"God Bless You!"
Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,"
To tell someone “God bless you” in modern thinking is the equivalent of saying, “Good luck!” it is a phrase across the English language that “wishes the person well!” This is because in western, or Greek, thinking it is an abstract phrase. It conveys information but no concrete action. This is not the case in the ancient Hebrew language!
Every word in ancient Hebrew conveys an image, an action, or a motion. Each expression of the word provides something which, because of its action, could be sensed by one or more of the five senses (i.e., see, hear, touch, taste, or feel). In other words, Hebrew is more of a concrete rather than an abstract language. It paints a picture on the heart by engaging the natural senses instead of the reasoning capabilities of the human mind. It leaves very little to misunderstand its meaning. It is more exacting in communication, "picture words" that engage the imagination of the heart.
The Promise given to Abraham and his Seed (Jesus) was a “promise of blessing” for the whole of humanity. It conveyed both an oath and an action for a future event.
Occurrences of the word: (KJV)
BLESS - 108 times
BLESSING - 52 times
BLESSINGS - 8 times.
BLESSED - 329 times
Translating the Bible into English required each Hebrew word to become "purely abstract." In other words, an expression that became a "concept; idea" with no sensual base. The meaning of the word could not be sensed with the heart. It could t convey any action, motion, or feeling. As a result, English words or phrases take on a general connotation rather than an exacting meaning. English has to add adverbs to get closer to the Hebrew word's meaning. It is never the same, however.
For example, If I were to say to someone in English, "God bless you," it would most likely convey my simply wishing them well" or saying, "Good luck!" It has an almost magical meaning because there is" no investment of self." Such is NOT the case with Hebrew words.
To correctly interpret and understand the Hebrew connotation of the word "bless," we must find its original concrete meaning: a meaning that conveys an ACTION. The Old Testament Hebrew words ALL describe ACTION; therefore, they are tangible, concrete, and NOT abstract. An abstract word means an "idea" or "information," while a Hebrew word means "an experience."
Genesis 24:11 reads, "And he made the camels kneel down outside the city."
The phrase "kneel down" is the Hebrew verb "barak" (English spelling). It is the same word, when translated, means "bless." So the concrete meaning is "to kneel down" (as an act of adoration). The protracted meaning of this word is "to do something for someone" or to "give something of value to another."
When someone says in Hebrew, "God bless you!" in the true sense of the meaning, they are asking God to "do something for" or "give something of value to the person." They are asking God to "INVEST HIMSELF through an action" into that person's life. They are asking God to "kneel down" or "come to the level of the person being blessed! What an amazing action! That is what Jesus did.....
To "bless," in a biblical or Hebrew sense, means to give something of yourself to the well-being of another. To bless carries an action of being gracious toward.
God continually "blesses" us by providing for our needs and well-being -spirit, soul, and body. We, in turn, "bless" God by giving Him our complete trust, commitment, and love. He has ultimately blessed all of humanity by giving Himself for us.
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