Aaronic Blessing
Ray’s note: The following is excerpted from an article by Jeff Benner (www.ancient-hebrew.org) in which he portrayed God in a very good light and I thought I would share highlights of it. Jeff goes through each of the significant words in Numbers 6:24-26 digging into the meaning of the original Hebrew. Those detailed explanations are available at the full article which can be read here.
“The LORD bless you and keep you: The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26 RSV)
The Aaronic Blessing from a Hebrew Perspective
By Jeff A. Benner
With the Hebraic understanding of each of these Hebrew words, we can better understand the true meaning of the Aaronic blessing as it was understood by the Ancient Hebrews.
Verse 24
“YHWH will kneel before you1 presenting gifts and will guard you with a hedge of protection.”
Verse 25
“YHWH will illuminate the wholeness of his being toward you bringing order and he will give you comfort and sustenance.”
Verse 26
“YHWH will lift up his wholeness of being and look upon you and he will set in place all you need to be whole and complete.”
1 Many people have contacted me concerned about the phrase “kneel before you” as they cannot perceive of God kneeling before us. We too often see God as the judge and ruler who sits high above us. But I see more of a familial type relationship with God, rather than a government type relationship. God is the father of us all, agreed? Well if my young son came to me with a request, would I tower over him looking down upon him? Or would I get down on his level by “kneeling” down and getting eye to eye with him and say, “What is it my son, what can I do for you?” Let me add that this is not a literal kneeling down, but a figurative one; the common Hebrew way of expressing an abstract thought through concrete means.
Ray’s note: I especially liked the image of God getting down to my “level” and saying “What is it my son, what can I do for you?” That sounds like the character of God that I believe the Bible teaches and that I hope comes across on this website.
Jeff Benner has the goal of “teaching proper Biblical interpretation through the study of the Ancient Hebrew alphabet, language, culture and philosophy.”
January 28, 2020 @ 9:23 am
Don’t we picture Yahshua “parenting” little children, kneeling down, picking them up placing them on His lap? Even kneeling down to the level of those who accused the woman taken in adultery. That’s our loving Saviour alright. Meeting EVERYONE on their own ground. It’s such joy to see this all through scripture when rightly understood. Praise Him for opening our blind eyes!
February 6, 2023 @ 6:39 am
What immediately came to mind when I read “YHWH will kneel before you” was the image in John 13 of Jesus kneeling before each disciple (including Judas) after the last supper to wash his feet. Jesus came to show mankind the true nature and character of God—he *was* God in the flesh, after all—and he humbly knelt before each of his disciples. As such, I have no trouble reconciling this rendering of the verse with my image of God at all. Our God is so much greater than our typical human understanding can comprehend, and is not made less in any way by taking an action (even figuratively) that we humans might deem demeaning. Glory be to God, our everything!