Numbers 6:24–26
The ancient blessing that ends by asking God to give peace
Study it word by word24May YHWH bless you and keep you;
25may YHWH make his face shine on you and show you favor;
26may YHWH lift up his face toward you and give you peace.’
In its context
22And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,
23“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel, saying to them:
…
27So they shall put my name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them.”
Its words in the original
- יְבָרֶכְyevarech· bless, kneel
Bless. When God blesses, he gives good: life, children, fruit, prosperity. When a person "blesses God", he gives him nothing: he praises and thanks him. Between people, it is wishing the other the good that comes from God; also greet. The root also means kneel.
- יְהוָהyehva· 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.
- יִשְׁמְרֶyishmre· keep, guard
Keep: watch over, guard, protect; also keep a command or a covenant, observe.
- יָאֵרyaer· give light, shine
Give light, shine; light up.
- פָּנָיpanay· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- יחֻנֶּychune· be gracious
Show favor: treat someone with a kindness he has not earned; have compassion. In another form, plead for favor.
- יִשָּׂאyisa· lift, carry, bear
Lift up, carry, bear. "Bear sin" is to suffer its consequences; said of God, "taking away" sin is forgiving it. "Lift up the eyes" is to look.
- יָשֵׂםyasem· put, set
Put, place, set; appoint, establish; make something into something.
- שָׁלוֹםshalom· peace, well-being
"Shalom": peace in a wide sense; not only the absence of war, but being whole and well: health, safety, good relations. It is also the Hebrew greeting.