בָרַךְ

𐤁𐤓𐤊

bârak

H1288 verb

SILEX Entry

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.'

Translation Consistency

primary "bless" 50 occurrences

בָרַךְ overwhelmingly and typically means to confer divine or human favor, prosperity, or well-being. “Bless” is the natural, common English verb that matches the primary semantic range (to invoke, grant, or pronounce benefit) and covers the frequent rendered forms (blessed, blesses, blessing). Less common senses (euphemistic ‘curse,’ literal ‘kneel’) are marginal and should be handled as exceptions, so using a single consistent base verb ‘bless’ best preserves meaning and natural readability across all forms.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

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

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Kikuyu baraka blessing
Kirundi uburaka blessing
Lingala libelaka blessing (from God)
Swahili baraka blessing

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Root Family

ברך (Barukhe) — to bless, bestow favor, invoke well-being

Root ברך to kneel, to bless, to invoke 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 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1288-12 בָּר֤וּךְ barukhe HVqsmsa Blessed blessed one blessed 52
H1288-80 וַ/יְבָ֧רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed 29
H1288-101 יְבָרֶכְ/ךָ֥ yevarekhekha HVpi3ms/Sp2ms bless you he will bless you he will bless you 15
H1288-08 בָּרֲכ֖וּ barakhu HVpv2mp bless Pronounce blessing, you all! Bless, you all! 13
H1288-100 יְבָרֵ֣ךְ yevarekhe HVpi3ms bless may he bless may he bless 12
H1288-13 בֵּרַ֥ךְ berakhe HVpp3ms blessed he bestowed blessing he blessed 11
H1288-31 לְ/בָרֵ֥ךְ levarekhe HR/Vpc to bless to bestow blessing to bless 9
H1288-79 וַ/יְבָרֲכ֣וּ vayevarakhu HC/Vpw3mp and they blessed they bestowed blessing and they blessed 8
H1288-55 וּ/בָר֥וּךְ uvarukhe HC/Vqsmsa and blessed be and blessed one and blessed 7
H1288-07 בָּרֲכִ֣י barakhi HVpv2fs Bless Bless! (you, feminine) Bless (you, feminine) 5

Occurrences in Scripture

330 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1288-80 Genesis 28:1 וַ/יְבָ֣רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed
H1288-100 Genesis 28:3 יְבָרֵ֣ךְ yevarekhe HVpj3ms bless may he bless may he bless
H1288-89 Genesis 28:6 בֵרַ֣ךְ verakhe HVpp3ms had blessed he bestowed blessing he blessed
H1288-28 Genesis 28:6 בְּ/בָרֲכ֣/וֹ bevarakho HR/Vpc/Sp3ms when he blessed in his blessing when he blessed him
H1288-87 Genesis 28:14 וְ/נִבְרֲכ֥וּ veniverakhu HC/VNp3cp shall be blessed and they were blessed and shall be blessed
H1288-78 Genesis 30:27 וַ/יְבָרֲכֵ֥/נִי vayevarakheni HC/Vpw3ms/Sp1cs has blessed me he blessed me and he has blessed me
H1288-80 Genesis 30:30 וַ/יְבָ֧רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and has blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed
H1288-80 Genesis 32:1 וַ/יְבָ֣רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and he blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed
H1288-18 Genesis 32:27 בֵּרַכְתָּֽ/נִי berakhetani HVpp2ms/Sp1cs you have blessed me you have conferred favor on me you have blessed me
H1288-80 Genesis 32:30 וַ/יְבָ֥רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and he blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed
H1288-80 Genesis 35:9 וַ/יְבָ֖רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed
H1288-80 Genesis 39:5 וַ/יְבָ֧רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed
H1288-80 Genesis 47:7 וַ/יְבָ֥רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed
H1288-80 Genesis 47:10 וַ/יְבָ֥רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and he blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed
H1288-80 Genesis 48:3 וַ/יְבָ֖רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and he blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed
H1288-68 Genesis 48:9 וַ/אֲבָרֲכֵֽ/ם vaavarakhem HC/Vpi1cs/Sp3mp and I will bless them I will bless them and I will bless them
H1288-80 Genesis 48:15 וַ/יְבָ֥רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms And he blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed
H1288-100 Genesis 48:16 יְבָרֵךְ֮ yevarekhe HVpi3ms bless may he bless may he bless
H1288-77 Genesis 48:20 וַ/יְבָ֨רֲכֵ֜/ם vayevarakhem HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3mp and he blessed them and he bestowed blessing on them and he blessed them
H1288-100 Genesis 48:20 יְבָרֵ֤ךְ yevarekhe HVpi3ms will bless may he bless may he bless
H1288-94 Genesis 49:25 וִ/יבָ֣רְכֶ֔/ךָּ vivarekhekha HC/Vpi3ms/Sp2ms and may he bless you he will intensively bless you he will bless you
H1288-80 Genesis 49:28 וַ/יְבָ֣רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms and blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed
H1288-13 Genesis 49:28 בֵּרַ֥ךְ berakhe HVpp3ms he blessed he bestowed blessing he blessed
H1288-59 Exodus 12:32 וּ/בֵֽרַכְתֶּ֖ם uverakhetem HC/Vpq2mp and bless and you all bestow blessing and bless
H1288-12 Exodus 18:10 בָּר֣וּךְ barukhe HVqsmsa Blessed [be] blessed one blessed
H1288-13 Exodus 20:11 בֵּרַ֧ךְ berakhe HVpp3ms blessed he bestowed blessing he blessed
H1288-62 Exodus 20:24 וּ/בֵרַכְתִּֽי/ךָ uverakhetikha HC/Vpq1cs/Sp2ms and I will bless you and I blessed you and I will bless you
H1288-56 Exodus 23:25 וּ/בֵרַ֥ךְ uverakhe HC/Vpq3ms and-he-will-bless and he bestowed blessing and he will bless
H1288-80 Exodus 39:43 וַ/יְבָ֥רֶךְ vayevarekhe HC/Vpw3ms And Moses blessed and he bestowed blessing and he blessed
H1288-82 Leviticus 9:22 וַֽ/יְבָרְכֵ֑/ם vayevarekhem HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3mp and he blessed them and he bestowed blessing on them and he blessed them
H1288-79 Leviticus 9:23 וַֽ/יְבָרֲכ֖וּ vayevarakhu HC/Vpw3mp and they blessed they bestowed blessing and they blessed
H1288-43 Numbers 6:23 תְבָרֲכ֖וּ tevarakhu HVpi2mp you shall bless you shall bestow blessing you shall bless
H1288-101 Numbers 6:24 יְבָרֶכְ/ךָ֥ yevarekhekha HVpj3ms/Sp2ms bless you he will bless you may he bless you
H1288-03 Numbers 6:27 אֲבָרֲכֵֽ/ם avarakhem HVpi1cs/Sp3mp will bless them I will bless them I will bless them
H1288-44 Numbers 22:6 תְּבָרֵךְ֙ tevarekhe HVpi2ms you-bless you will intensely bless you will intensely bless
H1288-36 Numbers 22:6 מְבֹרָ֔ךְ mevorakhe HVPsmsa blessed one endowed with blessing one being blessed
H1288-74 Numbers 22:12 בָר֖וּךְ varukhe HVqsmsa blessed blessed one blessed one
H1288-17 Numbers 23:11 בֵּרַ֥כְתָּ berakheta HVpp2ms you have blessed you have bestowed blessing you have blessed
H1288-73 Numbers 23:11 בָרֵֽךְ varekhe HVpa blessing to richly bless to richly bless
H1288-73 Numbers 23:20 בָרֵ֖ךְ varekhe HVpa to bless to richly bless to richly bless
H1288-64 Numbers 23:20 וּ/בֵרֵ֖ךְ uverekhe HC/Vpp3ms and he has blessed and he has endowed-with-blessing and he has blessed
H1288-09 Numbers 23:25 בָּרֵ֖ךְ barekhe HVpa bless intensely bless intensely bless
H1288-42 Numbers 23:25 תְבָרֲכֶֽ/נּוּ tevarakhenu HVpi2ms/Sp3ms will you bless you will bless him you will bless him
H1288-31 Numbers 24:1 לְ/בָרֵ֣ךְ levarekhe HR/Vpc to bless to bestow blessing to bless
H1288-32 Numbers 24:9 מְבָרֲכֶ֣י/ךָ mevarakheykha HVprmpc/Sp2ms those who bless you those blessing you those who bless you
H1288-74 Numbers 24:9 בָר֔וּךְ varukhe HVqsmsa will be blessed blessed one will be blessed
H1288-17 Numbers 24:10 בֵּרַ֣כְתָּ berakheta HVpp2ms you have blessed you have bestowed blessing you have blessed
H1288-73 Numbers 24:10 בָרֵ֔ךְ varekhe HVpa blessing to richly bless to richly bless
H1288-93 Deuteronomy 1:11 וִ/יבָרֵ֣ךְ vivarekhe HC/Vpi3ms and may He bless he will confer blessing and may He bless
H1288-14 Deuteronomy 2:7 בֵּֽרַכְ/ךָ֗ berakhekha HVpp3ms/Sp2ms has blessed you he has richly blessed you he has blessed you