Blessing

The terms ’blessing’ and ’to bless’ occur very often in the Scriptures, and in applications too obvious to require explanation or comment. The patriarchal blessings of sons form the exception, these being, in fact, prophecies rather than blessings, or blessings only in so far as they for the most part involved the invocation and the promise of good things to come upon the parties concerned. The most remarkable instances are those of Isaac ’blessing’ Jacob and Esau (Genesis 27); of Jacob ’blessing’ his twelve sons (Genesis 49); and of Moses ’blessing the twelve tribes’ (Deuteronomy 32).

Referring both to God and to man. When God blesses, he bestows that efficacy which renders his blessing effectual. His blessings are either temporal or spiritual, bodily or mental; but in every thing they really convey the good which they import, Num 6:23-27 . The blessings of men to other men, unless they be inspired prophecies, as in Gen 32:32 Deu 33:1 1:1-29, are only good wishes, personal or official, and as it were a peculiar kind of prayer to the Author of all good for the welfare of the subject of them. Blessing, on the part of man towards God, is an act of thanks-giving for his mercies, Psa 103:1 ; or rather, for that special mercy which at the time occasions the act of blessing: as for food, for which thanks are rendered to God, or for any other good, Psa 116:13 1Co 10:16 .\par

"The less is blessed of the better" (Heb 7:7). Aaron and the priests pronounced the benediction (Num 6:22-27; Deu 10:8). Jacob and Moses gave dying blessings prophetical of the character and history of the several tribes (Genesis 49; Deuteronomy 33). The cup in the Lord’s supper is called "the cup of blessing" from the Passover cup of wine called so because "blessing" was offered over it to God. 1Co 10:15.

Paul says, "the cup which WE bless," namely, the minister and the congregation; not he alone by any priestly authority, but as representing the congregation who virtually through Him bless the cup. The celebrant is the church. The minister is the leader of the congregation. The consecration is the corporate act of the whole church. The joint blessing by him and them (not the cup itself, which in the Greek is not nominative but accusative) and the consequent drinking together constitute the "communion," i.e. joint participation of the blood of Christ.

Blessing. Gen 12:2. This word is variously used in Scripture. God is said to bless his creatures. This is not merely the expression of a wish for their welfare, but the actual bestowal of some good, or the means towards a good. Gen 1:22; Gen 32:29; Job 42:12; Act 8:26; and elsewhere. Sometimes creatures are said to bless their Creator, when they acknowledge his kindnesses and seek to show forth his praise. Psa 103:1-2; Psa 134:1-2. Sometimes men bless their fellow-creatures, when they express their gratitude for favors received, pray for a blessing upon them, or predict their prosperity. Gen 14:18-20; Gen 28:1; Num 24:10; Job 29:13. And, as thus to bless is the expression of gratitude or kindness, so a token of gratitude or kindness, that is, a gift, is sometimes called a blessing. 2Ki 5:15.

There are two distinct applications of the word ’blessing.’ God blesses His people, and His people bless God, the same word being constantly used for both. It is obvious therefore that it must be understood in more senses than one. Again, we read that "the less [or inferior] is blessed of the better," Heb 7:7; and though this refers to Melchisedec blessing Abraham, the same thing is true respecting God and His creatures: in bestowing favours God is the only one who can bless. The Christian can say, God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ," Eph 1:3; but the same verse says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," meaning "Thanks be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." This signification is further made clear by the records of the institution of the Lord’s supper. In Matthew and Mark the Lord took bread, and ’blessed.’ In Luke and in 1Co 11:24 He took bread and ’gave thanks.’ "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights." Jas 1:17. This is God blessing us, and for which we in return bless God by giving thanks, by praise and worship.

BLESSING

    1.    Introductory.

    2.    Terms.

    3.    Jewish usage.

    4.    Usage in the Gospels.

Literature.

1. Introductory.—The main underlying idea of the characteristic New Testament word for ‘blessing’ (εὐλογεῖν) seems to be that of goodwill, which, on the part of man towards God, has its appropriate expression in praise and thanksgiving. The close connexion of these two last ideas is clearly seen in the New Testament in the interchange of the expressions for ‘to bless’ (εὐλογεῖν) and ‘to give thanks,’ namely to God (εὐχαριστεῖν, cf. e.g. Mar 6:41 || and with Joh 6:11; and see, further, below, § 4), and is explained by the Jewish development of the term for ‘blessing’ (bĕrâkhâh; cf. further, § 4 b). In Jewish religious terminology, under the influence of the high ethical views of God’s character and uniqueness, and His relation to Israel and mankind, that had been developed, ‘blessing’ acquires a lofty spiritual connotation. God ‘blesses’ man and his world by His ever active, beneficent Providence; man ‘blesses’ God by thankful recognition of this, and by pure acts of praise; man ‘blesses’ man by invoking the Divine favour for his fellows’ benefit (cf. e.g. Psa 129:8); and even when material things are the objects of blessing, this finds its proper expression in an act of thanksgiving to the Divine Giver.

The original sense of the Heb. verb bçrakh (Piel, denominative from berekh, ‘knee’) is more probably ‘to cause to make progress’ (so Cheyne) than any notion of adoration (‘to bend the knee’). The primitive conception of blessing and cursing, according to which they were regarded as possessing an objective existence, more or less independent or the speaker after utterance (cf. Gen 27:35), naturally became moralized with the progress of monotheistic religion (cf. Pro 26:2 for a denunciation of ‘the causeless curse’).

2. Terms.—The terms for ‘blessing’ used in the Gospels are—

(a) εὐλογεῖν, ‘to bless,’ and εὐλογητός, εὐλογημένος, ‘blessed.’ All these forms are common in the LXX Septuagint , where, in the vast majority of instances, they correspond to some form of the Heb. word ברך or its derivatives.

εὐλογεῖν is used—

(A) of men: (1) as in Greek writings, in the sense of ‘to praise,’ ‘celebrate with praises,’ viz. God. So several times in the Gospels: e.g. Luk 1:64; Luk 2:28; Luk 24:53 [syn. αἰνεῖν, ‘to praise,’ and δοξάζειν, ‘to glorify’; see under αἰνεῖν, below]. (2) ‘To invoke blessings upon’ (a sense peculiar to Biblical Greek): e.g. Luk 6:28. (3) ‘To bless’ material objects (i.e. to bless God for their bestowal): e.g. Luk 9:16.

(B) of God: (4) ‘To bestow blessings, favour, upon men’: e.g. Luk 1:42 (εὐλογημένος). [The compound κατευλογειν, ‘to call down blessings upon’ occurs, according to the best attested reading, in Mar 10:16].

(b) εὐχαριστεῖν,^{* [Note: The derivatives εὑχάριστει (‘giving of thanks’) and εὑχάριστει (‘thankful’) do not occur in the Gospels.]} ‘to give thanks,’ viz. to God, esp. for food: e.g. Mat 15:36; Mat 26:27. With this compare also—

(c) ἐξομολογεῖν, ‘to celebrate,’ ‘give praise or thanks to’ (τινί): Mat 11:25 and, || and—

(d) αἰνεῖν, ‘to praise, extol’ God: Luk 2:13; Luk 2:20; Luk 19:37; Luk 24:53 (reading doubtful). [Cf. the use of the synonymous expression δοξάζειν, Luk 17:15, and διδόναι δόξαν τῷ θεῷ,^{† [Note: See, further, on this expression Grimm-Thayer, Lex. s.v. δόξα, ii.]} ‘to give glory to God,’ Luk 17:18—both of thanksgiving].

(e) μακαρίζειν, ‘to pronounce blessed’: once only in Gospels, Luk 1:48; and μακάριος, ‘blessed,’ ‘happy’ (esp. in a congratulatory sense): e.g. in the Beatitudes (Mat 5:3-11, Luk 6:20-22; cf. Joh 20:29). Both words are common in the LXX Septuagint .

It is remarkable that the term εὑχαριστεῖν occurs very rarely (and only in the Apocryphal books) in the LXX Septuagint . The common LXX Septuagint equivalent for ‘to give thanks’ (Heb. hôdâh) is ἐξομολογεῖν. αἰνεῖν is also of frequent occurrence there. The Bishop of Salisbury (The Holy Communion^{2 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred]} , p. 135 n^{. [Note: note.]} 34) suggests that εὐλογεῖν in the NT was ‘often purposely exchanged … for the more classical and intelligible εὐχαριστεῖν.’

3. Jewish usage.—The elements that entered into the Hebrew idea of ‘blessing’^{‡ [Note: The wide variety of meaning attached to ברך in the OT (cf. Hebrew Lexicon, s.v.) well illustrates this.]} sketched above (§ 1) were elaborately developed in later Jewish usage. Here the most important points for the illustration of the Gospels may be briefly summarized.

(A) Blessing of persons.—According to Jewish ideas, God is the sole source of all blessing, both material and spiritual; and to Him alone, therefore, praise and thanksgiving are due (cf. Eph 1:3 for a beautiful Christian application of the idea). Thus, even in the great Priestly Blessing (Num 6:22-27), which filled so large a place in Jewish liturgical worship both in the temple and (in a less degree) in the synagogue, it was not the priest per se who blessed, but God (Sifre, ad loc.).^{* [Note: The special sanctity with which the Aaronic blessing was invested in the later period lay in the pronunciation of ‘the ineffable name,’ which was permitted to the priests only. Originally, however, this restriction was not in force. Thus the Mishna (Ber. x. 4) cites Rth 2:4 as proving that ‘the name’ was used in ordinary greetings; cf. also Psa 129:8.]} The blessing of man by man finds one of its most prominent expressions in greeting and farewell, a custom of great antiquity, and not, of course, in itself specifically Jewish.^{† [Note: See the article ‘Salutation’ (with reff.) in Kitto’s Biblical Cyclopaedia3, iii. p. 739 f.]} But the formulas connected with it naturally reflect Jewish religious sentiment in a marked degree. The fundamental idea of goodwill is worked out into an invocation of the Divine favour and providence, and consequent prosperity, on the recipient. These ideas find beautiful expression in the Priestly Blessing, and in the poetical amplification of it embodied in Psalms 67.^{‡ [Note: The whole Psalm gives a fine analysis of the contents of the Hebrew idea of blessing. Other echoes of the Priestly Blessing occur in the Psalter (Psa 4:6; Psa 31:16; Psa 80:3; Psa 80:7; Psa 80:19).]} The characteristic word employed in greeting and farewell is ‘peace’ (Heb. shâlôm, Greek είρἠνη), which has a wide connotation, embracing the notions of security, safety, prosperity, and felicity.^{§ [Note: Note that this word forms the climax of the Priestly Blessing (Num 6:26).]} Thus the regular formula of greeting is ‘Peace be to thee’ (Jdg 6:23, Dan 10:19), and, for farewell, ‘Go in peace’ (cf. 1Sa 1:17 etc.). ‘To greet’ is expressed in Hebrew by the phrase ‘to ask of a person concerning peace (welfare)’ (cf. Gen 43:27, Exo 18:7 etc.), and similar formulas.^{|| [Note: | For further details see the Hebrew Lexicons, s.v. שָׁלוֹם.]} The use of the word ‘blessed’ (Heb. bârûkh), both in solemn greeting (1Sa 15:13 ‘Blessed be thou of J^{" [Note: ″ Jehovah.]} ,’ cf. Psa 118:26 ‘Blessed is he that cometh’) and parting (1Ki 10:9), should also be noted in this connexion.

The custom of imparting a solemn blessing at final departure (from life^{¶ [Note: 2Ki 2:9.]} ) is attested in the Talmud (e.g. Ber. 28b—death of Johanan ben Zakkai, circa (about) 75–80 a.d.).

Besides the salutation, other forms of blessing prevailed, notably the blessing of children by parents (and sometimes by others). This custom is well attested in the OT (cf. e.g. Gen 9:26; Gen 27:7 f., Gen 48:9). Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh is esp. notable, because it fixed the formula which has been used among the Jews in later times.^{** [Note: * For boys the formula runs: ‘May God make thee like Ephraim and Manasseh’; for girls: ‘May God make thee like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah’ (cf. Rth 4:11). Any other blessing suggested by the occasion or special circumstances might be added. See, further, Jewish Encyc. (as cited below, § 4, end).]} The earliest literary evidence for the existence of this particular custom is quite late (17th cent.); but that some form of parental blessing was well known by the NT period may be inferred from Sir 3:9 (cf. Mar 10:13-16 and^{|| [Note: | For further details see the Hebrew Lexicons, s.v. שָׁלוֹם.]} ).

According to the minor Talmudical tractate Sopherim (xviii. 5), which contains valuable old traditional material: ‘In Jerusalem there was the godly custom to initiate the children at the beginning of the thirteenth year by fasting the whole Day of Atonement. During this year they took the boy to the priests and learned men that they might bless him, and pray for him that God might think him worthy of a life devoted to the study of the Torah and pious works.’^{* [Note: Quoted by Schechter, Studies in Judaism, p. 380.]}

(B) Blessing of things.—The feeling of praise and thanksgiving, which is so striking and prominent a feature of Jewish devotional life and worship, has crystallized itself into a regular form of benediction known as Bĕrâkhâh (lit. ‘Blessing’). In its technical sense the term denotes a set form of prayer, which opens with the words, ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who,’ etc., and, in its fully developed form, closes with a repetition of the same words. This class^{† [Note: The most important example is the well-known group of the ‘Eighteen Blessings’ (Shĕrnónç ‘Esrç), the nucleus of which is undoubtedly pre-Christian. It is notable that here the element of petition accompanies that of praise and thanksgiving (for text of these in English see Singer’s Heb.-Eng. Prayer-Book, pp. 44–54).]} plays an important part in the Jewish Liturgy.

In its simplest and shortest form the Bĕrâkhâh opens as described, but has no closing refrain. It contains a brief expression of thanks to God for some benefit conferred or privilege enjoyed.^{‡ [Note: A very large number of these short Benedictions, expressive of thankful recognition of God’s goodness and providence as shown in various ways, has been developed. For a full enumeration see Jewish Encyc. s.v. ‘Benedictions,’ or the Prayer-Books.]}

Undoubtedly the most ancient kind of benediction is that recited at the meal. The Book of Samuel attests the antiquity of the custom, for in one passage (1Sa 9:13) we are told that the people refused to eat the sacrificial meal until it had been blessed.

The Biblical command on which the obligation of grace at meals (Heb. birkath ha-mâzôn)—i.e. according to the Rabbis (Ber. 21a, 48b; Tos. Ber. vii. 1), grace both before and after eating—is founded, occurs in Deu 8:10 (‘When thou hast eaten and art full, thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee’).

The Benediction over bread, which is recited before the meal begins, and which may have been known to our Lord, runs: ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who bringeth forth bread from the earth.’ The corresponding one said before drinking wine is: ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who createst the fruit of the vine’ (cf. Luk 22:18).

Note.—The Benediction (thanksgiving) over wine was especially associated with the hallowing of the Sabbath and festival days embodied in the ceremonies of Kiddüsh (‘Sanctification’) and Habdâlâh (‘Separation’ or ‘Distinction’). For a full description of these observances see the Jewish Encyc. s.vv. ‘Kiddush’ and ‘Habdalah’; and for a possible connexion with the Gospels reference may be made to an article by the present writer in the Journ. of Theol. Studies (iii. [1902] p. 357 ff.) on ‘The Jewish Antecedents of the Eucharist.’ Though thanksgiving is an essential, and indeed the most prominent, element in consecration or sanctification, the ideas must be kept distinct. Cf. Bp. of Salisbury, op. cit. p. 135 f.

The more important Benedictions in this connexion are reserved for the recitation that follows the meal. Of these there are now four (see Singer’s Prayer-Book, p. 286). The first (‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord … who givest food unto all’) is ascribed by the Talmud (Ber. 48b) to Moses; the second (‘for the land and for the food’) to Joshua, who led Israel into the land; the third (‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who in Thy compassion rebuildest Jerusalem’) to king Solomon; the fourth (‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God … who art kind and dealest kindly with all’) to the Rabbis of Jamnia in the 2nd cent. a.d.^{§ [Note: Cf. Jewish Encyc. iii. 9.]}

The act of thanksgiving after the meal is not explicitly alluded to in the Gospels. That the custom is an ancient one, however, appears from the fact that, by the time of the compilation of the Mishna, rules as to its ordering had been fully developed (cf. Ber. vii.). It constitutes a sort of service, with responses (which vary according to the number, etc., of those present). Details and text of prayers can he read in Singer, pp. 278–285.

Another ancient form of Benediction (with responses), which, however, is not alluded to in the Gospels, is that offered before and after the reading of Scripture (for the modern forms cf. Singer, p. 147 ff.). This has a Biblical basis in the practice of Ezra mentioned in Neh 8:6, and was doubtless well known in the time of Jesus.

Enough has been said above to make it clear that the set form of Benediction, based as it is upon Biblical precedents, had been developed by the NT period. The first tractate of the Mishna (compiled in its present form, probably from earlier collections, at end of 2nd cent. a.d.) deals with the various forms of the Bĕrâkhâh (hence its name Bĕrâkhôth = ‘Blessings’), and embodies the earliest Rabbinical tradition on the subject. According to the Talmud (Ber. 33a), the recognized Benedictions were formulated by the ‘men of the Great Synagogue.’ Later the rule was deduced that a Benediction, to be regular, must contain the name of God and the attribute of God’s kingship (Ber. 40b).

4. Usage in the Gospels.—The Jewish conception of ‘blessing’ (cf. §§ 1 and 3) is reflected in the Gospel narratives in its purest and most elevated form. The central thought of God as the sole object of praise, of God’s favour as the highest form of felicity (cf. Luk 1:28), the duty of rendering thanks to Him as the Great Giver and Father, are strikingly enforced, especially in some of the sayings of Jesus. The Gospel usage may best be illustrated by an analysis of the passages in which the terms enumerated above (§ 2) respectively occur. These may be grouped as follows:—

(a) Passages involving the use of εὐλογεῖν, ‘to bless,’ and its derivatives:

(1) With a personal object expressed, viz.:—

(A) God: Luk 1:64; Luk 2:28; Luk 24:53.

With this division should be considered the use of εὐλογητός, ‘Blessed,’ which is always explicitly applied to God in the NT. The term occurs twice in the Gospels, once as a periphrasis for God, Mar 14:61 (Cf. the regular Jewish periphrasis, ‘The Holy One,’ ‘Blessed be He’), and once in a liturgical ascription of praise, Luk 1:68 (opening line of the Benedictus).

(B) Man: in the sense of ‘to invoke blessings on,’ Luk 6:28; esp. at solemn parting or farewell, Luk 2:34; Luk 24:50 f. (cf. the Rabbinical parallel quoted above); of solemn blessing of children, Mar 10:16 (better reading κατευλόγει), cf. Mat 19:14, and the Jewish illustration already cited.

Note.—Here it may be remarked that the blessing was imparted either by the imposition of hands, in the case of one or a small number (cf. Gen 48:17-18, Mat 19:15, Mar 10:15); or, in other cases, with uplifted hands (Lev 9:22, Luk 24:50; cf. Sir 50:20).

Here naturally comes to be considered the use of εὐλογημένος = ‘blessed’ (viz. by God): it occurs six times in the acclamation, borrowed from Psa 118:26 [Psa 117:26], of ‘him that cometh’; Mat 21:8; Mat 23:35 and the || passages, Mar 11:9, Luk 13:35; Luk 19:38, Joh 12:13 (where ^{D [Note: Deuteronomist.]} reads εὐλογητός); once of the mother of the Lord and her Son, Luk 1:42 (εὐλογημένη, κ.τ.λ., in Luk 1:28 is not well attested); also of ‘the nations on the King’s right hand’ (Mat 25:34), and of ‘the kingdom of David’ (Mar 11:10).

(2) With a material object: Mar 8:7, Luk 9:16 (both of food). ‘In these cases blessing the bread must be understood as “blessing God the giver of the bread” ’ (Westcott), in accordance with the Jewish usage illustrated above (§ 3).

(3) Absolutely, without any object expressed (always of food and sustenance): Mar 6:41 || Mat 14:18 (feeding of the five thousand), Mar 14:22 || Mat 26:26 (in ref. to bread at Last Supper), and Luk 24:30.

In close connexion with the above we have to consider here—

(b) The use of εὐχαριστεῖν, ‘to give thanks,’ in the Gospels.

(1) Of food and wine. The word occurs eleven times, and in eight of these has reference either to food or wine, viz.: Mar 8:8 || Mat 15:36 (of the feeding of the four thousand), Luk 22:18 (in ref. to the bread at the Last Supper), Joh 6:11; Joh 6:23 (of feeding of the five thousand), of thanksgiving over the cup at the Last Supper, Mar 14:23 || Mat 26:27 and Luk 22:17.

It is clear from a comparison of the parallel passages noted above that εὐλογεῖν and εὐχαριστεῖν are freely interchanged (cf. Cremer, Bib.-Theol. Lex. s.vv.; Swete, JThS^{t [Note: ThSt Journal of Theological Studies.]} iii. [1902] 163). It thus appears that the predominant idea in the Gospel usage of such expressions as ‘blessing the bread’ is not so much that of sanctification or consecration as of thanksgiving to God for the gift.^{* [Note: Cf. the valuable remarks of the Bp. of Salisbury on this point (op. cit. p. 135 f.). He notes the occurrence of the expressions εὐχαριστηθεῖσα τροφή, εὑχαριστηθεὶς ἁρτος, etc., ‘thanksgiven food,’ ‘thanksgiven bread,’ where we should say ‘consecrated food or bread’ (ib.). Cf. also Didache x. and xv.]}

(2) Of thanksgiving to God in other connexions: Luk 18:11, Joh 11:41.

(3) Of thanksgiving to Christ: Luk 17:16.

(Note here that the act of thanksgiving was accompanied by ‘glorifying God’ (Luk 17:15) and that it is on this feature that Jesus lays stress (Luk 17:18), ‘Were there none found that returned to give glory [here = ‘to render thanks’] to God save this stranger?’)

(c) and (d) The use of the terms ἐξομολογεῖν, ‘thank,’ and αἰνεῖν, ‘praise’ (cf. δοξάζειν, ‘glorify’), in a more or less synonymous sense (the sense of thanksgiving), has been sufficiently explained above (§ 2), and does not call for further remark here.

Note, however, that αἰνεῖν is never used of or by Jesus.

(e) The use of μακάριος, ‘blessed,’ is frequent in the sayings of Jesus (its employment in the ‘Beatitudes’ has already been noted above). It is used especially in a congratulatory sense, corresponding in the LXX Septuagint to the Hebrew term ’ashrê = ‘happy’ (lit. ‘O the happiness of’). In this way it is employed, especially in personal address (a good instance occurs in Mat 16:17 ‘Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona,’ etc.). Especially notable are such sayings as that recorded in Luk 11:27-28 (‘Blessed is the womb that bare thee’ … ‘Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it’), in which Jesus pointedly insists on the idea that true blessing and true blessedness are to be found in thought and action that are immediately related and directed to God and the Divine requirements. The Jewish conception of blessing and blessedness is thus set forth in its purest and most elevated phase.

Literature.—The most important original authorities for the Jewish data are the recensions of the tractate Bĕrâkhôth extant in the Mishna (various ed. of Heb. text; English translation in Barclay’s Talmud, 1877, and De Sola and Raphall’s Mishnah, 1845), and the Tosephta (Heb. text, ed. Zuckermandel). For a full account of these see Jewish Encyclopedia, s.v. ‘Berakot.’ For an account of the various Jewish forms of blessing see the articles ‘Benedictions,’ ‘Blessing of Children,’ and ‘Blessing (Priestly),’ with the literature cited, in the same work. Cf. also the art. ‘Abschied’ in Hamburger’s R^{E [Note: E Realencyklopädie.]} für Bibel und Talmud, vol. ii. Some relevant data are also to be found in the article ‘Benedictions’ (by R. Sinker) in Smith’s Dictionary of Christian Antiquities. There is a valuable ‘Additional Note’ in Westcott’s Hebrews on ‘The Biblical Idea of Blessing’ (p. 209 ff.); and a careful synopsis of references in Harper (W. R.), Priestly Element in OT^{2 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred]} , (1905) 136 ff. Reference may also be made to the works of Edersheim (esp. The Temple: its Ministry, etc., where the Jewish material is set forth fully) and those of the elder Lightfoot. Other references have been given in the body of the article.

G. H. BOX.

BLESSING.—See Beatitudes.

(Anglo-Saxon: bloedsian, redden with blood) From the custom of sprinkling the altar with blood in sacrifice, as used in the Scriptures, has several meanings: praise; expression of desire that good fortune go with a person or thing; dedication of a person or thing to a sacred purpose; and a gift. In a strictly liturgical sense a blessing is a rite of ceremonies and prayers by which an authorized minister sanctifies persons or things to Divine service or invokes Divine favor upon them. The prayer usually mentions the object of the blessing and is accompanied by the sign of the Cross. In the Appendix of the Roman Ritual there are over 200 such blessings of everything imaginable: of the sick, fields, flocks, archives, libraries, food, cheese, beer, carriages, railroads, homes, airplanes, electrical machines, fire-engines, elevators, lifts, women pregnant and after delivery, organs, pilgrims, wells, schools, seismographs, horses, printing presses, vineyards, etc. In the Divine Office the blessing pronounced by the officiant upon the reader is known as the benediction. For the papal blessing, see Blessing, Apostolic.

In its widest acceptation this word has a variety of meanings in the sacred writings: It has taken in a sense that is synonymous with praise; thus the Psalmist, "I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall be always in my mouth" (Ps. xxxiii, 1). It is used to express a wish or desire that all good fortune, especially of a spiritual or supernatural kind, may go with the person or thing, as when David says: "Blessed art thou, and it shall be well with thee" (Ps. cxxvii, 2). It signifies the sanctification or dedication of a, person or thing to some sacred purpose; "Christ took bread and blessed, and broke" (Matthew 26:26). Finally it is employed to designate a gift so Naaman addresses Eliseus: "I beseech thee therefore take a blessing of thy servant" (2 Kings 6:15). With these various significations it is not the present purpose to deal. Coming, then, to its strictly liturgical and restricted sense, blessing may be described as a rite, consisting of a ceremony and prayers performed in the name and with the authority of the Church by a duly qualified minister, by which persons or things are sanctified as dedicated to Divine service, or by which certain marks of Divine favour are invoked upon them. The following aspects of the subject will be discussed: I. Antiquity; II. Minister; III. Objects; IV. Efficacy; and V. Rite employed in administering. I. ANTIQUITYThe custom of giving blessings goes back to the very earliest times. In the morning of Creation, on the completion of each day’s work, God blessed the living creatures that came from His hands, bidding them increase and multiply and fill the earth (Gen. i-ii). When Noe emerged from the Ark, he received God’s benediction (Genesis 9:1), and this heritage he transmitted through his sons, Sem and Japheth, to posterity. The pages of the Old Testament testify abundantly to the great extent to which the practice of blessing prevailed in the patriarchal ages. The head of each tribe and family seemed to be privileged to bestow it with a special unction and fruitfulness, and the priests at the express direction of God were wont to administer it to the people. "Thus shall you bless the children of Israel. . . and the Lord will turn His countenance and give them peace" (Numbers 6:23-26). That great value was attributed to blessings is seen from the strategy adopted by Rebecca to secure Jacob’s blessing for her favourite son. In general estimation it was regarded as a mark of Divine complacency and as a sure way to secure God’s benevolence, peace, and protection. The New Dispensation saw the adoption of this rite by Our Divine Lord and His Apostles, and so, elevated, ennobled, and consecrated by such high and holy usage, it came at a very early stage in the Church’s history to assume definite and concrete shape as the chief among her sacramentals. II. MINISTERSince, then, blessings, in the sense in which they are being considered, are entirely of ecclesiastical institution, the Church has the power to determine who shall have the right and duty to confer them. This she has done by entrusting their administration to those who are in sacerdotal orders. The solitary case in which one inferior to a priest is empowered to bless, is where the deacon blesses the paschal candle in the ceremonies of Holy Saturday. This exception is more apparent than real. For in the instance referred to the deacon acts by way of a deputy and, moreover, employs the grains of incense already blessed by the celebrant. Priests, then, are the ordinary ministers of blessings, and this is only in the fitness of things since they are ordained, as the words of the Pontifical run: "ut quæcumque benedixerint benedicantur, et quacumque consecraverint consecrentur" (That what-ever they bless may be blessed, and whatever they consecrate shall be consecrated). When, therefore, laymen and women are represented as blessing others it is to be understood that this is an act of will on their part, a wish or desire for another’s spiritual or temporal prosperity, an appeal to God which has nothing to recommend if but the merits of personal sanctity. The ordinary greetings and salutations that take places between Christians and Catholics, leavened by mutual wishes for a share of heavenly grace, must not be confounded with liturgical blessings. St. Gregory first definitely taught that the angels are divided into hierarchies or orders, each having its own role to play in the economy of creation. Similarly the Church recognizes different orders or grades among her ministers, assigning to some higher functions than to others. The working out of this idea is seen in the case of conferring blessings. For while it is true that a priest can ordinarily give them, some blessings are reserved to the Supreme Pontiff, some to bishops, and some to parish priests and religious. The first class is not large. The pope reserves to himself the right to bless the pallium for archbishops, Agnus-Deis, the Golden Rose, the Royal Sword, and also to give that benediction of persons to which an indulgence of some days is attached. He may, and in the case of the last mentioned often does, depute others to give these. To bishops belongs the privilege of blessing abbots at their installation, priests at their ordination, and virgins at their consecration; of blessing churches, cemeteries, oratories, and all articles for use in connection with the altar, such as chalices, vestments, and clothe, military standards, soldiers, arms, and swords; and of imparting all blessings far which Holy Oils are required. Some of these may, on delegation, be performed by inferiors. Of the blessings which priests are generally empowered to grant, some are restricted to those who have external jurisdiction, like rectors or parish priests, and others are the exclusive prerogative of persons belonging to a religious order. There is a rule, too, by which an inferior cannot bless a superior or even exercise the ordinary powers in his presence. The priest, for instance, who says Mass at which a bishop presides is not to give the final blessing without permission from the prelate. For this curious custom authors cite a text from the Epistle to the Hebrews: "And without all contradiction that which is less is blessed by that which is greater" (vii, 7). It would seem an overstraining of the passage to say that it affords an argument for maintaining that an inferior minister cannot bless one who is his superior in rank or dignity, for the text either merely ennunciates an incident of common usage, or means that the inferior by the fact that he blesses is the greater, since he acts as the representative of God. III. OBJECTSThe range of objects that come under the influence of the Church’s blessing is as comprehensive as the spiritual and temporal interests of her children. All the lower creatures have been made to serve man and minister to his needs. As nothing, then, should be left undone to enhance their utility towards this end, they are placed in a way under the direct providence of "Every creature of God is good. . ." , as St. Paul says "for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer" (1 Timothy 4:4-5). There is also the reflection that the effects of the Fall extended to the inanimate objects of creation, marring in a manner the original aim of their existence and making them, in the hands of evil spirits, ready instruments for the perpetration of iniquity. In the Epistle to the Romans St. Paul describes inanimate nature, blighted by the primal curse, groaning in travail and anxiously awaiting its deliverance from bondage. "The expectation of the creature waiteth for the revelation of the Sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him that made it subject, in hope" (viii, 19-20). From this it will be easily seen how very reasonable is the anxiety of the Church that the things which are use in daily life and particularly in the service of religion, should be rescued from contaminating influences and endowed with a potency for good. The principal liturgical blessings recognized and sanctioned by Church are contained in the Roman Ritual and the Pontifical. The Missal, besides the blessing given at the end of Mass, contains only those blessings associated with the great functions incidental to certain days of the year, such as the blessing of palms and ashes. In the Pontifical are found the blessings that are performed de jure by bishops, such as the solemn blessing of persons already referred to, the forms for blessing kings, emperors, and princes at their coronation, and those before mentioned as of episcopal prerogative.The great treasury of ecclesiastical blessings is the Roman Ritual.(1) Formulæ for blessing personsFirst comes a blessing for pilgrims to the Holy Land, on their departure and return containing beautiful prayers and apt allusions to the Magi journeying through the Arabian desert under the guidance of the Star, to Abraham leaving his own country and setting his face towards the distant land of Canaan, to the Angel companion of the younger Tobias, and, finally, an appeal to God to prove to the wayfarers a solace on their journey, a shade from summer heats, a shelter in storm, and a haven of safety. Next follow blessings of persons with Holy Water before Mass, for an adult who is sick, for a number of sick people, one for a woman on the approach of confinement and another after childbirth, blessings for infants, for children come to the use of reason and for those arrived at years of discretion, for children on their presentation in Church, that they may lead good Christian lives, for boys and girls on the Feast of the Holy Infancy that they may grow up to imitate the virtues of the Saviour and reach salvation under His guidance.(2) Blessings for things(a) In addition to the blessings already mentioned for articles destined for altar purposes, the Roman Ritual has formulæ for blessing crosses, images of Our Lord, of the Blessed Virgin and saints, church organs, processional banners, new bells for church uses and for other purposes, dress and cinctures worn in honour of Our Lady and of other saints, monstrances, reliquaries, vessels for Holy Oils, church ornaments, clerical habits, medals, pictures, and crosses for the Stations, rosaries of all the recognized kinds, water, candles, the Trisagion of the Holy Trinity, the different scapulars of Our Lady, of Our Lord, of the Blessed Trinity, of St. Joseph, St. Michael the Archangel, and other saints. Most of the objects just enumerated, as, for instance, rosaries and scapulars, receive what is called an indulgenced blessing, that is to say, by the pious employment and use of them persons are enabled to gain an indulgence.(b) The following articles of food have benedictions assigned to them: paschal lamb, eggs, oil, wine, lard, cheese, butter, dripping, salt, and water which is used as antidote to rabies. There is also a form for everything that may be eaten. The fruits of the earth, such as grapes, corn, and the garnered harvest, seeds that are put into the earth, wine and the vintage, herbs and grasses may all in a fitting and appropriate language be "sanctified by the word of God and prayer".(c) The lower animals which minister to the reasonable requirements of the human family may have blessings invoked upon them in order that the measure of their usefulness may be increased. Thus, birds of the air, beasts of the field, bees that afford such examples of industry to man, horses and oxen broken to the yoke, and. other beasts of burden are included in the formularies of the Ritual. The Creator is invoked to grant to the brute strength and health to bear his burthen and, if attacked by sickness or plague, to obtain deliverance.(d) The Ritual has blessings for houses and schools and for the laying of their foundation stones; for stables for the lower animals and every other building of any description for which no special formula is at hand. There is also a special blessing for the bridal chamber.(e) Lastly inanimate things that subserve the equitable needs and convenience of society may receive from the Church the stamp of her benediction before they are sent on their way to do their appointed tasks. Such, for instance, are new ships, new railways with trains and carriages, new bridges, fountains, wells, cornmills, limekilns, smelting-furnaces, telegraphs, steam engines, machines for producing electricity. The many serious accidents that occur explain the concern of the Church for those whose lives are exposed to danger from these various sources. IV. EFFICACYThe inquiry will be confined to the Blessings approved of by the Church. As has been said, the value of a blessing given by a private person in his own name will be commensurate with his acceptableness before God by reason of his individual merits and sanctity. A blessing, on the other hand, imparted with the sanction of the Church has all the weight of authority that reaches to the voice of her who is the well-beloved spouse of Christ, pleading on behalf of her children. The whole efficacy, therefore, of these benedictions, in so far as they are liturgical and ecclesiastical, is derived from the prayers and invocations of the Church made in her name by her ministers.Blessings may be divided into two classes, viz: invocative and constitutive. The former are those in which the Divine benignity is invoked on persons or things, to bring down upon them some temporal or spiritual good without changing their former condition. Of this kind are the blessings given to children, and to articles of food, The latter class are so called because they permanently depute persons or things to Divine service by imparting to them some sacred character, by which they assume a new and distinct spiritual relationship. Such are the blessings given churches and chalices by their consecration. In this case a certain abiding quality of sacredness is conferred in virtue of which the persons or things blessed become inviolably sacred so that they cannot be divested of their religious character or be turned to profane uses. Again, theologians distinguish blessings of an intermediate sort, by which things are rendered special instruments of salvation without at the same time becoming irrevocably sacred, such as blessed salt, candles, etc. Blessings are not sacraments; they are not of Divine institution; they do not confer sanctifying grace; and they do not produce their effects in virtue of the rite itself, or ex opere operanto. They are sacramentals and, as such, they produce the following specific effects: Excitation of pious emotions and affections of the heart and, by means of these, remission of venial sin and of the temporal punishment due to it. Freedom from power of evil spirits; Preservation and restoration of bodily health. Various other benefits, temporal or spiritual. All these effects are not necessarily inherent in any one blessing; some are caused by one formula, and others by another, according to the intentions of the Church. Neither are these effects to be regarded as infallibly produced, except in so far as impetration of the Church has this attribute. The religious veneration, therefore, in which the faithful regard blessings has no faint of superstition, since it depends altogether on the Church’s suffrages offered to God that the persons using the things she blesses may derive from them certain supernatural advantages. Instances are alleged in the lives of the saints where miracles have been wrought by the blessings of holy men and women. There is no reason to limit the miraculous interference of God to the early ages of the Church’s history, and the Church never accepts these wonderful occurrences unless the evidence in support of their authenticity is absolutely unimpeachable. V. RITE EMPLOYED Before a minister proceeds to impart any blessing he should first satisfy himself that it is one which he is duly qualified to give, either by his ordinary or delegated powers. He should next use the prescribed rite. As a rule, for the simple blessings of the Ritual, a soutane, surplice, and stole of the requisite colour will be sufficient. A clerk should be at hand to carry the Holy Water or incense if required, or to prepare a lighted candle. The blessings are ordinarily given in a church; but, if if necessary, they can be lawfully administered elsewhere according to to the exigencies of place or other circumstances or privileges, and without any sacred vestment.-----------------------------------PATRICK MORRISROE The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IICopyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightImprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York

(בּרכה, b^erākhāh; εὐλογία, eulogı́a): Sometimes means the form of words used in invoking the bestowal of good, as in Deu 33:1; Jos 8:34; and Jas 3:10. Sometimes it means the good or the benefit itself which has been conferred, as in Gen 27:36, “Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?” and Pro 10:22, “The blessing of Yahweh, it maketh rich.” “The cup of blessing” (τὸ ποτήριον τῆς εὐλογίας, tó potḗrion tḗs eulogı́as, a special use of the word in 1Co 10:16), means the cup for which we bless God, or which represents to us so much blessin g from God.

See Benediction.

A prayer beginning with the phrase "barukh atah..." (blessed art Thou...). See Prayers and Blessings; Common Prayers and Blessings.

Consistently the Bible refers to the gifts that God gives, whether material or spiritual, as blessings (Gen 9:1; Lev 25:21; Num 6:22-26; Psa 115:12-15; Pro 10:22; Eph 1:3; Heb 6:7). Often it contrasts God’s blessings with his cursings or punishments (Deu 11:26-28; Deu 27:12-13; Deu 30:19).

Even in ordinary human relationships, to desire blessing or cursing for another person meant to desire benefits or calamities for that person (Gen 27:12; Num 22:6; Rom 12:14; Jas 3:10-11). A blessing in this sense was not a mere expression of good wishes, but an announcement that people believed carried with it the power to make the wishes come true (Gen 27:27-29; Gen 27:33; Gen 49:1; Gen 49:28; Num 24:10; 2Sa 7:29). (For a similar idea, but with opposite results, see CURSE.)

People gave blessings on important occasions, most notably at births, marriages and farewells (Gen 14:18-19; Gen 24:60; Rth 4:14-15; Mar 10:13-16; Luk 2:33-35; Luk 24:50). Usually the person of higher status blessed the one of lower status (Heb 7:7; cf. Gen 14:18-20).

The blessing that people in Israelite families wanted most was the prophetic announcement by which the head of the family passed on favours to his children (Gen 27:36-41; Gen 48:8-22; Gen 49:1-28; Deuteronomy 33; Heb 11:20-21; Heb 12:17). Probably the most striking example of a blessing carrying with it the power of certain fulfilment was God’s blessing to Abraham that promised him a people and a land (Gen 12:1-3; Gen 26:24).

Since a blessing expressed the desire for a person’s well-being, it was also used as a formal greeting, even from an inferior to a superior (Gen 47:7-10). A blessing could therefore become an expression of praise, and in this sense grateful people can bless God (Psa 28:6; Psa 31:21; Psa 41:13; Dan 2:19-20; Mar 11:9-10; Luk 1:68; Rom 1:25; Eph 1:3). A thanksgiving to God such as before eating a meal is sometimes called a blessing (Mar 6:41; Mar 8:7; Mar 14:22; 1Co 10:16).

There is another word sometimes translated ‘blessed’ that refers to the happiness or well-being of a person. It is usually used to denote the contented state of the person who lives uprightly according to God’s principles and who, as a result, enjoys God’s favour (Psa 1:1; Psa 32:1; Psa 41:1; Pro 3:13; Mat 11:6; Mat 16:17; Luk 1:45; Luk 12:37; Rom 4:6-9; Jas 1:12; Rev 16:15). When people enter God’s kingdom and live under the kingly rule of Christ, they experience the sort of deep seated joy that Christ himself experienced. Such joy is a foretaste of the greater blessedness that will be theirs when they are with Christ in the day of his kingdom’s final glory (Mat 5:2-11; Mat 25:34; Joh 15:11; see JOY).