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Numbers 6:24-26
The Priestly Blessing
Numbers 6:24-26
‘Yahweh bless you, and keep you. Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. Yahweh lift up his face toward you, and give you peace.’
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Why it is worth knowing
- Given by God himself, this blessing is also the oldest biblical text ever found on a physical artifact: tiny silver scrolls from about 600 BC.
- Three couplets each begin with “Yahweh”: the blessing is grounded in his character
- “Make his face to shine on you” and “lift up his face toward you” use the image of God’s attentive, favorable presence
- “Peace” (shalom) is the comprehensive wellbeing that only God can give
Where it sits: Numbers 6:22-27
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is how you shall bless the children of Israel.’ You shall tell them, ‘Yahweh bless you, and keep you. Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. Yahweh lift up his face toward you, and give you peace.’ “So they shall put my name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them.”
Hear the passage it sits in, sung word for word, on BibleDo's Numbers page.
Background
The Aaronic blessing has the oldest surviving physical copy of any Bible text: two tiny silver scrolls found in Jerusalem, dating to about 600 BC. God instructs Moses to teach Aaron and his sons this specific blessing to pronounce over Israel. The three-part structure likely corresponded to the threefold nature of God’s covenant relationship: protection, grace, and peace. It is still used in Jewish and Christian worship today, connecting millions across millennia.