בְּרָכָה (be.ra.khah)
be.ra.khah
blessing
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 57 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun berakah denotes a blessing, but its meaning extends far beyond a simple wish for good fortune. Derived from the verb for "to bless," it describes the actual bestowal of favor, prosperity, or divine benefit. In Genesis 12:2, God tells Abraham he will become a blessing, indicating that the word can refer to a person who is a source of goodness to others, not just a recipient of it.
The term carries significant weight in covenantal contexts, often linked with tangible prosperity and peace. It appears frequently in Deuteronomy’s lists of blessings and curses, where it represents the concrete results of God’s favor, such as agricultural abundance or national security. Proverbs 10:22 highlights this practical aspect by stating that the blessing of the Lord brings wealth without painful toil, distinguishing divine provision from human effort.
Translators sometimes render berakah as "gift" or "present," reflecting its use in narratives like Genesis 33:11, where Jacob insists Esau accept his offerings as a form of blessed reconciliation. This usage underscores that a blessing is not merely spoken words but an active transfer of grace and peace between parties.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word berakah describes more than a polite wish for good fortune. It refers to the actual bestowal of favor and tangible benefit from God. When Scripture speaks of blessing, it points to concrete prosperity, peace, and divine provision that sustains daily life.
This concept appears in Genesis 12:2, where God promises Abraham he will become a source of goodness to others. The term bridges the gap between receiving grace and sharing it. It reminds us that true blessing transforms both the recipient and those around them through active kindness and generosity.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 57 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a blessing14×
- the/ blessing8×
- [the] blessing of6×
- blessing5×
- blessings of3×
- blessing/ my3×
- blessings2×
- according to/ [the] blessing of2×
- [the] blessings of2×
- ¿/ [does] a blessing1×
- the/ blessings1×
- into/ blessing1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בִּרְכַּ֣ת4×
- בְּרָכָ֖ה4×
- בְּרָכָֽה\׃3×
- לִ/בְרָכָֽה\׃2×
- הַ/בְּרָכָה֙2×
- הַ/בְּרָכָ֖ה2×
- הַ/בְּרָכָ֑ה2×
- בִּרְכֹ֥ת2×
- בִּרְכֹ֣ת2×
- בִּרְכָתִ/י֙2×
- בְּרָכָ֔ה2×
- בְרָכָה֙2×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 12:2
I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.
This verse establishes that a person can be a blessing, not just a recipient of it.
-
Deuteronomy 28:8
Yahweh will command the blessing on you in your barns, and in all that you put your hand to. He will bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
This occurrence links the blessing directly to tangible results in barns and all labor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does berakah mean in the Bible?
Can a person be a blessing?
How is berakah different from a simple gift?
Every Occurrence (57 verses across 17 books)
Genesis 12 verses
I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.
Genesis 27:12What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a…
Genesis 27:35He said, “Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing.”
Genesis 27:36He said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now…
Genesis 27:38Esau said to his father, “Do you have just one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father.” Esau lifted up…
Genesis 27:41Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, “The days of…
Genesis 28:4and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land where you…
Genesis 33:11Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” He…
Genesis 39:5From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the Egyptian’s house for…
Genesis 49:25even by the God of your father, who will help you, by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above,…
Genesis 49:26The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient…
Genesis 49:28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them, and blessed them. He blessed…