bless(ed)

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The Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and Aramaic that is translated into English as “(to) bless” or “blessed” is translated into a wide variety of possibilities.

The Hebrew term barak (and the Aramaic term berak) also (and originally) means “kneel” (a meaning which the word has retained — see Gen. 24:11) and can be used for God blessing people (or things), people blessing each other, or people blessing God. While English Bible translators have not seen a stumbling block in always using the same term (“bless” in its various forms), other languages need to make distinctions (see below).

In Bari, spoken in South Sudan, the connection between blessing and knees/legs is still apparent. For Genesis 30:30 (in English: “the Lord has blessed you wherever I turned”), Bari uses a common expression that says (much like the Hebrew), ‘… blessed you to my feet.'” (Source: P. Guillebaud in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 189ff. .)

Other examples for the translation of “bless” when God is the one who blesses include (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight):

  • “think well of” (San Blas Kuna)
  • “speak good to” (Amganad Ifugao)
  • “make happy” (Pohnpeian)
  • “cause-to-live-as-a-chief” (Zulu)
  • “sprinkle with a propitious (lit. cool) face” (a poetic expression occurring in the priests’ language) (Toraja Sa’dan) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • “give good things” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • “ask good” (Yakan) (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • “praise, say good things” (Central Yupik) (source: Robert Bascom)
  • “greatly love” (Candoshi-Shapra) (source: John C. Tuggy)
  • “showing a good heart” (Kutu) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • “good luck — have — good fortune — have” (verbatim) ꓶꓼ ꓙꓳ ꓫꓱꓹ ꓙꓳ — ɯa dzho shes zho (Lisu). This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 58)
  • wodala — denoting a person who is considered fortunate because he/she has something good that the majority of people do not have. It also acknowledges someone as a causative agent behind “being blessed.” (Chichewa) (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

In Tagbanwa a phrase is used for both the blessing done by people and God that back-translates to “caused to be pierced by words causing grace/favor” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation) and in Benabena a term denoted “good spell” or “good magic” (source: Renck 1990, p. 112).

Ixcatlán Mazatec had to select a separate term when relating “to people ‘blessing’ God” (or things of God): “praise(d)” or “give thanks for” (in 1 Cor. 10:16) (“as it is humans doing the ‘blessing’ and people do not bless the things of God or God himself the way God blesses people” — source: Robert Bascom). Eastern Bru and Kui also use “praise” for this a God-directed blessing (source: Bru back translation and Helen Evans in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) and Uma uses “appropriate/worthy to be worshipped” (source: Uma back translation).

When related to someone who is blessing someone else, it is translated into Tsou as “speak good hopes for.” In Waiwai it is translated as “may God be good and kind to you now.” (Sources: Peng Kuo-Wei for Tsou and Robert Hawkins in The Bible Translator 1962, pp. 164ff. for Waiwai.)

Some languages associate an expression that originally means “spitting” or “saliva” with blessing. The Bantu language Koonzime, for instance, uses that expression for “blessing” in their translation coming from either God or man. Traditionally, the term was used in an application of blessing by an aged superior upon a younger inferior, often in relation to a desire for fertility, or in a ritualistic, but not actually performed spitting past the back of the hand. The spitting of saliva has the effect of giving that person “tenderness of face,” which can be translated as “blessedness.” (Source: Keith Beavon)

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators for the Danish Bibelen 2020, comments on the translation of this term: “As for ‘blessing’, in the end we in most instances actually kept the word, after initially preferring the expression ‘giving life strength’. The backlash against dropping the word blessing was too hard. But we would often add a few words to help the reader understand what the word means in a given context — people often understand it to refer more to a spiritual connection with God, but in the Hebrew texts, it usually has to do with material things or good health or many children. So when e.g. in Isaiah 19:25 the Hebrew text says ‘God bless them’, we say ‘God bless them’ and we add: ‘and give them strength’. ‘And give them strength’ is not found in the overt Hebrew text, but we are again making explicit what we believe is the meaning so as to avoid misunderstanding.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

See also bless (food and drink), blessed (Christ in Mark 11:9), and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.

See also “Blessed by ‘The Blessing’ in the World’s Indigenous Languages” and Multilingual version of “The Blessing” based on Numbers 6:24-26 .

Translation commentary on Judith 15:12 - 15:13

All the women of Israel gathered to see her, and blessed her, and some of them performed a dance for her: “All the Israelite women came to see her” (Good News Translation) and “sang songs praising her” (blessed her), but only some of them danced in her honor. However, it could be understood to mean that some of the women organized a dance for all the women, and probably does.

She took branches in her hands and gave them to the women who were with her: Judith hands out the branches; the Greek says nothing about Judith and the other women waving the branches, as in Good News Translation. The reference to the branches is puzzling. The writer could intend a reference to the celebrations at the Festival of Shelters (Feast of Tabernacles/Booths; see Lev 23.40), but the Greek word chosen is a technical term for a particular kind of wand. The branches are “ivy-covered” (Good News Translation) or “garlanded wands” (New English Bible), which were associated with the worship of the god Dionysus. The only other occurrence of the word in the Greek Bible is at 2 Macc 10.7, where the Jews celebrate the rededication of the temple “in the manner of the feast of booths,” with “ivy-covered wands.” In all probability the use of the word here proves nothing more than the late date of the writing, when certain Greek customs had become customary among the Jews. This is no reason for not following Good News Translation‘s example of describing the branches as “ivy-covered branches”; it adds color to the narrative. The branches were of a length that could be held in one hand and waved, perhaps about a meter (3 feet) long. They were decorated with twirling ivy (vines) around them. Whatever they were, they were used in celebrations.

They crowned themselves with olive wreaths: The women also put olive wreaths (garlands made from the leaves of olive trees) on their heads. These were also primarily associated with Greek customs. For ivy wreaths in association with Dionysus, see 2 Macc 6.7. In Neh 8.15 olive branches are mentioned among the preparations for the Festival of Shelters, but not the wearing of wreaths.

Those who were with her refers to all the women of Israel earlier in verse 12.

All the men of Israel followed, bearing their arms and wearing garlands and with songs on their lips: In the description of the parade the men are specifically mentioned as singing hymns, but it is not clear whether they join in the dancing or not. Bearing their arms means, as Good News Translation translates, “carrying their weapons.” Garlands were “wreaths of flowers on their heads” (Good News Translation) or “vines on their heads.”

At 16.18 it will suddenly dawn on the reader that this procession has not been a local matter; the people have been on their way from Bethulia to Jerusalem. It is hard to see that the author intends it any other way, but it is awfully abrupt at 16.18. It is therefore possible to introduce this information at the end of this chapter by saying in the middle of verse 13, “Judith took her place at the head of the procession to lead the women to Jerusalem as they danced.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Judith. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.