bless Summary and Overview

(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, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses (Gen. 9:26, 27; 27:28, 29, 40; 48:15-20; 49:1-28; Deut. 33). The priests were divinely authorized to bless the people (Deut. 10:8; Num. 6:22-27). We have many examples of apostolic benediction (2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 6:23, 24; 2 Thess. 3:16, 18; Heb. 13:20, 21; 1 Pet. 5:10, 11). (5.) Among the Jews in their thank-offerings the master of the feast took a cup of wine in his hand, and after having blessed God for it and for other mercies then enjoyed, handed it to his guests, who all partook of it. Ps. 116:13 refers to this custom. It is also alluded to in 1 Cor. 10:16, where the apostle speaks of the "cup of blessing."

BLESS, BLESSED, BLESS'ING Gen 12:2; Gen 22:17-18. These words are of frequent occurrence in the sacred writings, and their particular force may generally be determined by the connection. Men are said to bless God when they ascribe to him the praise and glory which are due to him. Ps 134:1-3. God blesses men in bestowing upon them continually mercies, spiritual and temporal. Job 42:12; Ps 45:2. And men are said to bless their fellow-creatures when, as in ancient times, in the spirit of prophecy they predicted blessings to come upon them. This was the kind of blessing which the patriarchs pronounced. Gen 49:1-33. So Moses blessed Israel. Deut 33:1-29. The form of blessing prescribed by the Jewish ritual, Num 6:23-27, is admirably simple and sublime. It was pronounced standing, with a loud voice, and with the hands raised toward heaven. Luke 24:50. National blessings and cursings were sometimes pronounced. Deut 27:1-28:68; Isa 19:25. The Cup of Blessing, 1 Cor 10:10, and Cup of Salvation, Ps 116:13, are expressions derived from a custom prevalent among the Jews at their feasts. The master of the feast took a cup of wine in his hand, and solemnly blessed God for it and for all the mercies which were then acknowledged. It was then passed to all the guests, each of whom drank of it in his turn. The aptness and force of the figures employed in the above passages are thus made obvious.