Biblical Meaning of Being Blessed and Favored
The Hebrew verb בָּרַךְ (barak) and its participle בָּרוּךְ (barukh) are central to understanding the concept of being blessed in the Hebrew Bible. The verb appears frequently in the Psalms, where it is used to declare someone or something blessed [2, 3, 6]. For example, Psalm 65:4 states, "Blessed is one whom you choose, and cause to come near, that he may live in your courts" [2].
Lexical Range and Meaning
The root meaning of בָּרַךְ is complex and multifaceted. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, "to bless" can mean "to bestow some gift, temporal or spiritual" when referring to God's action towards humans [5]. In contrast, when humans bless God, it means "to thank him for his mercies" [5]. Abraham Ibn Ezra, a Jewish rationalist commentator, interprets blessing as "an increase in well-being" [8].
Distribution and Key Passages
The participle בָּרוּךְ appears in various psalms, often at the beginning of a verse, to declare someone blessed. Examples include Psalms 1:1, 32:1, 65:4, 112:1, and 119:1-2 [3, 6]. In these contexts, being blessed is associated with obedience to God's laws, trust in God, and the forgiveness of sins. Psalm 32:1, for instance, declares, "Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is covered" [3].
Comparative Usage and Translation History
The Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, typically renders בָּרוּךְ as εὐλογητός (eulogētos), meaning "praised" or "blessed" [4]. In the New Testament, the Greek word μακάριος (makarios) is used to convey a similar meaning, often translated as "blessed" or "happy" [1, 13]. The distinction between these two Greek words is noted by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, who suggest that εὐλογητός tends to denote what comes from without, while μακάριος points to what is inward [13].
Interpretation Across Traditions
The concept of being blessed is interpreted in various ways across different Christian traditions. John Calvin, one theologian, understands blessing as a manifestation of God's favor and kindness towards his people [14]. In contrast, Adam Clarke, a Methodist/Wesleyan commentator, sees blessing as a wish for prosperity or a recognition of someone's worthiness of respect due to their enjoyment of God's favor [12].
Favor and Blessing
The concept of being favored is closely related to being blessed. The Hebrew name "Hobab" is interpreted by Hitchcock's Bible Names as meaning "favored" or "beloved" [7]. In the New Testament, the Greek word χάρις (charis), meaning "grace" or "favor", is used to describe God's disposition towards humanity [10, 11]. Charles Hodge, one theologian, understands χάρις as a "favourable disposition, or kind feeling; and especially love as exercised towards the inferior, dependent, or unworthy" [11].
The relationship between being blessed and being favored is evident in various biblical passages. According to John Gill, a Baptist/Reformed commentator, being blessed involves being the object of God's favor, enjoying spiritual blessings, and being conformed to Christ [9]. This understanding is reflected in the Psalms, where being blessed is associated with God's choice and favor [2].
The biblical concept of being blessed and favored is multifaceted, encompassing both divine and human actions. It involves a complex interplay of meanings related to God's favor, human obedience, and the experience of spiritual and temporal blessings. As seen in the Psalms and interpreted across various Christian traditions, being blessed remains a central theme in biblical theology.
Sources
- James “James 1:12 (NASB) — Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
- Psalms “Blessed is one whom you choose, and cause to come near, that he may live in your courts. We will be filled with the goodness of your house, your holy temple. -- Psalms 65:4”
- Psalms “Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is covered. -- Psalms 32:1”
- STEPBible TAHOT “Psa.72.19#01=L — Hebrew tagged text (TAHOT): וּ/בָר֤וּךְ\׀ [u./va.Rukh] "and/ [be] blessed"”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Bless — (1.) God blesses his people when he bestows on them some gift temporal or spiritual (Gen. 1:22; 24:35; Job 42:12; Ps. 45:2; 104:24, 35). (2.) We bless God when we thank him for his mercies (Ps. 103:1, 2; 145:1, 2). (3.) A man blesses himself when he invokes God's blessing (Isa. 65:16), or rejoices in God's goodness to him (Deut. 29:19; Ps. 49:18). (4.) One blesses another when he expresses good wishes or offers prayer to God for his welfare (Gen. 24:60; 31:55; 1 Sam. 2:20). Sometimes blessings were uttered under divine inspiration, as in the case of Noah, Isa”
- STEPBible TAHOT “Psa.119.12#01=L — Hebrew tagged text (TAHOT): בָּר֖וּךְ [ba.Rukh] "[be] blessed"”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Hobab — favored; beloved”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Genesis 2:3: AND GOD BLESSED. A blessing means an increase in well being. On the Sabbath the body is blessed with a renewal of its reproductive strength and the soul with an increase in its intellectual and reasoning capabilities.”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 115:15: You are blessed of the Lord,.... The Arabic version reads it, "we are blessed"; with temporal and with spiritual blessings; being the beloved of the Lord, chosen of him; whose sins are pardoned, whose persons are justified by the righteousness of Christ; who are put among the children of God, and are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; regenerated by his Spirit, favoured with communion with God, and wrought up to some degree of conformity to Christ, and shall ever be with him. Which made heaven and earth; and so able to bless with all kind of blessings, bot”
- Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 1:7: Called to be saints - Invited to become holy persons, by believing the Gospel and receiving the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Or, here, the word may have the meaning of made or constituted, as above; κλητοις αγιοις, to all that be in Rome, Constituted saints, for they had already received the Gospel grace, and were formed into a Christian Church. Grace to you - χαρις υμιν; May you be partakers of the Divine favor, the source whence every blessing is derived. I think it necessary, once for all, to give the several acceptations of this word grace which occur in the sacred w”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 138: § 3. Common Grace. The word χάρις, הֶמֶד , means a favourable disposition, or kind feeling; and especially love as exercised towards the inferior, dependent, or unworthy. This is represented as the crowning attribute of the divine nature. Its manifestation is declared to be the grand end of the whole scheme of redemption. The Apostle teaches that predestination, election, and salvation are all intended for the praise of the glory of the grace of God which He exercises towards us in Christ Jesus. ( Eph. i. 3-6 .) He raises men from spirit”
- Genesis (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Genesis 24:31: Thou blessed of the Lord - Probably a usual mode of wishing prosperity, as he that is blessed of the Lord is worthy of all respect; for, enjoying the Divine favor, he is in possession of the sum of happiness.”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 5:3: Blessed--Of the two words which our translators render "blessed," the one here used points more to what is inward, and so might be rendered "happy," in a lofty sense; while the other denotes rather what comes to us from without (as Mat 25:34). But the distinction is not always clearly carried out. One Hebrew word expresses both. On these precious Beatitudes, observe that though eight in number, there are here but seven distinct features of character. The eighth one--the "persecuted for righteousness' sake"--denotes merely the possessors of the seven pr”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 46: pleased to favour with the communication of it. Peter’s statement has ever been true, that it is an incorruptible seed, “which liveth and abideth for ever,” ( 1 Peter 1:23 ), as he infers from the words of Isaiah ( Is. 40:6 ). Now when God, in ancient times, bound the Jews to him by this sacred bond, there cannot be a doubt that he separated them unto the hope of eternal life. When I say that they embraced the word which brought them nearer to God, I refer not to that general method of communication which is diffused through heaven”