Bless

Easton, 1897

(1.) God blesses his people when he bestows on them some gift temporal or spiritual (Genesis 1:22; Genesis 24:35; Job 42:12; Psalms 45:2; Psalms 104:24, Psalms 104:35).

(2.) We bless God when we thank him for his mercies (Psalms 103:1, Psalms 103:2; Psalms 145:1, Psalms 145:2).

(3.) A man blesses himself when he invokes God's blessing (Isaiah 65:16), or rejoices in God's goodness to him (Deuteronomy 29:19; Psalms 49:18).

(4.) One blesses another when he expresses good wishes or offers prayer to God for his welfare (Genesis 24:60; Genesis 31:55; 1 Samuel 2:20). Sometimes blessings were uttered under divine inspiration, as in the case of Noah, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses (Genesis 9:26, Genesis 9:27; Genesis 27:28, Genesis 27:29, Genesis 27:40; Genesis 48:15-20; Genesis 49:1-28; Deuteronomy 33). The priests were divinely authorized to bless the people (Deuteronomy 10:8; Numbers 6:22-27). We have many examples of apostolic benediction (2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 6:23, Ephesians 6:24; 2 Thessalonians 3:16, 2 Thessalonians 3:18; Hebrews 13:20, Hebrews 13:21; 1 Peter 5:10, 1 Peter 5:11).

(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. Psalms 116:13 refers to this custom. It is also alluded to in 1 Corinthians 10:16, where the apostle speaks of the "cup of blessing."