Blessing in the Old Testament

Blessing in the Old Testament is pronouncing a wish or a prayer over a person or thing. The blessing brings prosperity and strength, enables a good future and seals the connection between the generations. A good example is the blessing that Jacob pronounces over his twelve sons (Genesis 49:1-28). In that blessing, Jacob describes all his sons and outlines their future (see also Deuteronomy 33).

Blessing is the opposite of cursing. This is clear, for example, from Genesis 12:3, in which Abraham is assured that God will bless whoever Abraham blesses, and curse whoever he curses. Moses asks the people to choose between a blessing and a curse, the result of being obedient or disobedient to God (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

An important blessing in the Old Testament is the blessing that a father speaks out over his children. This blessing guarantees them a future within God’s promise. This applies especially to the eldest son, who receives the right of the first-born through this blessing. In Genesis 27:38, when Jacob tricks his older brother Esau out of the blessing, it is traumatic for Esau. All that is left to him is an inferior blessing.

A special form of the blessing is the priest’s blessing (Numbers 6:22-27). It can only be spoken by the priests. When they pronounce this blessing in conjunction with God’s name, God will bless the people himself.

In the time of the second Temple, the blessing from Numbers was spoken daily in the Temple, together with the name of God, YHWH. After the destruction of the Temple, this ritual moved to the synagogue.

When speaking a blessing, the hands were stretched out or placed on the head of the person who was being blessed. Jacob places his hands in the shape of a cross on Ephraim and Manasseh, to ensure that the most powerful blessing does not go to the first-born but to the youngest (Genesis 48:10-19). When Moses has to keep his hands up in the air during the battle against Amalek, this is most likely how he passes on God’s blessing: as long as he keeps his hands in the air, Israel will continue winning (Exodus 17:11).