24
May YHWHיְהוָהbless youיְבָרֶכְךָand keep you;וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ
Numbers 6:24
Study it in the app“May YHWH bless you and keep you;”
The ancient blessing that ends by asking God to give peacePeace and Anxiety
With the Hebrew beneath
Numbers 6:24, word by word
- May YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- bless youיְבָרֶכְyevarech
bless
God gives good things: life, children, harvests.
Where else “yevarech” appears- and keep youיִשְׁמְרֶyishmre
guard
To watch over, protect from all harm.
Where else “yishmre” appears
Translation note
This is the blessing that the priests spoke over the people. The name YHWH is repeated three times, and all of it is said to “you” in the singular, to each one.
The context
23“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel, saying to them:
24 · This verse (above)
25may YHWH make his face shine on you and show you favor;