They occur together again in Exodus 22:28,
and are there more correctly rendered by revile and
curse. The one word signifies to treat lightly and
contemptuously, the other to pronounce a curse, usually
in a judicial manner. We might, therefore, translate, I
will cursepass a sentence of rejection uponhim that
speaketh lightly of, or revileth thee.
In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.Some
authorities translate, shall bless themselves; but there
is a different conjugation to express this meaning, and no
reason exists for forcing it upon the text. Henceforward
Abram and the nation sprung from him were to be the
intermediaries between God and mankind, and
accordingly revelation was virtually confined to them.
But though the knowledge of Gods will was to be given
through them, it was for the benefit of all the families of
every race and kindred distributed throughout the
habitable world, the admh(Romans 3:29; Romans
10:12, &c).
Benson Commentary
Genesis 12:2. I will make of thee a great nation
When God took him from his own people, he
promised to make him the head of another people. This
promise was both a great relief to Abrams burden, for
he had now no child, and a great trial to Abrams faith,
for his wife had been long barren; so that if he believe,
it must be against hope, and his faith must build purely
upon that power which can out of stones raise up
children unto Abraham. I will bless thee Either
particularly with the blessing of fruitfulness, as he had
blessed Adam and Noah; or in general, I will bless
thee with all manner of blessings, both of the upper and
nether springs: leave thy fathers house, and I will give
progenitors. I will make thy name great By deserting
his country he lost his name there. Care not for that,
says God, but trust me, and I will make thee a greater
name than ever thou couldst have had there. Thou shalt
be a blessing Thy testimony for God, thy example,
thy prayers, and power with God, thy wisdom and
prudence, thy peaceable and benevolent disposition
where thou shalt sojourn. I will bless them that bless
thee, &c. I will be a friend to thy friends, and an
enemy to thy enemies; thus making, as it were, a kind
of league, offensive and defensive, with Abram. Abram
heartily espoused Gods cause, and here God promises
to interest himself m his behalf.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
12:1-3 God made choice of Abram, and singled him out
from among his fellow-idolaters, that he might reserve
a people for himself, among whom his true worship
might be maintained till the coming of Christ. From
henceforward Abram and his seed are almost the only
subject of the history in the Bible. Abram was tried
whether he loved God better than all, and whether he
could willingly leave all to go with God. His kindred and
his father's house were a constant temptation to him,
he could not continue among them without danger of
being infected by them. Those who leave their sins, and
turn to God, will be unspeakable gainers by the change.
The command God gave to Abram, is much the same
with the gospel call, for natural affection must give way
to Divine grace. Sin, and all the occasions of it, must be
forsaken; particularly bad company. Here are many
great and precious promises. All God's precepts are
attended with promises to the obedient. 1. I will make
of thee a great nation. When God took Abram from his
own people, he promised to make him the head of
another people. 2. I will bless thee. Obedient believers
shall be sure to inherit the blessing. 3. I will make thy
name great. The name of obedient believers shall
certainly be made great. 4. Thou shalt be a blessing.
Good men are the blessings of their country. 5. I will
bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee. God will take care that none are losers, by any
service done for his people. 6. In thee shall all the
families of the earth be blessed. Jesus Christ is the great
blessing of the world, the greatest that ever the world
possessed. All the true blessedness the world is now, or
ever shall be possessed of, is owing to Abram and his
posterity. Through them we have a Bible, a Saviour, and
a gospel. They are the stock on which the Christian
church is grafted.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The promise corresponds to the command. If he is to
lose much by his exile, he will also gain in the end. The
promise contains a lower and higher blessing. The lower
blessing has three parts: "First, I will make of thee a
great nation." This will compensate for the loss of his
country. The nation to which he had hitherto belonged
was fast sinking into polytheism and idolatry. To escape
from it and its defiling influence was itself a benefit; but
to be made himself the head of a chosen nation was a
double blessing. Secondly, "And bless thee." The place
of his birth and kindred was the scene of all his past
earthly joys. But the Lord will make up the loss to him in
a purer and safer scene of temporal prosperity. Thirdly,
"And make thy name great." This was to compensate
him for his father's house. He was to be the patriarch of
a new house, on account of which he would be known
and venerated all over the world.
The higher blessing is expressed in these remarkable
terms: "And be thou a blessing." He is to be not merely a
subject of blessing, but a medium of blessing to others. It
is more blessed to give than to receive. And the Lord here
confers on Abram the delightful prerogative of
dispensing good to others. The next verse expands this
higher element of the divine promise. "I will bless them
that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee." Here
the Lord identifies the cause of Abram with his own, and
declares him to be essentially connected with the weal
or woe of all who come into contact with him. "And
blessed in thee shall be all the families of the ground."
The ground was cursed for the sake of Adam, who fell by
transgression. But now shall the ground again participate
in the blessing. "In thee." In Abram is this blessing laid up
as a treasure hid in a field to be realized in due time. "All
the families" of mankind shall ultimately enter into the
enjoyment of this unbounded blessing.
Thus, when the Lord saw fit to select a man to preserve
vital piety on the earth and be the head of a race suited
to be the depository of a revelation of mercy, he at the
same time designed that this step should be the means
of effectually recalling the sin-enthralled world to the
knowledge and love of himself. The race was twice
already since the fall put upon its probation - once under
the promise of victory to the seed of the woman, and
again under the covenant with Noah. In each of these
cases, notwithstanding the growing light of revelation
and accumulating evidence of the divine forbearance,
the race had apostatised from the God of mercy, with
lamentably few known exceptions. Yet, undeterred by
the gathering tokens of this second apostasy, and after
reiterated practical demonstration to all people of the
debasing, demoralizing effect of sin, the Lord, with calm
determination of purpose, sets about another step in the
great process of removing the curse of sin, dispensing the
blessing of pardon, and eventually drawing all the
nations to accept of his mercy. The special call of Abram
contemplates the calling of the Gentiles as its final issue,
and is therefore to be regarded as one link in a series of
wonderful events by which the legal obstacles to the
divine mercy are to be taken out of the way, and the
Spirit of the Lord is to prevail with still more and more of
men to return to God.
It is sometimes inadvertently said that the Old Testament
is narrow and exclusive, while the New Testament is
broad and catholic in its spirit. This is a mistake. The Old
and New Testaments are of one mind on this matter.
Many are called, and few chosen. This is the common
doctrine of the New as well as of the Old. They are both
equally catholic in proclaiming the gospel to all. The
covenant with Adam and with Noah is still valid and sure
to all who return to God; and the call of Abram is
expressly said to be a means of extending blessing to all
the families of man. The New Testament does not aim at
anything more than this; it merely hails the approaching
accomplishment of the same gracious end. They both
concur also in limiting salvation to the few who repent
and believe the gospel. Even when Abram was called
there were a few who still trusted in the God of mercy.
According to the chronology of the Masoretic text, Heber
was still alive, Melkizedec was contemporary with
Abram, Job was probably later, and many other now
unknown witnesses for God were doubtless to be found,
down to the time of the exodus, outside the chosen
family. God marks the first symptoms of decaying piety.
He does not wait until it has died out before he calls
Abram. He proceeds in a leisurely, deliberate manner
with his eternal purpose of mercy, and hence, a single
heir of promise suffices for three generations, until the
set time comes for the chosen family and the chosen
nation. Universalism, then, in the sense of the offer of
mercy to man, is the rule of the Old and the New
Testament. Particularism in the acceptance of it is the
accident of the time. The call of Abram is a special
expedient for providing a salvation that may be offered
to all the families of the earth.
In all God's teachings the near and the sensible come
before the far and the conceivable, the present and the
earthly before the eternal and the heavenly. Thus,
Abram's immediate acts of self-denial are leaving his
country, his birthplace, his home. The promise to him is
to be made a great nation, be blessed, and have a great
name in the new land which the Lord would show him.
This is unspeakably enhanced by his being made a
blessing to all nations. God pursues this mode of teaching
for several important reasons. First, the sensible and the
present are intelligible to those who are taught. The
Great Teacher begins with the known, and leads the
mind forward to the unknown. If he had begun with
things too high, too deep, or too far for the range of
Abram's mental vision, he would not have come into
relation with Abram's mind. It is superfluous to say that
he might have enlarged Abram's view in proportion to
the grandeur of the conceptions to be revealed.
On the same principle he might have made Abram
cognizant of all present and all developed truth. On the
same principle he might have developed all things in an
instant of time, and so have had done with creation and
providence at once. Secondly, the present and the
sensible are the types of the future and the conceivable;
the land is the type of the better land; the nation of the
spiritual nation; the temporal blessing of the eternal
blessing; the earthly greatness of the name of the
heavenly. And let us not suppose that we are arrived at
the end of all knowledge. We pique ourselves on our
advance in spiritual knowledge beyond the age of Abram.
But even we may be in the very infancy of mental
development. There may be a land, a nation, a blessing,
a great name, of which our present realizations or
conceptions are but the types. Any other supposition
would be a large abatement from the sweetness of
hope's overflowing cup.
Thirdly, these things which God now promises are the
immediate form of his bounty, the very gifts he begins at
the moment to bestow. God has his gift to Abram ready
in his hand in a tangible form. He points to it and says,
This is what thou presently needest; this I give thee, with
my blessing and favor. But, fourthly, these are the
earnest and the germ of all temporal and eternal
blessing. Man is a growing thing, whether as an individual
or a race. God graduates his benefits according to the
condition and capacity of the recipients. In the first boon
of his good-will is the earnest of what he will continue to
bestow on those who continue to walk in his ways. And
as the present is the womb of the future, so is the
external the symbol of the internal, the material the
shadow of the spiritual, in the order of the divine
blessing. And as events unfold themselves in the history
of man and conceptions in his soul within, so are
doctrines gradually opened up in the Word of God, and
progressively revealed to the soul by the Spirit of God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 12
Ge 12:1-20. Call to Abram.
1. Now the Lord had said unto AbramIt pleased God,
who has often been found of them who sought Him not,
to reveal Himself to Abraham perhaps by a miracle; and
the conversion of Abraham is one of the most
remarkable in Bible history.
Get thee out of thy countryHis being brought to the
knowledge and worship of the true God had probably
been a considerable time before. This call included two
promises: the first, showing the land of his future
posterity; and the second, that in his posterity all the
earth was to be blessed (Ge 12:2). Abraham obeyed, and
it is frequently mentioned in the New Testament as a
striking instance of his faith (Heb 11:8).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
I will bless thee with all my blessings, spiritual,
temporal, and eternal; (see Deu 7:1328:2,
&c.; Ephesians 1:3)
and thou shalt be, both a pattern and instrument of
blessedness to others; to thy posterity, who shall be
blessed for thy sake; to thy servants and friends, who
shall be blessed by thy instruction and help; and to all
the world, as it follows.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
And I will make of thee a great nation,.... In a literal
sense, as the people of the Jews were that descended
from him, and in a spiritual sense believers in all ages
and of all nations, that walk in the steps of the faith of
Abram, who are his children, and are blessed with him:
and I will bless thee; not only with temporal blessings,
but principally with spiritual ones, since Abram in person
had no share of the land of Canaan; even with the
adoption of children and friendship with God; with
justification by the imputed righteousness of Christ,
which blessedness came upon him when uncircumcised;
with a large measure of faith, and every other grace; with
the sanctification of the Spirit, and an increase of it until
brought to perfection; and with eternal glory and
happiness, a right, title, and meetness for it, and the full
possession of it:
and make thy name great; as it was among the Jews his
descendants, who boasted of having Abram for their
father; and among the several nations of the world; his
name is famous in profane history, and is in high esteem
with the Mahometans to this day; and especially his
name is great and famous, and the memory of him
precious among all those who have obtained like
precious faith with him, in every age and in every nation:
and thou shall be a blessing; to all that knew him and
conversed with him, they receiving spiritual light and
knowledge by means of his instruction, and to all that
should hear and read of his faith and piety, being
encouraged by his example: or, "shall be blessing";
blessing itself, that is, most blessed, exceedingly blessed;
as a very wicked man may be called wickedness itself; as
"scelus" for "scelestus" with the Latins; so a good man
may be called blessing itself, extremely happy.
Geneva Study Bible
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless
thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be {c} a
blessing:
(c) The world shall recover by your seed, which is Christ,
the blessing which they lost in Adam.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
2. The promise, (1) of national greatness, (2) of personal
privilege, embraces a double relation, to the world and
to the individual.
a great nation] This thought stands in the forefront. The
personal aspect of the promise made to Abram is from
the first merged in the thought of its historic influence
throughout the ages.
I will bless thee] The experience of happiness in the
personal relation to Jehovah is to be the pledge of the
ultimate fulfilment of blessing to the world.
make thy name great] Contrast Genesis 11:4. The
blessing of Abram, in its spiritual influence upon the
world, will be of more enduring renown than any of the
material forces of the world.
be thou a blessing] i.e. one who impersonates true
felicity; cf. Zechariah 8:13. Not a source, but a type, of
blessing, to be pronounced upon others. The imperative
expresses a consequence which is intended
(Gesenius, Heb. Gr. 110. 1) = so that thou shalt be a
blessing. By a slight alteration of the pointing,
Giesebrecht reads and it (the name) shall be a
blessing. For the curse of the primaeval age (Genesis Rosenmller, Keil, Wordsworth, Murphy,
3:13,Genesis 4:11, Genesis 5:29, Genesis 9:25 (J)) is
substituted the blessing of the Chosen Family.
Pulpit Commentary
Verses 2, 3. - And I will make of thee a great nation. A
compensation for leaving his small kindred. The nation
should be great
(1) numerically (Keil, Rosenmller),
(2) influentially (Kalisch, Inglis),
(3) spiritually (Luther, Wordsworth). And I will bless
thee. Temporally (Pererius, Murphy), with every
kind of good (Rosenmller), in particular with
offspring (Vatablus); but also spiritually
(Rupertus, Bush), in the sense., e.g., of being
justified by faith, as inGalatians 3:8 (Candlish).
The blessing was a recompense for the
deprivations entailed upon him by forsaking the
place of his birth and kindred (Murphy). And
make thy name great. Render thee illustrious
and renowned (Rosenmller); not so much in the
annals of the world as in the history of the
Church (Bush); in return for leaving thy father's
house (Murphy). So God made David a great
name (2 Samuel 7:9; cf.Proverbs
22:1; Ecclesiastes 7:3). And thou shalt be a
blessing. I.e. "blessed," as inZechariah
8:12 (Chaldee, Syriac, LXX., Dathe, Rosenmller,
Gesenius); or "a type or example of blessing," so
that men shall introduce thy name into their
formularies of blessing (Kimchi, Clericus, Knobel,
Calvin); but, best, "a source of blessing'
(spiritual) to others" (Tuch, Delitzsch, Keil,
Kalisch, Murphy). The sense in which Abram was
to be a source of blessing to others is explained
in the next verse. First, men were to be either
blessed or cursed of God according as their
attitude to Abram was propitious or hostile. And
I will bless them - grace expecting they will be
many to bless (Delitzsch) -that bless thee, and
curse (with a judicial curse, the word being the
same as inGenesis 3:14; Genesis 4:11) him - only
an individual here and there, in the judgment of
the Deity, being likely to inherit this malediction
(Delitzsch) - that curseth (literally,treateth
lightly or despiseth The verb is applied
in Genesis 8:11 to the diminution of the waters
of the flood) thee. The Divine Being thus
identifies himself with Abram, and solemnly
engages to regard Abrams friends and enemies
as his, as Christ does with his Church (cf. Acts
1:4). And in thee shall all the families of the earth
be blessed. Not Mess themselves by thee or in
thy name (Jarchi, Clericus); but in thee, as the
progenitor of the promised seed, shall all the
families of the ground (which was cursed on
account of sin, Genesis ill 17) be spiritually
blessed - cf. Galatians 3:8 (Calvin, Luther,
'Speaker's Commentary'). Thus the second sense
in which Abram was constituted a blessing lay in
this, that the whole fullness of the Divine
promise of salvation for the world was narrowed
up to his line, by which it was in future to be
carried forward, and at the appointed season,
when the woman s seed was horn, distributed
among mankind.
 Ancient Hebrew Word Meanings knee and kneel. In our weakness, we kneel before
Bless ~ barak
G-d and He provides His strength (lit. blessing). Thus
Every word in the Ancient Hebrew language was a blessing from G-d is empowerment to be able to do
related to an image of action, something that what is not within our natural capabilities.
could be sensed (as observed by the five senses
- seen, heard, smelled, touched or felt) and in
motion. The word bless, found numerous times Some of the contexts in which blessing occurs include
in English translations of the Bible, is a purely the end of a worship service, when we are sent back
abstract word that cannot be sensed, nor is it in out into the pagan world often the priestly blessing
motion. In order to interpret this word correctly
we must find its original concrete meaning. In (Numbers 6:24-26):
Genesis 24:11 we read, "And he made the
camels kneel down outside the city." The May Adonai bless you and keep you;
,
phrase "kneel down" is the Hebrew
verb ( B.R.K), the very same word translated
, May Adonai lift up his face upon
as bless. The concrete meaning of is to
kneel down. The extended meaning of this word you and be gracious unto you;
is to do or give something of value to another.
God "blesses" us by providing for our needs and , May Adonai lift up his face
we in turn "bless" God by giving him of
ourselves as his servants. upon you and give you peace.

Blessings are also a traditional part of a Jewish

wedding, for without G-ds help, how much more
The Biblical Meaning of difficult marriage would be! The marriage contract
has three partners: the husband, the wife, and the L-
Blessing rd. As Ecclesiastes reminds us, A cord of three
strands is not easily broken.
The first usage of the Hebrew root to bless ( )in
the Bible is at Genesis 1:22, the 5th day of Creation,
When we bless G-d, however, the meaning can
when upon creating the swarming swarms to fill the
obviously not be us supplying strength where G-d is
sea and the sky, G-d blesses them, i.e. endows them
weak so there must be another use as well. When we
with fruitfulness (the ability to reproduce).* He also
pronounce blessings on G-d, we are describing His
blesses 6th day creation (land animals and humans)
attributes most often his covenant loyalty ( ) and
in the same way. Specific examples of such a usage
truthfulness ( ;) cf. Deut. 15:14; 1 Sam 23:21; I Kgs
can be found in Deut. 28:4-5; 1 Sam 25:33; and Prov
10:9; Ps 31:21; 106:48. When G-d blesses us, it is
5:18 blessed be the fruit of your womb. Oswalt
these two qualities that are being manifested to us. It
defines the word as to endue with power for success,
is because G-d has these attributes that He chooses to
prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc.
bestow His blessings upon us.

The Hebrew word ( blessed) conveys the idea of

___________________________
being strengthened, of our weakness being
* Claus Westermann, Blessing in the Bible and the
compensated for with G-ds strength. The field of
Life of the Church (Overtures to Biblical Theology;
meaning of its root ( )is to kneel, bless, praise,
Minneapolis: Fortress, 1978).
salute.
John N. Oswalt, , Theological Wordbook of the
One of the nouns which derives from this root is the
Old Testament (Chicago: Moody, 1980), 132.
Hebrew word for knee () , which is one of the
weakest parts of the body; i.e. the English idiom for
fear-stricken weak in the knees. You can see even in
English the relationship between the two words
Blessing [N]
God's intention and desire to bless humanity is a
central focus of his covenant relationships. For this
reason, the concept of blessing pervades the biblical
record. Two distinct ideas are present. First, a
blessing was a public declaration of a favored status
with God. Second, the blessing endowed power for
prosperity and success. In all cases, the blessing
served as a guide and motivation to pursue a course
of life within the blessing.
The Old Testament Terms for blessing abound in the
Old Testament, occurring over 600 times. The major
terms are related to the word meaning "to kneel, "
since in earlier times one would kneel to receive a
blessing.
The history of Israel begins with the promise of
blessing. The curse, which had dominated the early
chapters of the biblical story ( Genesis 3:14 Genesis
3:17 ; 4:11 ; 5:29 ; 9:25 ), was countered by God's
promise to Abraham that "all peoples on earth will be
blessed through you" (Gen 12:3 ). The record of
Israel's past is best understood as an outworking of
blessing and cursing ( Deut 27:1-28:68 ).
The institutions of societythe family, government, and
religionwere the means by which ceremonial
blessings were received. Within the family the father
blessed his wife and children ( Gen 27:27-29; 49:25-
26 ; 1 Sam 2:20 ). In the government context, the
ruler blessed his subjects ( 2 Sam 6:18 ;1 Kings
8:14 1 Kings 8:55 ). Those who possessed a priestly
role were bestowed with the privilege of blessing
( Gen 14:19 ; Lev 9:22 ). The tribe of Levi was set
apart "to pronounce blessings in his [the Lord's]
name" ( Deut 10:8 ; 21:5 ).
Three common themes are present in formal Old
Testament blessings. First, the greater blesses the
lesser, a fact picked up by the writer of Hebrews to
demonstrate the superiority of Melchizedek to
Abraham ( Heb 7:6-7 ). Second, the blessing is a sign
of special favor that is intended to result in prosperity
and success ( Deu 28:3-7 ). Third, the blessing is
actually an invocation for God's blessing: "May God
Almighty bless you and make you fruitful" ( Gen
28:3 ).
In a less ceremonial sense, the Scriptures declare a
general blessing on the righteous. Those who are
obedient to God's commands are blessed with
affluence and victory ( Deu 28:1-14 ). On the other
hand, those who are disobedient are cursed ( Deu
28:15-68 ) and suffer the consequences of drought,
disease, and deprivation.
It is also possible for a person to "bless" God. The
terminology arises as a response to the blessings
bestowed by God: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
forget not all his benefits" ( Psalm 103:2 ; KJV ).
These occurrences of "bless" are usually translated
"praise" or "extol" in modern versions.
The New Testament The parallels between the Old
and New Testament usages of blessing are striking.
To be blessed is to be granted special favor by God
with resulting joy and prosperity. In the New
Testament, however, the emphasis is more on
spiritual rather than on material blessings.
God's promise to Abraham again serves as a
foundation for blessings. The pledge that "all peoples
on earth shall be blessed" ( Gen 12:3 ) is fulfilled in
the person and work of Jesus Christ (Ga 3:8-14 ). He
has borne the consequences of the curse for
believers ( Gal 3:13 ) and blessed them with the
forgiveness of sins ( Rom 4:6-9 ; see Psalm 32:1-2 ).
Believers are "blessed with every spiritual blessing in
Christ" ( Eph 1:3 ) and now inherit the blessings
promised through the patriarchs ( Hebrews
6:12 Hebrews 6:15 ; 12:17 ; 1 Peter 3:9 ). As a result
of receiving God's blessings in Christ, believers are
called to be a source of blessing to the world,
especially in response to those who persecute them
( Luke 6:27-28 ; Rom 12:14 ; 1 Cor 4:12 ; 1 Peter 3:9 ;
cf.Isa 19:24 ; Zech 8:13 ).
In a general sense, the terms for blessing in the New
Testament are used to designate that one is favored
by God. Included among these are Jesus ( Mark 11:9-
10 ); children ( Mark 10:13-16 ); Mary ( Luke
1:42 Luke 1:48 ); the disciples ( Luke 24:50 ); those
who "have not seen and yet have believed" ( John
20:29 ); and those who endure trials ( James
1:12 ; 5:11 ). As in the Old Testament, when these
words are ascribed to God they are rendered "praise"
( Rom 1:25 ; 9:5 ; 2 Cor 11:31 ).
The most recognizable references to blessing come
from the teachings of Jesus. He declares that in spite
of difficulties at the present time, the promises of
God's salvation and coming kingdom bring a state of
happiness and recognized favor with God ( Matt 5:3-
10 ; Luke 6:20-22 ). The culmination of the Scriptures
proclaims the end of the curse ( Rev 22:3 ) and the
eternal blessedness of the people of God ( Rev
20:6 ; 22:7 ).
William E. Brown
Bibliography. W. Eichrodt, Theology of the Old
Testament; H.-G. Link and U. Becker, NIDNTT,3:206-
18.

What Does Blessing Really Mean?
Unpacking this rich biblical word can help
us realize the power of Gods intentions
toward us.
By Winn Collier
Each Sunday, at the conclusion of our churchs
worship, I stand before the people, extend my hands,
and speak a blessing over them. If I were ever to stop
being a pastor, this moment may be what I would
miss most.
In biblical terms, to bless is to declare Gods truth into
someones life and to announce God as the gracious,
sovereign Lord who intends to flood His children with
goodness and joy. When we pronounce a blessing, we
serve as witness to the truth that Gods generosity and
power have by no means been extinguished.
Regardless of the difficulties we face or the despair we
know, Gods tenacious love will have the final word.
Writing from the prison where he would eventually be
executed by the Nazi regime, German pastor Dietrich
Bonhoeffer knew this firm hope: Blessing means
laying ones hand on something and saying: Despite
everything, you belong to God.
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord speaks
blessings that reflect the subversive reality of Gods
kingdom. His beatitudes upend every assumption we
have about whom wed consider blessed and who wed
expect to enjoy the good life. Blessed are the poor in
spirit, says Jesus. Blessed are those who mourn.
Blessed are the meek and the hungry (see Matthew
5). The people that we would believe to be at the
bottom of the pile are the very ones Jesus says are
blessed.
With these strange words, Jesus makes a prophetic
announcement declaring who is included in the
blessing of Gods kingdom. Again and again, He
affirms that blessing comes to us not because of our
ingenuity or effort but because God is kind and always
working for our good. As theologian and ethicist Glen
Stassen said in his book Kingdom Ethics, Jesus
[declares] good news to those who mourn, because
God is gracious and God is acting to deliver us from
our sorrows. Blessing arrives because we have a God
whose being exudes blessing.
Because we belong to the Lord who blesses, we live as
a people who bless. In our corners of the world, we
announceand live as instruments ofHis blessing.
While it is true that a blessing serves as a witness to
Gods generosity, in some mysterious way, it also
enacts His generosity. As author Eugene Peterson
once said in an interview, Words make something;
they dont just say something. Whenever we bless
others in Jesus name, we join Gods healing and
restoration. We participate in His intentions to bless
the world.
Copyright 2014 In Touch Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. www.intouch.org. In
Touch grants permission to print for personal use only.
 What Does "Blessed"
Mean?
Greg Laurie
HomeLife of JesusTeaching and MessagesWhat Does "Blessed"
Mean?
About Greg Laurie
The word blessed is a wonderful word. Christians use the
words blessed andblessing a lot, and most of the time we mean
it. There are times when we use it as an expression to
terminate a conversation that is going too long. We will say
something to the effect of, "Well, that's great. Wow. Hey,
praise the Lord and God bless you." This can be translated,
"Please stop talking now." That, of course, is not the proper
way to use it.
Blessed is a Christian word. It is a spiritual word. It is a
biblical word. And it has been hijacked by our culture. People
may talk about "blessings" in their lives, but the nonbeliever
has no idea what a real blessing is, because only the child of
God truly knows what it is to be blessed. It is also worth
noting that Jesus both began and concluded His earthly
ministry blessing people.
So what does it mean to be blessed? The word blessed Jesus
used in the Sermon on the Mount is from the Greek
word makarios, which means to be happy or blissful, but it
also means a self-contained happiness. The Greeks called the
Island of Cypress "the happy isle." They believed that because
of its geographical location, perfect climate, and fertile soil
that anyone who lived on Cypress had it made in the shade.
And the term they associated with the island was makarios.
They believed everything you needed to be happy was right
there on Cypress.
We can't all move to Cypress, but the idea is that our
happiness is independent of our circumstances. It is self-
contained, meaning that regardless of what is happening to us
externally, we can be truly happy internally. We can be
genuinely blessed as followers of Jesus Christ.
Taken from "Blessed" by Harvest Ministries (used by
permission).
Question: "What is a blessing according to the Bible?
What does the Bible mean by bless?"
Answer:A blessing, according to Merriam-Webster's
Collegiate Dictionary, is the act or words of one that
blesses, or a thing conducive to happiness or
welfare. In the Bible, there are several words that are
usually translated as blessing or bless. The Hebrew
word most often translated bless isbarak, which can
mean to praise, congratulate, or salute, and is even
used to mean a curse.Genesis 1:22is the first
occurrence, when God blessed the sea creatures and
birds, telling them to be fruitful and multiply in the
earth. Likewise, in verse 28, God gave the similar
blessing to Adam and Eve, adding that they were to
exercise dominion over creation. When God called
Abram to go to the Promised Land (Genesis 12:1-3), He
promised to bless him, make his name great, and
through him, to bless all the families of the earth. The
blessings here are plainly associated with happiness and
welfare, both for Abram and others. InGenesis 22:16-
18, God again blesses Abram, and adds that blessing is
due to his obedience to God's commands.
God is not the only one who pronounces blessings.
When Rebekah left her family to become Isaac's wife
(Genesis 24:60), her family blessed her by saying may
you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your
offspring possess the gates of their enemies. When
Isaac was ready to die, he pronounced this blessing on
his son, Jacob: May God give you of heaven's dew and
of earth's richness an abundance of grain and new
wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to
you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of
your mother bow down to you. May those who curse
you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed
(Genesis 27:28-29).
Another Hebrew word for blessing isesher, which is also
translated as happiness.Job 5:17declares Blessed is the
man whom God corrects; so do not despise the
discipline of the Almighty. This blessing is connected to
the knowledge that God is at work to direct us in the
right path. God's chastisement is actually a display of
His love for us, like a parent who disciplines a child who
plays in the middle of the street.Psalm 1:1-3carries that
theme further when it states, Blessed is the man who
does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in
the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law
he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by
streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and
whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does
prospers. The book of Psalms is full of references to
this kind of happy blessing for those who love and fear
the Lord God.
In the New Testament, there are two primary Greek
words translated as blessing.Makarioscarries the
meaning of happiness that we just looked at. The
Beatitudes ofMatthew 5andLuke 6describe the happy
state of those who find their purpose and fulfillment in
God. As in the Psalms, the best life is available for those
who love and fear God and order their lives according to
His Word.Romans 4:6-8ties this happy blessing to those
whose sins are forgiven, for they know the relationship
to God has been restored.Eulogeofocuses more on good
words or the good report that others give of someone
and also describes the blessing that we say over our
food (Matthew 26:26). This word is where we get our
English word eulogy, in which we speak well of one
who has passed away.Ephesians 1:3blesses God for all
the blessings that He gives us in Christ, and1 Peter
3:9instructs us to bless those who mistreat us, because
we were called to receive a blessing from God.
Bringing these threads together, we see that a blessing
is a statement of good will and happiness that is said
about another, as well as the condition that fulfills
those good words. God's original design in creation was
for His creatures, including mankind, to experience
prosperity, peace, and fulfillment, but that design was
ruined when sin entered the world. Statements of
blessing are a wish for God to restore His favor on
others or a declaration of His inherent goodness. The
ultimate blessing that God has given is the new life and
forgiveness that comes through faith in His Son, Jesus
Christ. The material blessings we enjoy from day to day
are temporary, but the spiritual blessings available to us
in Christ encompass time and eternity, as well as
material and immaterial things. As the Psalmist said,
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose
hope is in the LORD his God (Psalm 146:5).
Recommended Resources:Knowing God by J.I.
PackerandLogos Bible Software.
Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/blessing-
Bible.html#ixzz3JpZigBO2
Blessed to Bless Others
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Gods blessings to us are not meant to end with us.
His desire is that they filter down to others. This
principle applies in all areas of our lives, including
finances. Did you know that our heavenly Father has
plans for your money? Gods children generally want
to discover what His will is for their lives, but so often
they fail to consult Him about His desires for their
paychecks.
The Lord graciously supplies us with incomes so we
can provide for our needs and even our desires. But
He also wants us to use our money to achieve His
plans. And one of His goals is that we share
our resources with others. If we purpose in our hearts
to participate in His plans, He commits to provide all
we need to live and to give.
Just look at His extravagant promise in verse 8: And
God is able to make all grace abound to you, so
that always having all sufficiency ineverything, you
may have an abundance for every good deed
(emphasis added). Now, thats a verse to claim as your
own! Sharing our blessings with others will never lead
to deprivation. In fact, the Lord promises to increase
the harvest of our righteousness and enrich us in
everything in response to our generosity. We can
never outgive God.
A hoarded blessing is never enjoyed as richly as a
shared one. Using your gift to meet someone elses
need glorifies God by demonstrating His grace at work
in your life. Dont let His generous provisions end
with you. Pass them on and discover the joy of a
never-ending cycle of blessings.
Copyright 2014 In Touch Ministries, Inc. All
rights reserved.www.intouch.org. In Touch
grants permission to print for personal use
only.
BY CHARLES STANLEY, CHRISTIAN POST CONTRIBUTOR
March 29, 2011|8:04 am
2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Gods blessings to us are not meant to end with us. His

desire is that they filter down to others. This principle
applies in all areas of our lives, including finances. Did
you know that our heavenly Father has plans for your
money? Gods children generally want to discover what
His will is for their lives, but so often they fail to consult
Him about His desires for their paychecks.

The Lord graciously supplies us with incomes so we can

provide for our needs and even our desires. But He also
wants us to use our money to achieve His plans. And
one of His goals is that we share
our resources with others. If we purpose in our hearts
to participate in His plans, He commits to provide all we
need to live and to give.
Just look at His extravagant promise in verse 8: And
God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that
always having all sufficiency in everything, you may
have an abundance for every good deed (emphasis
added). Now, thats a verse to claim as your own!
Sharing our blessings with others will never lead to
deprivation. In fact, the Lord promises to increase the
harvest of our righteousness and enrich us in everything
in response to our generosity. We can never outgive
God.

A hoarded blessing is never enjoyed as richly as a

shared one. Using your gift to meet someone elses
need glorifies God by demonstrating His grace at work
in your life. Dont let His generous provisions end with
you. Pass them on and discover the joy of a never-
ending cycle of blessings.