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בָרַךְ

𐤁𐤓𐤊

bârak

H1288 verb

SILEX Entry

Root ברך to kneel, to bless, to invoke favor

Definition

To bless, to endow with power for success, prosperity, fertility, or longevity; to recognize, affirm, or invoke divine favor or well-being. In its most typical sense, בָרַךְ refers to the act of conferring a benefit, either from a divine figure to a human or from one human to another, often formally recognizing favor or good fortune. Less commonly, the term can be used in euphemistic contexts to mean 'curse,' usually as a deliberate circumlocution in prohibitive formulas or legal settings.

Semantic Range

to bless, to grant success, to endow with prosperity or fertility, to praise or acknowledge (divine or human), to invoke or confer benefit; to kneel (literal posture); by euphemism, to curse (in legal or formulaic context)

Root / Etymology

From the root ברך, which primarily means 'to kneel.' The lexical form בָרַךְ developed from the gesture of kneeling, which indicated submission or paying homage, and came to be associated with an act conveying blessing and favor. The semantic development reflects the connection between physical posture of humility (kneeling) and the pronouncing or bestowal of blessing. The negative (euphemistic) sense, 'to curse,' likely arose from conventions of indirect speech in contexts involving prohibitions against blasphemy or treason.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בָרַךְ occurs frequently throughout the Hebrew Bible and stands as the primary verb for 'to bless,' whether by God toward humans and creation, by humans toward God (as acknowledgment or praise), or from one human to another. In direct speech, blessing often implies the concrete wish or invocation of fertility, prosperity, or protection. The action sometimes includes ritual gestures (such as laying on hands), particularly in the priestly context. In patriarchal narratives, בָרַךְ frames crucial moments of inheritance and the transmission of familial or tribal favor (e.g., Isaac blessing Jacob). During the monarchic period, blessings are used in royal and priestly rhetoric to articulate divine favor for individuals or the nation. In Wisdom literature and Psalms, the verb often expresses praise or acknowledgment of Yhwh's acts and attributes. The euphemistic negative sense ('to curse') occurs rarely and is marked, primarily limited to legal or formulaic settings (e.g., Job 1:5, 1 Kings 21:10), often out of reverence to avoid directly stating cursing of the deity or sovereign. English translations using 'bless' generally reflect the core sense, but may obscure the broader relational and performative dimensions of the verb, as well as its limited alternative usage as a polite circumlocution for 'curse.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason); [idiom] abundantly, [idiom] altogether, [idiom] at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, [idiom] greatly, [idiom] indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, [idiom] still, thank.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ברך (b-r-k) — kneeling, blessing, invoking favor

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1263 בָּרוּךְ blessed one
H1289 בְּרַךְ to pronounce blessing
H1290 בֶּרֶךְ knee
H1291 בֶּרֶךְ his knees
H1292 בָּרַכְאֵל El has blessed

Word Forms

105 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1288-12 בָּר֥וּךְ barukhe HVqsmsa Blessed blessed one 52
H1288-80 וַ/יְבָ֧רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and blessed and he bestowed blessing 29
H1288-101 יְבָרֶכְ/ךָ֖ yevarekhekha HVpi3ms/Sp2ms bless you he will bless you 15
H1288-08 בָּרֲכ֖וּ barakhu HVpv2mp bless Pronounce blessing, you all! 13
H1288-100 יְבָרֵ֣ךְ yevarekhe HVpj3ms bless may he bless 12
H1288-13 בֵּרַ֥ךְ berakhe HVpp3ms blessed he bestowed blessing 11
H1288-31 לְ/בָרֵ֣ךְ levarekhe HR/Vpc to bless to bestow blessing 9
H1288-79 וַ/יְבָרֲכ֤וּ vayevarakhu HC/Vpw3mp and they blessed they bestowed blessing 8
H1288-55 וּ/בָרוּךְ֙ uvarukhe HC/Vqsmsa and blessed be and blessed one 7
H1288-17 בֵּרַ֥כְתָּ berakheta HVpp2ms you have blessed you have bestowed blessing 5

Occurrences in Scripture

330 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1288-80 Genesis 1:22 וַ/יְבָ֧רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms blessed and he bestowed blessing
H1288-80 Genesis 1:28 וַ/יְבָ֣רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and he blessed and he bestowed blessing
H1288-80 Genesis 2:3 וַ/יְבָ֤רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and blessed and he bestowed blessing
H1288-80 Genesis 5:2 וַ/יְבָ֣רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and He blessed and he bestowed blessing
H1288-80 Genesis 9:1 וַ/יְבָ֣רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms blessed and he bestowed blessing
H1288-12 Genesis 9:26 בָּר֥וּךְ barukhe HVqsmsa Blessed blessed one
H1288-71 Genesis 12:2 וַ/אֲבָ֣רֶכְ/ךָ֔ vaavarekhekha HC/Vpi1cs/Sp2ms and I will bless you I will richly bless you
H1288-66 Genesis 12:3 וַ/אֲבָֽרֲכָה֙ vaavarakhah HC/Vpi1cs and I will bless and I will bless
H1288-34 Genesis 12:3 מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔י/ךָ mevarekheykha HVprmpc/Sp2ms those who bless you those blessing you
H1288-88 Genesis 12:3 וְ/נִבְרְכ֣וּ veniverekhu HC/VNp3cp and will be blessed and they were blessed
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