Meaning

• To kneel
• To bless God as an act of adoration
• To bless man as a benefit
• Sometimes, to curse

Verb, appearing approximately 330 times in the Old Testament.

The word בָרַךְ marks important moments of covenant, worship, inheritance and hope.

In Scripture, בָּרַךְ expresses both human and divine blessing:

• God blesses humans, conveying favour, prosperity, and life - “And God blessed them and said, 'Be fruitful and multiply…'” (Genesis 1:28plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigGenesis 1:28
  
  Hebrew וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱלֹהִים֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ וּרְד֞וּ בִּדְגַ֤ת הַיָּם֙ וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּבְכָל חַיָּ֖ה הָֽרֹמֶ֥שֶׂת עַל הָאָֽרֶץ ESV And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. καὶηὐλόγησεναὐτοὺςὁθεὸςλέγωναὐξάνεσθεκ…
• Humans bless God, meaning to praise or acknowledge God’s goodness - “Bless the LORD, O my soul” (Psalm 103:1plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigPsalm 103:1
  
  Hebrew לְדָוִ֨ד בָּרֲכִ֣י נַ֭פְשִׁי אֶת יְהוָ֑ה וְכָל קְ֝רָבַ֗י אֶת שֵׁ֥ם קָדְשֽׁוֹ ESV OF DAVID. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! NIV Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. NLT Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. τῷεὐλόγειἡψυχήμουτὸνκύριονκαίπάντατὰἐντόςμουτὸὄνοματὸἅγιοναὐτοῦ…
• Humans bless others, invoking God’s favour on someone - “The LORD bless you and keep you” (Numbers 6:24plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigNumbers 6:24
  
  Hebrew יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יְהוָ֖ה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ ESV The LORD bless you and keep you; NIV “'“The LORD bless you and keep you; NLT 'May the LORD bless you and protect you. LXX εὐλογήσαι σε κύριος καὶ φυλάξαι σε KJV The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: ----------)