The Lord Bless Thee
Passage: Numbers 6:22-27
The priestly blessing closes a section on the Nazirite vow.
Overview
God gives Aaron words to speak over Israel: 'The LORD bless thee, and keep thee...' and says, 'they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.'
Going deeper
The blessing is God's own gift, spoken through priests. Its three lines grow in length, building toward peace (shalom).
Key verses (KJV)
- Numbers 6:24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
- Numbers 6:25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
- Numbers 6:26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
From the commentaries
Verse 24 The Lord bless thee - There are three forms of blessing here, any or all of which the priests might use on any occasion. The following is a verbal translation: - 1. May Jehovah bless thee and preserve thee! 2. May Jehovah cause his faces to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee! 3. May Jehovah lift up his faces upon thee, and may be put prosperity unto thee! This is a very comprehensive and excellent prayer, and may be paraphrased thus: - 1. May God speak good unto thee, by giving thee his excellent promises! (See the note on Gen 2:3). May he preserve thee in the possession of all the good thou hast, and from all the evil with which thou art threatened! 2. ...
Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke's Commentary (1810-1826)
24. The Lord bless thee. Blessing is an act of His genuine liberality, because the abundance of all good things is derived to us from His favor as their only source. It is next added, that He should “keep” the people, by which clause lie intimates that He is the sole defender of the Church, and protects it under His guardianship; but since the main advantage of God’s grace consists in our sense of it, the words, “and make His face shine on you,” are added; for nothing is more desirable for the consummation of our happiness, than that. we should behold the serene countenance of God; as it is said in Psalm 4:6, "There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? ...
John Calvin, John Calvin's Commentaries (16th century, Calvin Translation Society, 1840s-1850s)
Application
- Which line of the blessing do you most need?
- Speak this blessing over someone this week.
- What does 'his face shine upon thee' mean?