Numbers 6:24–26

Context

The first part of Numbers 6 sets out regulations for the Nazirite vow. In verses 22–27, God speaks through Moses to give Aaron and his sons, the priests, the words with which they are to bless Israel. The blessing consists of three lines, each containing the name "the LORD," and each line is longer than the one before. In turn, it asks for blessing and protection, for God to make His face shine and to be gracious, and for God to lift up His countenance and grant peace (Hebrew shalom). Verse 27, "And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them," makes clear that the one who gives the blessing is God, not the priest.

Two small silver scrolls excavated at Ketef Hinnom in Jerusalem, dating to roughly the late seventh or early sixth century BC, bear the words of this blessing and are regarded as the oldest surviving record of a biblical text.

Interpretation

• As a priestly blessing: This reading sees the passage as illustrating the priestly office of declaring blessing upon the people in God's name. The blessing is still recited in Jewish synagogues today.
• Trinitarian reading: A tradition in church history reads the threefold repetition of "the LORD" as the blessing of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Others urge caution, however, noting that this is unlikely to have been the original intent of the text.
• Theology of the face: The expressions "make his face shine upon thee" and "lift up his countenance upon thee" denote God's favor and presence, and they recur in passages such as Psalms 4:6 and 67:1.

Debates and Issues

The benediction in Christian worship frequently uses either this passage (the Aaronic Blessing) or 2 Corinthians 13:14 (numbered 13:13 in some versions; the Apostolic Benediction). Whether the benediction is understood as an actual declaration of God's blessing or as a prayer asking for blessing affects both its concluding words and the posture used, and in Korean churches the wording used to conclude the benediction varies by denomination. Who may pronounce the benediction (whether it is restricted to ordained ministers) also differs according to denominational tradition. See Benediction.

In the Korean Church

In Korean churches, an ordained pastor generally raises both hands and pronounces the benediction at the close of the service, using either this passage or 2 Corinthians 13:14. Songs of blessing set to the words of this passage are also widely sung.

Related Passages

• Numbers 6:22–27
• 2 Corinthians 13:14
• Psalm 67:1
• Leviticus 9:22–23
• Luke 24:50–51