Numbers 6:25 kjv
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
Numbers 6:25 nkjv
The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
Numbers 6:25 niv
the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
Numbers 6:25 esv
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
Numbers 6:25 nlt
May the LORD smile on you
and be gracious to you.
Numbers 6 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 31:16 | Make Your face shine upon Your servant; save me in Your steadfast love. | Prayer for divine favor and salvation. |
| Psa 67:1 | May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us... | Directly parallels the Aaronic Blessing. |
| Psa 80:3 | Restore us, O God; cause Your face to shine, and we will be saved! | Plea for God's favorable presence for deliverance. |
| Psa 119:135 | Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes. | Seeking divine enlightenment and guidance. |
| Dan 9:17 | ...for the Lord's sake, make Your face shine upon Your sanctuary... | Plea for restoration and favor on the temple. |
| Rev 21:23 | ...for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. | Ultimate fulfillment of God's shining presence. |
| Isa 60:1 | Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. | Prophecy of divine glory shining on Zion. |
| 2 Cor 4:6 | For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts... | Spiritual light and understanding in Christ. |
| Jas 1:17 | Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights... | God as the source of all light and goodness. |
| Psa 27:1 | The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? | God as the believer's source of light and security. |
| Gen 6:8 | But Noah found favor [וַיִּמְצָא־חֵ֥ן Noah] in the eyes of the LORD. | God's specific grace upon an individual. |
| Ex 33:12-17 | Moses finds favor [חֵ֥ן Moses] with God, who promises His presence. | Connection between finding favor and God's presence. |
| Psa 84:11 | For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor... | God as provider of grace and glory. |
| Zec 12:10 | And I will pour upon the house of David... the Spirit of grace... | Prophetic promise of the Spirit's grace. |
| Rom 3:24 | ...are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus... | Salvation solely by God's unmerited grace. |
| Rom 5:2 | ...through whom we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand... | Access to God through grace in Christ. |
| Eph 2:7-9 | ...He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness... For by grace you have been saved through faith. | Emphasizing salvation by grace, not works. |
| Jn 1:16-17 | For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. | Jesus Christ as the embodiment of grace and truth. |
| Heb 4:16 | Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace... | Encouragement to approach God for grace and mercy. |
| 1 Pet 5:10 | And after you have suffered... the God of all grace... will Himself restore... | God's ultimate grace sustains and perfects believers. |
| Tit 2:11 | For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people. | Grace as the means of salvation, manifested in Christ. |
| Psa 44:3 | But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your countenance [פָּנֶ֖יךָ] | God's presence bringing victory and possession. |
| Php 2:13 | For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. | God's grace empowering obedience. |
Numbers 6 verses
Numbers 6 25 Meaning
This verse is the second line of the Priestly Blessing, where the priests were instructed to pronounce divine favor and active presence upon the Israelites. "The LORD make His face shine upon you" signifies God's direct and benevolent attention, favor, and approval. It is an idiom indicating God's open, joyful, and supportive disposition towards His people, signifying His manifest presence, light, and life-giving blessing. The phrase "and be gracious to you" complements this, emphasizing God's unmerited favor, mercy, and kind disposition, freely extended to bestow help and benefit. This line encapsulates a prayer for intimate communion with God and the bestowal of His benevolent kindness.
Numbers 6 25 Context
Numbers 6:25 is the middle verse of the three-part Aaronic Blessing (Numbers 6:24-26), a sacred benediction ordained by God for Aaron and his sons, the priests of Israel, to pronounce over the community. This blessing was a direct divine command given through Moses shortly after the detailed laws for the Nazirite vow and before the consecration of the Tabernacle and its service. The immediate historical context is Israel camped at Sinai, organizing into a holy nation, learning the ways of covenant life, and preparing for their wilderness journey to the Promised Land. The blessing assured the people of God's active involvement in their lives and His benevolent disposition towards them, countering anxieties about the journey and dependence on Him alone in the wilderness. It was a formal liturgical act meant to impart a deep sense of divine presence, peace, and protection over God's people.
Numbers 6 25 Word analysis
- The LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH, Tetragrammaton): This refers to God's personal, covenantal name. It emphasizes His immanent, self-existent, and relational nature, rather than a generic deity. When invoked in blessing, it speaks of His specific power and promise extended to His chosen people. The focus is on God's active involvement.
- make (יָאֵר - ya'er): A Hiphil imperfect verb from the root אוֹר (or), meaning "to be light, to shine." The Hiphil stem indicates a causative action—God causes His face to shine. It implies intentionality and active manifestation of light and favor. It is not merely a passive state but an act of God.
- His face (פָּנָיו - panav): The Hebrew word panim (face) is always plural in form. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a person's "face" often represented their presence, disposition, and disposition towards others. A king's "shining face" would denote favor, approval, life, and good will, while a "hidden face" signified displeasure, wrath, or abandonment. For God, whose "face" cannot be seen directly (Ex 33:20), it represents His manifest presence, disposition, and self-revelation.
- shine (אֵלֶיךָ - eilekha): Literally, "to/towards you." This prepositional phrase indicates the direction and target of God's benevolent act. The shining is specifically directed towards the individual or community being blessed, highlighting God's personal and directed attention.
- and be gracious (וִיחֻנֶּךָּ - vichuneka): The Hebrew verb חָנַן (chanan) means to show favor, to be gracious, to pity, to act kindly towards someone, often implying a spontaneous, unmerited act from a superior to an inferior. It signifies the giving of unearned help and kindness to one who needs it. This grace is not dependent on human merit but flows from God's character.
- to you (ךָ - kha): A suffix meaning "to you" (masculine singular, reflecting the individual recipient).
- Words-group Analysis:
- "The LORD make His face shine upon you": This phrase paints a picture of divine favor, akin to sunshine breaking through clouds. It conveys God's radiant presence, offering warmth, clarity, understanding, and positive regard. It signifies the absence of divine wrath or displeasure, ensuring accessibility and open communion. This divine illumination brings life and prosperity.
- "and be gracious to you": This phrase complements the previous one by specifying the nature of God's disposition. It's not just positive attention, but benevolent, active favor that extends unmerited kindness and help. It emphasizes God's giving nature, showering blessings and mercy out of His character, regardless of the recipient's deserts. It implies His compassionate and forgiving nature.
Numbers 6 25 Bonus section
This verse, situated between requests for preservation/protection and peace, establishes the very foundation for peace and flourishing: God's direct, benevolent presence and unmerited favor. The concept of God's "face" shining can be linked to God's shekhinah glory – His visible dwelling and manifest presence among His people. It implies a sense of God's intimate acquaintance with an individual, knowing and favoring them. The Aaronic Blessing, of which this verse is a part, highlights the role of the priests as conduits of God's blessing, mediating His benevolence to the people. While given to ancient Israel, this prayer continues to be applicable to New Testament believers as God's nature as the "God of all grace" (1 Pet 5:10) and the "Father of lights" (Jas 1:17) remains constant, providing His light, favor, and spiritual grace through Christ, illuminating our lives and showing us His kindness.
Numbers 6 25 Commentary
Numbers 6:25 offers a profound understanding of God's nature and His desired relationship with His people. When the LORD makes His face shine upon you, it implies an active, benevolent, and deeply personal engagement. It's the light of His approval, His living presence illuminating life, dispelling darkness, and imparting wisdom and joy. This is not a static blessing but an dynamic, life-giving emanation from God. Coupled with "be gracious to you," the verse reveals that God's favor is rooted in His unmerited kindness (chanan). It is not earned through good deeds or ritual purity but flows freely from His divine character. This grace undergirds all His dealings, ensuring His readiness to forgive, sustain, and provide. The blessing thus moves from outward divine visibility and approval to an inner disposition of God's active, compassionate favor, providing foundational well-being and security for the blessed. It serves as a spiritual anchor, reminding the Israelites then, and believers today, of God's unchanging desire for their good.