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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Blessing

In modern usage, a blessing is thought of as a prayer, as in saying a blessing before a meal.

In the Bible and in religious contexts, a blessing, or to bless someone, takes on greater significance. Blessing someone is wishing, bestowing, bequeathing, or praying for good will, prosperity, or God’s mercy. A blessing is given to a lesser person by a greater person (Hebrews 7:7).

A secondary definition of blessing is “to honor as holy” or “to glorify.” In this respect, we can “bless God” or “bless the Lord.” Not all translations of the Bible use this phrasing; in this context, often praise or exalt are used instead of bless

For additional insight, consider that the opposite of bless is curse.

Key verse about Blessing: ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die’ (Genesis 27:7, NIV).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

By Peter DeHaan

Peter writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and make a faith that matters. Learn more at https://peterdehaan.com.