In modern usage, a blessing is thought of as a prayer, as in saying a blessing before a meal.
In the Bible and in religious contexts, a blessing, or to bless someone, takes on greater significance. Blessing someone is wishing, bestowing, bequeathing, or praying for good will, prosperity, or God’s mercy. A blessing is given to a lesser person by a greater person (Hebrews 7:7).
A secondary definition of blessing is “to honor as holy” or “to glorify.” In this respect, we can “bless God” or “bless the Lord.” Not all translations of the Bible use this phrasing; in this context, often praise or exalt are used instead of bless.
For additional insight, consider that the opposite of bless is curse.
Key verse about Blessing: ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die’ (Genesis 27:7, NIV).
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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