Numbers 6 24

Numbers 6:24 kjv

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

Numbers 6:24 nkjv

"The LORD bless you and keep you;

Numbers 6:24 niv

"?'?"The LORD bless you and keep you;

Numbers 6:24 esv

The LORD bless you and keep you;

Numbers 6:24 nlt

'May the LORD bless you
and protect you.

Numbers 6 verses

Numbers 6 24 Meaning

This verse initiates the Priestly Blessing, a divine declaration of God's active, personal, and ongoing intention to confer favor, abundance, and well-being upon His people. It expresses God's gracious desire to bestowing spiritual and material prosperity and to provide steadfast protection, guarding them from harm and preserving them in His care.

Numbers 6 24 Context

Numbers chapter 6 concludes with the famous Aaronic Blessing, immediately following instructions for the Nazarite vow. The broader context of Numbers outlines Israel's wilderness journey, emphasizing divine order, holiness, and God's presence among His people. This blessing, divinely ordained for Aaron and his sons to pronounce, served as a foundational liturgical act. It was not a mere human wish, but a direct utterance from God through His priests, designed to declare His covenant presence and proactive care for the Israelite community, giving them assurance and comfort amidst the challenges of their journey and their obligations under the Mosaic Law. Historically, such blessings were crucial in ancient cultures, signifying power, favor, and prosperity, but this one explicitly grounds all blessing and protection in YHWH alone, asserting His unique role as Israel's sole benevolent Provider and Keeper, standing distinct from surrounding pagan deities.

Numbers 6 24 Word analysis

• The Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH): This is the Tetragrammaton, the sacred, personal, covenant name of God in Hebrew, often pronounced as Yahweh. It emphasizes God's self-existent nature (Exod 3:14) and His fidelity to His covenant promises. In the context of the blessing, it signifies that the blessing originates directly from the sovereign and unchanging God, highlighting His active participation and ultimate authority in bestowing favor and protection.
• bless (בָּרַךְ - barak): This Hebrew verb means to kneel, and metaphorically, to confer favor, well-being, or prosperity. It is a powerful term indicating a divine bestowal of positive, tangible benefits—spiritual, material, and social. When God blesses, He actively endows with capacity for fruitfulness, success, and divine favor, moving beyond a simple good wish to an efficacious declaration of divine empowerment and grace.
• you (אֹתְךָ - otekha): This singular masculine pronoun indicates that the blessing is directed personally to each Israelite addressed, emphasizing an intimate, individual relationship between God and His people, even within a corporate context. While pronounced over the congregation, its effect is deeply personal.
• and (וְ - ve): This conjunction connects the two core actions of the verse, "bless" and "keep," implying a combined and harmonious work of God. It shows that God's favor is immediately accompanied by His safeguarding.
• keep (שָׁמַר - shamar): This Hebrew verb signifies to guard, watch over, protect, preserve, or observe. It denotes active and diligent care. God’s "keeping" implies His watchful eye, His shielding presence against physical danger, spiritual peril, and the forces of chaos or evil. It is a promise of divine maintenance and continuous preservation, ensuring that the blessed state endures.

• "The Lord bless you": This phrase introduces the divine source and primary intent. It is not a request for a blessing but a priestly declaration, speaking forth God's direct will to enrich and prosper. This is a gift, an undeserved favor from God's gracious character.
• "and keep you": This second part expands on the nature of God's benevolence. It moves from bestowing favor to preserving it. The "keeping" implies active vigilance against all forms of harm or loss. It underscores God's role as a Protector and Sustainer, not just a Giver of good things. It ensures that the blessing bestowed is maintained and not squandered or destroyed, safeguarding both the person and the blessings received. This pair of verbs encompasses comprehensive divine care, encompassing both provision and protection.

Numbers 6 24 Bonus section

This verse carries immense liturgical significance, being a core part of worship services across various Christian traditions to this day. Its structure, beginning with the singular personal address "you," implies that while pronounced corporately, God's blessing and keeping are deeply personal to each individual receiving it. This blessing serves as a profound expression of God's initiative in His relationship with humanity, predating any human merit or achievement. It's a statement of His divine disposition towards grace and active care for His covenant people. In its broader context within the full blessing (Num 6:24-26), each line escalates in intimacy and spiritual depth, moving from physical prosperity and protection ("bless and keep"), to relational favor and illumination ("make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you"), and culminating in profound peace and ultimate belonging ("lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace"). Verse 24 is the indispensable grounding, setting the stage for all subsequent divine favor and intimacy. It promises the very practical outworking of God's love and sovereignty in daily life.

Numbers 6 24 Commentary

Numbers 6:24, "The Lord bless you and keep you," stands as the foundational line of the Aaronic Benediction, a profound declaration of God's unilateral desire for the well-being of His people. It is not a prayer but a divinely commissioned priestly pronouncement, making God the active subject of the verbs "bless" and "keep." "Bless" implies the showering of favor, prosperity, and divine enablement in every facet of life—physical health, material provision, spiritual vitality, and relational harmony. "Keep" speaks to God's diligent and continuous guardianship, safeguarding His people from harm, spiritual stumbling, and the schemes of evil. This protection is not the absence of trouble, but God's faithful presence through it, preserving the individual within His covenant care. Together, these two verbs portray God as the all-encompassing Source of both life's flourishing and its secure maintenance, revealing His character as intensely benevolent and intimately involved in the lives of those He calls His own. It assures believers of God's proactive, sustained engagement for their good.