H1288 H1288
To bless, kneel; Piel: invoke blessing; Qal passive: blessed; euphemistically: curse, blaspheme
Few Hebrew words carry as dramatic a semantic range as barak. At its physical root it means to kneel (2 Chr 6:13; Ps 95:6), and from that posture of reverence the Piel stem develops the dominant sense of bestowing or invoking blessing — whether God blessing humanity (Gen 1:28), people blessing God in worship, or one person blessing another. The Qal passive participle barukh ('blessed') became Israel's standard liturgical exclamation. Most strikingly, barak also serves as a euphemism for cursing God (Job 1:11; 1 Kgs 21:10), a scribal reversal that reveals how deeply the culture revered the act of blessing.
Senses
1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing — The primary Piel sense: to actively bestow blessing or invoke divine favor upon someone. Arabic baraka and Swahili bariki share the same Semitic root, underscoring pan-Semitic continuity. From God blessing creation (Gen 1:22, 28) to patriarchs blessing sons (Gen 27:27) to priests blessing the people (Num 6:23), this sense pervades every register of biblical life — liturgical, familial, and covenantal. 227×
AR["بَارَكَ","فَبَارَكَ","وَ-بارَكَ","وَ-بارَكَ-هُ","وَ-بَارَكَ","وَ-بَارَكَهَا","وَ-بَارَكَهُمَا","وَ-بَارَكَهُمْ","وَ-بِرِّكْ","وَبَارَكَنِي","وَبَارَكَهُ","وَبَارَكَهُمْ"]·ben["আর-আশীর্বাদ-করল","আর-আশীর্বাদ-করলেন","আর-আশীর্বাদ-করেছেন","এবং-আশীর্বাদ-করতেন","এবং-আশীর্বাদ-করলেন","এবং-তিনি-আশীর্বাদ-করলেন","এবং-সে-আশির্বাদ-করলেন"]·DE["und-er-segnete","und-es-segnete","und-gesegnet-hat","und-segnete"]·EN["And-blessed","and-blessed","and-he-blessed"]·FR["Et-bénit","et-bénit","et-il-bénit"]·heb["ו-בירך","ו-ברך","ו-יברך"]·HI["और-आशिष-दिया","और-आशीरवाद-दिया","और-आशीर्वाद-दिया","और-आशीष-दी"]·ID["Dan-memberkati","dan-Ia-memberkati","dan-ia-memberkati","dan-memberkati"]·IT["And-benedisse","e-benedisse","e-egli-benedisse"]·jav["Lajeng-mberkahi","Lan-mberkahi","lajeng-mberkahi","lan-mberkahi","lan-piyambakipun-mberkahi","sarta-mberkahi"]·KO["그리고-복-주셨다","그리고-복을-주셨다","그리고-복주셨다","그리고-축복하셨다","그리고-축복하였다","그리고-축복했다"]·PT["E-abençoou","e-abençoou","¶ E-abençoou"]·RU["И-благословил","и-благословил"]·ES["Y-bendijo","y-bendijo","y-los-bendijo","y-me-bendijo"]·SW["Na-akabariki","Na-akaibariki","Na-akawabariki","Yahwe","akambaraka","akambariki","na-akabariki","na-akakubariki","na-akambariki","na-akanibariki","na-akawabariki"]·TR["Ve-kutladı","Ve-kutsadı","ve-kutladı","ve-kutsadı"]·urd["اور-برکت-دی","اور-برکت-دی-اُس-نے"]
2. Qal passive participle: blessed — The Qal passive participle barukh: a state of being blessed, used predicatively or as a doxological exclamation. Arabic mubarak and Swahili mbarikiwa confirm the adjectival-stative force. 'Blessed be Yahweh' (Exod 18:10) and the Deuteronomic blessing formulas (Deut 28:3–6) show barukh functioning as Israel's characteristic expression of praise and gratitude — a state declared, not an action performed. 73×
AR["مُبارَكٌ","مُبَارَكًا","مُبَارَكٌ"]·ben["আশীর্বাদপ্রাপ্ত","আশীর্বাদযুক্ত","ও-বলল","ধন্য"]·DE["segnete","soll-sein-segnete"]·EN["blessed","shall-be-blessed"]·FR["bénit","devra-être-bénit"]·heb["ברוך"]·HI["धन्य"]·ID["Diberkatilah","Terberkati","Terpujilah","diberkati","diberkatilah","terberkati","terpujilah"]·IT["benedetto","benedisse","dovrà-essere-benedisse"]·jav["Binerkahan","Kaberkahan","Pinuji","binerkahan","pinuji","pinujia"]·KO["복-있기를","복-있다","복되시다","복되실-것이다","복받은","복이-있는","복이-있으시니","복이-있으시다","복이-있을지니","복이있도다","복있는"]·PT["Bendito","bendito"]·RU["Благословен","Благословена","благословен"]·ES["Bendita","Bendito","bendito"]·SW["Abarikiwe","Amebarikiwa","Utabarikiwa","abarikiwe","amebarikiwa","atabarikiwa","barikiwe","leo","umebarikiwa"]·TR["Kutsanmış","bereketli","kutlu","kutsanmış","mübarek","mübarek-olsun"]·urd["مبارک","مبارک-ہو","مبارک-ہے"]
Exod 18:10, Deut 7:14, Deut 28:3, Deut 28:3, Deut 28:4, Deut 28:5, Deut 28:6, Deut 28:6, Deut 33:20, Deut 33:24, Judg 17:2, Ruth 2:19 (+38 more)
3. Pual: be blessed (passive) — The Pual (intensive passive): to be blessed, to receive blessing as the subject. Distinct from the Qal participle, the Pual conveys an event of being blessed rather than a static state. Arabic yubaraku (he is blessed, passive voice) and Korean bok-batda (to receive blessing) distinguish this from barukh. Deut 33:13 (Joseph's land 'is blessed') and Judg 5:24 (Jael 'most blessed among women') illustrate this received-blessing sense. 11×
AR["تُبارَكُ","مُبارَكيهِ","مُبارَكًا","مُبَارَكَةٌ","يَتَبارَكُ","يُبارَك","يُبارَكُ"]·ben["আশীর্বাদপ্রাপ্ত","আশীর্বাদপ্রাপ্ত-হবে","আশীর্বাদিত-হবে","আশীর্বাদী-হবে","তাঁর-আশীর্বাদপ্রাপ্তরা","ধন্য","ধন্য-হোক"]·DE["moege-sie-sein-segnete","segnete","segnete-von","von-segnete","wird-sein-segnete"]·EN["blessed","blessed-of","may-she-be-blessed","shall-be-blessed","those-blessed-by-Him","will-be-blessed"]·FR["bénir","bénit-de","de-bénir","fera-être-bénit","il-bénira","puisse-elle-être-bénit"]·heb["יבורך","מבורך","מבורכי-ו","מבורכת","תבורך"]·HI["आशीर्वादित","आशीर्वादित-होगा","आशीर्वादित-होगी","धन्य","धन्य-उसके","धन्य-हो"]·ID["Berbahagialah","akan-diberkati","berbahagialah-ia","diberkati","dipuji","terpuji"]·IT["benedetto-di","benedira'","benedire","benedisse","da-benedisse","potere-ella-essere-benedisse","vorrà-essere-benedisse"]·jav["Binerkahana","badhé-diberkahi","binerkahan","binerkahana","dipunberkahi","ingkang-dipun-berkahi-Panjenenganipun","mugi-kaberkahan","pinuji"]·KO["그-에게-복-받은-자들-이","복-받으리라","복을-받으리라","복을-받지","복이-있으리라","복주당할-것이다","찬송-받을지어다","찬송받으시기를","축복받은(접)"]·PT["Bendita-seja","abençoada-de","bendito","seja-bendita","será-abemçoada","será-abençoada","será-abençoado","seus-abençoados"]·RU["Благословенна","благословенна","благословенно","благословится","благословленные-Им","будет-благословлён"]·ES["Sea-bendecida","bendita-de","bendito","los-bendecidos-por-él","sea-bendecida","será-bendecido","será-bendita"]·SW["Imebarikiwa","abarikiwe","atabarikiwa","hautabarikiwa","itabarikiwa","kitabarikiwa","limebarikiwa","waliobarikiwa-naye"]·TR["Kutsanmış","bereketlenecek","bereketli","kutlu-olsun","kutsanacak","kutsananları","mübarek","mübarek-olacak"]·urd["اُس-کے-مبارک","برکت-پائے-گا","برکت-پائے-گی","مبارک","مبارک-ہو"]
4. Hitpael/Nifal: bless oneself, be blessed — The Hitpael and Nifal reflexive-reciprocal sense: to bless oneself, count oneself blessed, or be blessed through association with another. This is the sense of the Abrahamic promise — 'in you all families of the earth shall bless themselves' (Gen 12:3; 22:18; 26:4). Arabic tatabaraku (reflexive Form V) and the LXX's eneulogethesetai preserve the mediating, self-involving nuance that drives the missional theology of Genesis. 10×
AR["الْمُتَبَارِكُ","وَ-تَتَبارَكُ","وَ-تَتَبَارَكُ","وَ-يَتَبارَكونَ","وَتَتَبَارَكُ","وَيُبَارِكُ","يَتَبَارَكُ"]·ben["আর-আশীর্বাদ-পাবে","আশীর্বাদ-পাবে","এবং-আশীর্বাদ-করে-নিজেকে","এবং-আশীর্বাদ-পাবে","ও-আশীর্বাদ-পাক","ও-আশীর্বাদ-পাবে","যে-আশীর্বাদ-করে"]·DE["segnen","und-er-blesses-sich-selbst","und-gesegnet-werden-sollen","und-segnen","und-segnete","und-sich-segnen-werden"]·EN["and-he-blesses-himself","and-may-bless-themselves","and-shall-bless-themselves","and-will-be-blessed","and-will-bless-themselves","he-who-blesses-himself","shall-bless-himself"]·FR["bénir","et---bénir-eux-mêmes","et---être-bénit","et-bénir","et-il-blesses-lui-même"]·heb["ה-מתברך","ו-ברך","ו-התברך","ו-התברכו","ו-יתברכו","יתברך"]·HI["आशीर्वाद-लेगा","आशीर्वाद-लेने-वाला","और-अशिश-पयेनगे","और-आशीर्वाद-देगा-अपने-आप","और-आशीर्वादित-होंगी","और-आशीर्वादित-होंगे","और-आशीष-पाएंगी","और-आशीष-पाएंगे","और-आशीषित-होंगी"]·ID["akan-memberkati-diri","dan-akan-diberkati","dan-biarlah-diberkati","dan-diberkati","dan-memberkati-dirinya","maka-akan-memberkati-diri","memberkati-diri"]·IT["benedire","e-benedire","e-benedisse","e-egli-blesses-se-stesso","e-shall-benedire-se-stessi","e-will-benedire-se-stessi","e-will-essere-benedisse"]·jav["Lan-badhé-dipunberkahi","badhe-mberkahi","lan-badhé-kaberkahan","lan-kaberkahan","lan-mberkahi","lan-sami-mberkahi","mberkahi","saha-mugi-diberkahi"]·KO["그리고-복을-받으리라","그리고-자기를-축복하며","그리고-축복받을-것이다","그리고-축복할-것이다","복을-받으리이다","에-축복받는-자가","축복받을-것이다"]·PT["E-serão-abençoadas","e-abençoar-se-á","e-abençoar-se-ão","e-sejam-abençoados","e-serão-abençoadas","e-serão-benditas","o-que-se-abençoa","se-abençoará"]·RU["hа-благословляющийся","И-благословятся","будет-благословляться","и-благословит-себя","и-благословятся","и-да-благословятся"]·ES["Y-serán-benditas","se-bendecirá","se-bendiga","y-se-bendecirán","y-se-bendiga","y-sean-bendecidos","y-serán-bendecidas","y-serán-benditas"]·SW["Na-watajibariki","anayejibariki","atajibariki","na-atajibariki","na-kusanywa","na-wajibariki","na-watabarikiwa","na-watajibariki","na-zitabarikiwa","nayo-mataifa-yatajibariki"]·TR["Ve-bereketlenecekler","kutsanacak","kutsanan","ve-bereketlenecekler","ve-kutlanır","ve-kutsanacak","ve-kutsanacaklar","ve-kutsansınlar","ve-kutsar"]·urd["اور-برکت-دے-خود-کو","اور-برکت-پائیں-گی","اور-برکت-پائیں-گے","برکت-چاہنے-والا","برکت-چاہے-گا","وَ-برکت-پائیں-گے"]
5. Piel euphemism: curse, blaspheme — The well-known euphemistic Piel: to 'bless' meaning to curse or blaspheme God. A scribal substitution (antiphrasis) to avoid writing outright blasphemy. Job 1:5, 11; 2:5, 9 and 1 Kgs 21:10, 13 are the key passages. Swahili laani (curse) and Arabic jaddafa (blaspheme) translate the intended meaning. Context and the Piel stem are the reader's only clues — a phenomenon unique in the Hebrew lexicon. 6×
AR["بارَكَ","بارَكْتَ","جَدِّفْ-عَلى","وَجَدَّفوا-عَلى","يُجَدِّفْ-عَلَيْكَ"]·ben["অভিশাপ-দাও","অভিশাপ-দিয়েছে","এবং-অভিশাপ-দিয়েছে","তুমি-অভিশাপ-দিয়েছ","সে-তোমাকে-অভিশাপ-দেবে"]·DE["du-segnete","segnete","und-segnete"]·EN["and-cursed","blessed","curse","he-will-curse-you","you-blessed"]·FR["bénir","bénit","et-bénir","tu-bénit"]·heb["בירך","בירכת","ברך","ו-ברכו","יברכך"]·HI["और-शापा","कोसा-है","तुझे-शापेगा","शाप"]·ID["dan-mengutuk","engkau-telah-mengutuk","ia-akan-mengutuk-Mu","kutuklah","mengutuk"]·IT["benedire","benedisse","e-benedire","tu-benedisse"]·jav["lan-nyupaosi","nyupaosa","panjenengan-sampun-nyapa","piyambakipun-nyupaosi-Panjenengan","sampun-nyapa"]·KO["그리고-저주했을지","너가-저주했다","저주하라","저주하지-그가-당신을","저주했다"]·PT["amaldiçoa","amaldiçoaste","amaldiçoou","e-amaldiçoaram","te-amaldiçoará"]·RU["благослови","благословит-Тебя","и-благословили","хулил"]·ES["Bendijiste","Bendijo","maldice","te-maldecirá","y-maldijeron"]·SW["alilaani","atakuapiza","mlaani","na-wakamlaani","ulimlaani"]·TR["lanetledi","lanetledin","lanetlene-","lanetleyecek-seni","ve-lanetlediler"]·urd["اور-لعنت-کی","برا-بھلا-کہا","برا-بھلا-کہا-تو-نے","لعنت-کر","لعنت-کرے-گا-تجھے"]
6. Qal: kneel, bow down — The original physical-gestural root: to kneel or bow down, attested in the Qal stem. Arabic baraka (a camel knelt) preserves the bodily meaning. Only two clear instances remain — Solomon kneeling on his knees (2 Chr 6:13) and the psalmist's invitation 'let us kneel before Yahweh' (Ps 95:6) — but they anchor the entire blessing vocabulary in a concrete posture of worship and submission. 2×
AR["نَبْرُكَ","وَ-رَكَعَ"]·ben["আমরা-হাঁটু-গাড়ি","আর-নত-হলেন"]·DE["lass-uns-knien","und-segnen"]·EN["and-knelt","let-us-kneel"]·FR["bénir","et-bénir"]·heb["ו-ברך","ניברכה"]·HI["और-घुटने-टेका","हम-झुकें"]·ID["dan-berlutut","marilah-kita-bersimpuh"]·IT["benedisse","e-benedire"]·jav["kita-jengkèng","lan-jengkèng"]·KO["그리고-무릎-꿇십니다","우리-엎드리자"]·PT["ajoelhemos","e-ajoelhou-se"]·RU["и-пал","преклоним-колени"]·ES["arrodillémonos","y-se-arrodilló"]·SW["na-akapiga-magoti","tuiname"]·TR["diz-çökelim","ve-diz-çöktü"]·urd["اور-گھٹنے-ٹیکا","ہم-گھٹنے-ٹیکیں"]
7. sense 7 — A Hifil causative usage: to cause to kneel, make kneel down. Gen 24:11 records Abraham's servant making the camels kneel beside the well. Arabic abraka (he made it kneel) parallels this causative form precisely. This single occurrence preserves the transitive-causative extension of the root's physical sense, bridging the gap between the bodily act of kneeling and the theological act of blessing. 1×
AR["وَأَنَاخَ"]·ben["এবং-বসাল"]·DE["und-ließ-knien"]·EN["and-made-kneel"]·FR["et-fit-kneel"]·heb["ו-ברך"]·HI["और-बिठाया"]·ID["dan-membuat-berlutut"]·IT["e-fece-inginocchiarsi"]·jav["Lan-ndhengklukaken"]·KO["그리고-무릎-꿇리게-했다"]·PT["E-fez-ajoelhar"]·RU["И-опустил-на-колени"]·ES["Y-hizo-arrodillar"]·SW["Na-akawapigisha-magoti"]·TR["Ve-çöktürdü"]·urd["اور-بٹھایا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [בָּרַךְ329] vb. kneel, bless (NH id.; Arabic بَرَكَ Ethiopic በረከ Aramaic בְּרֵךְ, ܒܪܶܟ (praise), Palm. especially in בריך שמו לעלמא VogPalm. 74 ff. cf. 94, 144)— Qal Impf. יִבְרַךְ 2 Ch 6:13; נִבְרְכָה ψ 95:6; בָּרוֹךְ (v. Pi.); Pt. pass. בָּרוּךְ Gn 9:26 + 70 times;— 1. kneel down (so Arabic Syriac Ethiopic): וַיִּבְרַךְ עַל־בִּרְכָּיו and he kneeled upon his knees 2 Ch 6:13; נִבְרְכָה לפני…