"Blessed” in the Old Testament

“And his wife saith to him, ‘Still thou art keeping hold on thine integrity: bless God and die.’” (Job 2:9, Young’s Literal Translation)

In order to understand the meaning of “blessed,” we have to consider the use of this idea in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms. When one understands this Old Testament background, Jesus’ words become richer and much more meaningful.

“Blessed” is a state or condition in which a superior, in this case, God, bestows his favor upon the lesser, us. “Blessed” is sometimes translated as “happy,” but the modern sense in which happy is now used can be misleading, in that to translate what Jesus says in Matthew 5:4 as, Happy [instead of “blessed”] are those who mourn would be confusing to modern ears. “Happy” and “mourn” are two contradictory emotional states to modern Americans (although these might be better understood by Christians in other parts of the world, such as Africa and Asia).

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Author: David R. Sincerbox

Keywords: Bless, Blessed, Blessing, Blessedness, Blesses, Blessing God, God blesses, Be blessed, Blessings, Bless God, Bow the knee, Bend the knee, Genuflection, Genuflexion, Blessed by God

Bible reference(s): Genesis 1:22, Genesis 1:28, Genesis 2:3, Genesis 5:2, Genesis 9:1, Genesis 9:26, Genesis 12:2, Genesis 12:3, Genesis 14:19, Genesis 14:20, Genesis 17:16, Genesis 17:20, Genesis 18:18, Genesis 22:17, Genesis 22:18, Genesis 24:1, Genesis 24:27, Genesis 24:31, Genesis 24:35, Genesis 24:48, Genesis 24:60, Genesis 25:11, Genesis 26:3, Genesis 26:4, Genesis 26:12, Genesis 26:24, Genesis 26:29, Genesis 27:4, Genesis 27:7, Genesis 27:10, Genesis 27:12, Genesis 27:19, Genesis 27:23, Genesis 27:25, Genesis 27:27, Genesis 27:29, Genesis 27:30, Genesis 27:31, Genesis 27:33, Genesis 27:34, Genesis 27:35, Genesis 27:36, Genesis 27:38, Genesis 27:41, Genesis 28:1, Genesis 28:3, Genesis 28:4, Genesis 28:6, Genesis 28:14, Genesis 30:27, Genesis 30:30, Genesis 31:55, Genesis 32:26, Genesis 32:29, Genesis 35:9, Genesis 39:5, Genesis 47:7, Genesis 47:10, Genesis 48:3, Genesis 48:9, Genesis 48:15, Genesis 48:16, Genesis 48:20, Genesis 49:25, Genesis 49:26, Genesis 49:28, Exodus 12:32, Exodus 18:10, Exodus 20:11, Exodus 20:24, Exodus 23:25, Exodus 32:29, Exodus 39:43, Leviticus 9:22, Leviticus 9:23, Leviticus 25:21, Numbers 6:23, Numbers 6:24, Numbers 6:27, Numbers 22:6, Numbers 22:12, Numbers 23:11, Numbers 23:20, Numbers 23:25, Numbers 24:1, Numbers 24:9, Numbers 24:10, Deuteronomy 1:11, Deuteronomy 2:7, Deuteronomy 7:13, Deuteronomy 7:14, Deuteronomy 8:10, Deuteronomy 10:8, Deuteronomy 11:26, Deuteronomy 11:27, Deuteronomy 11:29, Deuteronomy 12:7, Deuteronomy 12:15, Deuteronomy 14:24, Deuteronomy 14:29, Deuteronomy 15:4, Deuteronomy 15:6, Deuteronomy 15:10, Deuteronomy 15:14, Deuteronomy 15:18, Deuteronomy 16:10, Deuteronomy 16:15, Deuteronomy 16:17, Deuteronomy 21:5, Deuteronomy 23:5, Deuteronomy 23:20, Deuteronomy 24:13, Deuteronomy 24:19, Deuteronomy 26:15, Deuteronomy 27:12, Deuteronomy 28:2, Deuteronomy 28:3, Deuteronomy 28:4, Deuteronomy 28:5, Deuteronomy 28:6, Deuteronomy 28:8, Deuteronomy 28:12, Deuteronomy 29:19, Deuteronomy 30:1, Deuteronomy 30:16, Deuteronomy 30:19, Deuteronomy 33:1, Deuteronomy 33:11, Deuteronomy 33:13, Deuteronomy 33:20, Deuteronomy 33:23, Deuteronomy 33:24, Joshua 8:33, Joshua 8:34, Joshua 14:13, Joshua 17:14, Joshua 22:6, Joshua 22:7, Joshua 22:33, Joshua 24:10, Judges 5:2, Judges 5:9, Judges 5:24, Judges 13:24, Judges 17:2, Ruth 2:4, Ruth 2:19, Ruth 2:20, Ruth 3:10, Ruth 4:14, 1 Samuel 2:20, 1 Samuel 9:13, 1 Samuel 15:13, 1 Samuel 23:21, 1 Samuel 25:32, 1 Samuel 25:33, 1 Samuel 25:39, 1 Samuel 26:25, 2 Samuel 2:5, 2 Samuel 6:11, 2 Samuel 6:12, 2 Samuel 6:18, 2 Samuel 6:20, 2 Samuel 7:29, 2 Samuel 13:25, 2 Samuel 14:22, 2 Samuel 18:28, 2 Samuel 19:39, 2 Samuel 21:3, 2 Samuel 22:47, 1 Kings 1:48, 1 Kings 2:45, 1 Kings 5:7, 1 Kings 8:14, 1 Kings 8:15, 1 Kings 8:55, 1 Kings 8:56, 1 Kings 8:66, 1 Kings 10:9, 1 Chronicles 4:10, 1 Chronicles 13:14, 1 Chronicles 16:2, 1 Chronicles 16:36, 1 Chronicles 16:43, 1 Chronicles 17:27, 1 Chronicles 23:13, 1 Chronicles 26:5, 1 Chronicles 29:10, 1 Chronicles 29:20, 2 Chronicles 2:12, 2 Chronicles 6:3, 2 Chronicles 6:4, 2 Chronicles 9:8, 2 Chronicles 20:26, 2 Chronicles 30:27, 2 Chronicles 31:8, 2 Chronicles 31:10, Ezra 7:27, Nehemiah 8:6, Nehemiah 9:5, Nehemiah 11:2, Nehemiah 13:2, Job 1:10, Job 1:21, Job 2:9, Job 29:11, Job 29:13, Job 31:20, Job 42:12, Psalms 1:1, Psalms 2:12, Psalms 3:8, Psalms 5:12, Psalms 16:7, Psalms 18:46, Psalms 21:3, Psalms 21:6, Psalms 24:5, Psalms 26:12, Psalms 28:6, Psalms 28:9, Psalms 29:11, Psalms 31:21, Psalms 32:1, Psalms 32:2, Psalms 33:12, Psalms 34:1, Psalms 37:22, Psalms 37:26, Psalms 40:4, Psalms 41:1, Psalms 41:2, Psalms 41:13, Psalms 45:2, Psalms 62:4, Psalms 63:4, Psalms 65:4, Psalms 65:10, Psalms 66:8, Psalms 66:20, Psalms 67:1, Psalms 67:6, Psalms 67:7, Psalms 68:19, Psalms 68:26, Psalms 68:35, Psalms 72:15, Psalms 72:17, Psalms 72:18, Psalms 72:19, Psalms 84:4, Psalms 84:5, Psalms 84:12, Psalms 89:15, Psalms 89:52, Psalms 94:12, Psalms 96:2, Psalms 100:4, Psalms 103:1, Psalms 103:2, Psalms 103:20, Psalms 103:21, Psalms 103:22, Psalms 104:1, Psalms 104:35, Psalms 106:3, Psalms 106:48, Psalms 107:38, Psalms 109:17, Psalms 109:28, Psalms 112:1, Psalms 112:2, Psalms 113:2, Psalms 115:12, Psalms 115:13, Psalms 115:15, Psalms 115:18, Psalms 118:26, Psalms 119:1, Psalms 119:2, Psalms 119:12, Psalms 119:56, Psalms 124:6, Psalms 128:1, Psalms 128:4, Psalms 128:5, Psalms 129:8, Psalms 132:15, Psalms 133:3, Psalms 134:1, Psalms 134:2, Psalms 134:3, Psalms 135:19, Psalms 135:20, Psalms 135:21, Psalms 144:1, Psalms 144:15, Psalms 145:1, Psalms 145:2, Psalms 145:10, Psalms 145:21, Psalms 147:13, Proverbs 3:33, Proverbs 5:18, Proverbs 10:6, Proverbs 10:7, Proverbs 10:22, Proverbs 11:11, Proverbs 11:26, Proverbs 20:7, Proverbs 20:21, Proverbs 22:9, Proverbs 24:25, Proverbs 27:14, Proverbs 28:14, Proverbs 28:20, Proverbs 29:18, Proverbs 30:11, Proverbs 31:28, Isaiah 19:24, Isaiah 19:25, Isaiah 30:18, Isaiah 44:3, Isaiah 51:2, Isaiah 56:2, Isaiah 61:9, Isaiah 65:8, Isaiah 65:16, Isaiah 65:23, Isaiah 66:3, Jeremiah 4:2, Jeremiah 17:7, Jeremiah 20:14, Jeremiah 31:23, Ezekiel 34:26, Ezekiel 37:26, Ezekiel 44:30, Daniel 2:19, Daniel 2:20, Daniel 3:28, Daniel 4:34, Daniel 12:12, Joel 2:14, Haggai 2:19, Zechariah 8:13, Zechariah 11:5, Malachi 2:2, Malachi 3:10, Malachi 3:12, Malachi 3:15, Matthew 5:3-11, Matthew 11:6, Matthew 13:16, Matthew 14:19, Matthew 16:17, Matthew 21:9, Matthew 23:39, Matthew 24:46, Matthew 25:34, Matthew 26:26, Mark 6:41, Mark 8:7, Mark 10:16, Mark 11:9, Mark 11:10, Mark 14:22, Mark 14:61, Luke 1:42, Luke 1:45, Luke 1:48, Luke 1:64, Luke 1:68, Luke 2:28, Luke 2:34, Luke 6:20, Luke 6:21, Luke 6:22, Luke 6:28, Luke 7:23, Luke 9:16, Luke 10:23, Luke 11:27, Luke 11:28, Luke 12:37, Luke 12:38, Luke 12:43, Luke 13:35, Luke 14:14, Luke 14:15, Luke 19:38, Luke 23:29, Luke 24:30, Luke 24:50, Luke 24:51, Luke 24:53, John 12:13, John 13:17, John 20:29, Acts 3:25, Acts 3:26, Acts 13:34, Acts 20:35, Romans 1:25, Romans 4:6, Romans 4:7, Romans 4:8, Romans 4:9, Romans 9:5, Romans 12:14, Romans 15:27, Romans 15:29, 1 Corinthians 4:12, 1 Corinthians 9:23, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 1 Corinthians 14:16, 2 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:11, 2 Corinthians 9:8, 2 Corinthians 11:31, Galatians 3:8, Galatians 3:9, Galatians 3:14, Ephesians 1:3, 1 Timothy 1:11, 1 Timothy 6:15, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 6:7, Hebrews 6:14, Hebrews 7:1, Hebrews 7:6, Hebrews 7:7, Hebrews 11:20, Hebrews 11:21, Hebrews 12:17, James 1:12, James 1:25, James 3:9, James 3:10, 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Peter 3:9, 1 Peter 3:14, 1 Peter 4:14, Revelation 1:3, Revelation 5:12, Revelation 5:13, Revelation 7:12, Revelation 14:13, Revelation 16:15, Revelation 19:9, Revelation 20:6, Revelation 22:7, Revelation 22:14, Susanna 1:60, 1 Esdras 4:36, 1 Esdras 4:40, 1 Esdras 4:60, 1 Esdras 5:60, 1 Esdras 8:25, 1 Esdras 9:46, Judith 13:17, Judith 13:18, Judith 13:20, Judith 14:7, Judith 15:9, Judith 15:10, Judith 15:12, 1 Maccabees 2:69, 1 Maccabees 3:7, 1 Maccabees 4:30, 1 Maccabees 4:55, 2 Maccabees 1:17, 2 Maccabees 10:38, 2 Maccabees 12:41, 2 Maccabees 15:29, 2 Maccabees 15:34, 3 Maccabees 7:23, 4 Maccabees 1:10, 4 Maccabees 4:12, 4 Maccabees 7:15, 4 Maccabees 7:22, 4 Maccabees 10:14, 4 Maccabees 12:1, 4 Maccabees 17:18, 4 Maccabees 18:13, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 1:11, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 3:8, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 3:9, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 4:13, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 7:32, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 11:22, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 14:1, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 14:2, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 14:20, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 26:3, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 31:8, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 31:9, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 32:13, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 33:12, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 33:16, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 34:15, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 34:17, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 36:17, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 39:14, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 39:22, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 39:35, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 40:17, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 40:27, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 44:21, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 44:23, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 45:1, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 45:7, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 45:15, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 46:11, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 47:6, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 48:11, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 50:20, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 50:21, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 50:22, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 50:28, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 51:12, Tobit 3:11, Tobit 4:12, Tobit 4:19, Tobit 7:7, Tobit 7:13, Tobit 8:5, Tobit 8:15, Tobit 8:16, Tobit 8:17, Tobit 9:6, Tobit 10:11, Tobit 11:1, Tobit 11:14, Tobit 11:17, Tobit 13:1, Tobit 13:12, Tobit 13:14, Tobit 13:18, Wisdom of Solomon 3:13, Wisdom of Solomon 3:14, Wisdom of Solomon 14:7, Wisdom of Solomon 15:19, Wisdom of Solomon 18:9, 2 Esdras 7:45, 2 Esdras 10:57, 2 Esdras 13:24

Source: “Wisdom and the Beatitudes (1),” The Christian Worldview Journal, December 2, 2013.

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