bless(ed)

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The Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Ge’ez, 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 .

complete verse (Mark 2:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 2:8:

  • Uma: “Actually Yesus knew what was in their thoughts. That is why he said: ‘Why are your thoughts like that?” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Immediately Isa knew what they were thinking and he said to them, ‘Why are you questioning like that in your liver?” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Then Jesus understood that that was what was in their minds, and he said to them, ‘Why are you thinking like that?” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But Jesus knew nevertheless that that was in their minds, and he said, ‘Why are you thinking that?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But Jesus knew that which was in their minds. That’s why he said, ‘Why is like that in your minds?)” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Kim text for oral translation: “What is the easiest thing; it is that of saying to the paralysed: ‘Your sins have been forgiven’ or of saying ‘Get up, take your bed, go your going (go away)’?” (Source: Bayamy Tchande Awakde in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 23ff.)
  • English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “So Jesus — who knows immediately in his spirit that this is how they are thinking about themselves — says to them: ‘Why are you thinking those things?'”

horn

The musical instrument that is most often translated as “(ram’s) horn” or “trumpet” in English is translated in the following ways:

  • Yakan: tabuli’ (big sea shell used to give signals) (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Apal: “bamboo bugle” (source: Martha Wade in The Bible Translator 2022, p. 26ff.)
  • Tibetan “yak’s horn” (a traditional instrument in Tibetan culture) (source: David Clark in Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 23)
  • Mairasi / Bariai: “Triton shell trumpet” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • German Luther translation: Posaune, today: “trombone,” originally with the meaning of a wind instrument made from cow horn (from Latin bucina [bovi- / “cow” + the root of cano / “sing”]. Incidentally, bucina is also used in the Latin Vulgate translation). By the time of Luther’s translation it referred to the natural trumpet or a fanfare trumpet (see also trumpet). Once the meaning morphed to “trombone” in the 19th century, trombone ensembles started to play a central role in Protestant German churches and do so to the present day. In 2016, “Posaunenchöre” became added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list . (Note that Exodus 19:13 is the only exception in the Luther Bible. From the 1956 revision on, Widderhorn or “ram’s horn” is used here) (source: Zetzsche)

In the UBS Helps for Translators‘ Human-made Things in the Bible (original title: The Works of Their Hands: Man-made Things in the Bible) it says the following:

Description: The horn was a wind instrument made from the horn of an animal, usually a male sheep.

Usage: The animal horn was softened so that it could be shaped. The point of the horn was cut off to leave a small opening through which the user blew. The vibration of the lips produced the sound.

The ram’s horn served two general purposes:

1. It was blown in certain religious contexts, not as musical accompaniment to worship but as a signal for important events. Some of these events were the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, the Day of Atonement, the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, and the coronation of kings.

2. It also served as a signal or alarm when war was approaching. Such references are particularly common in the prophetic books, when the prophets are calling the people to repent (Hosea 5:8; 8:1; Joel 2:1; 2:15; Amos 3:6).

Translation: In many passages the purpose of the ram’s horn called shofar in Hebrew was to sound an alarm. This will be easy to express in those cultures where the horns of animals are used as musical instruments to give signals to large groups of people. In other cultures it may be possible to find another instrument that is used for an equivalent purpose. In some languages, for example, instruments such as bells or drums are the warnings for war. Some translations have transliterated the word shofar. Unless the instrument is well known, such a borrowing should normally be accompanied by a footnote or a glossary entry.

In some passages it will be necessary to expand the translation in order to indicate that the blowing of the ram’s horn was not just for music; for example, in Ezekiel 7:14 Contemporary English Version has “A signal has been blown on the trumpet,” and the German Contemporary English Version says “An alarm is sounded” [elsewhere, the same German version refers to the horns as Kriegshörner or “war horns.”]

Man blowing ram’s horn (source: Knowles, revised by Bass (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1994)

Quoted with permission.

complete verse (Matthew 6:25)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 6:25:

  • Uma: “‘That is why I say to you: don’t be afraid or say: ‘What are we (incl.) going to eat, and drink?’ Don’t be afraid or say: ‘What shall we (incl.) wear?’ Because your life is more than food and clothes.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘Therefore I say to you: do not worry about your livelihood as to what you will eat and as to what you will drink so that you live, or about your body as to what shall be your clothing. Life is more valuable than food and the body is more valuable than clothes.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And because of this I say to you, my disciples, that you should not be concerned about food and drink which is your means of staying alive. Don’t also worry about clothes to put on your body. For God has given you your breath and your body which are very precious. It’s not possible that he won’t also give you food and clothing.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘This is the reason I tell you, don’t be worried about food, drink, and clothes which you need in this life. Because your lives are far-away more valuable than food, and your bodies are emphatically more valuable than clothes.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That’s why I am saying to you not to cause your mind/thinking to be agitated about where you will be able to get all you need for your body like food, drink and clothes. For isn’t it so that life is more/greater than food and your body is more/greater than clothes? Well since life and body are indeed God’s gift to you, of course he will also give these things which you need, which are food and clothing.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I tell you that you must not worry about what you will eat and drink or about what you will wear. For the soul of the person is more valuable than what one eats. The person’s body is more valuable than what he wears.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (1 Corinthians 16:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 16:12:

  • Uma: “Continuing on, as for our relative Apolos, many times I have said to him: ‘There are some relatives about to leave for Korintus. You (sing.) also should go along with them.’ But he doesn’t feel like going [lit., his heart doesn’t see it] at this time. But when he does have opportunity, he will go.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Na, about our (incl.) brother Apollos, I really instructed/urged him, telling him to go there together with the others of our (incl.) brothers to visit you, but he says he doesn’t want to go there now. He says he will go when he has time.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as for Apollos, our brother also in faith, I have told him many times that it would be good if he viisted you along with our brothers who have visited there; however, he will come to you when there is no longer anything to hinder him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Concerning moreover our brother Apollos, I have done all in my power to convince him koma to go-with the rest of our brothers who are going to visit you. He says he will go there (near addressee) when he has the opportunity, but he doesn’t want to go now.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, concerning also our sibling in believing who is Apolos, I am eagerly trying to get him to visit you, along with other siblings in believing who will go there. But, in his mind, it’s not yet good if he goes there to you right now. Some time in the future is when he will go there.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning our brother Apollos, I have told him to go along with our brothers who have gone to see you. But he didn’t want to go then. But now perhaps he will have time to go there.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 1:22)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:22:

  • Uma: “From there, they said again: ‘If thus, tell us (excl.) who you (sing.) really are, so that there is an answer we (excl.) take to those who sent us (excl.). What is your (sing.) answer who you (sing.) really are?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then they said to him, ‘Tell us (excl.) as to who you really are. You have to tell us (excl.) so that we can inform the ones who commanded us (excl.) to come here. What do you say about yourself?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And they said again then, ‘Tell us who you are because we need to have an answer for those who sent us. What can you say about this?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘And who are you (sing.) then? Please tell because we (excl.) must have something-to-answer to those who sent us (excl.). What is your (sing.) spoken-opinion about yourself (sing.)?’ they said.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘Don’t hide it like that. You must tell us (excl.) what you really are, so that we will have what we can tell those who sent us.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Again they asked, ‘Perhaps you are the prophet who must come?’ He said, ‘No.’ Then he was asked, ‘But who are you? Tell us so that we can take the word back to those who sent us. Tell who you are.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Matthew 7:24)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 7:24:

  • Uma: “‘Whoever hears my words and follows them, that person is like a smart person who builds his house on top of a strong foundation stone.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘So-then, whoever hears those my words and follows/obeys them, he is like a man who is a real expert in thinking who built his house on stone/rock.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Whoever hears all of these my advices and he carries them out, he is like a wise person. For this wise person, he built a house on a large stone.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘All who hear and believe/obey what I am saying can be compared to a wise/intelligent person who built his house on a rock.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘Therefore whoever listens and obeys these things I am teaching, he is like a wise/thinking person who built his house on ground with rocks in it and put-posts-down-deep. (This is what makes a Tagbanwa house sturdy.)” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the person who hears all that I speak and does what I say, such a one is to be compared with a man who is wise and builds his house on rock.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Martu Wangka: “If a person hears/obeys my talk and sits obedient to me, he who belongs to Jesus will be like another, like this working-bloke. This knowledgeable working-bloke will build correctly a house on a big flat rock.” (Source: Carl Gross)

complete verse (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 1:20:

  • Uma: “For no kidding the number of God’s promises to us, and all his promises will all come-to-pass because of our connection with Yesus Kristus. That’s why when we praise God, we say: ‘Amin! Thus indeed!’ for God’s promises to us will indeed come to pass because of Yesus Kristus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “because Isa Almasi is the one who fulfills all promises of God. And this is the reason that because of Isa Almasi we (incl.) say ‘Amin’, meaning ‘that’s true’. Then God is praised.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “By means of him, all the promises of God will be fulfilled; and because of this, we (incl.) can say that it’s really true that he is faithful, and because of this God will be praised.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “And he is the fulfillment of all that God has promised, so because of him, we agree that God’s promises are true in our saying ‘Amen,’ and he is praised-thereby.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “The truth is, everything that God promised, in Jesu-Cristo is its fulfillment. Therefore, because of this fulfilling of his, we acknowledge and testify that he really is the truth/genuine, to the praise of God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning all the words God has promised to happen, it is Christ who causes all the words promised by God to happen. Therefore we praise God when we say that it is true what the word of God says. Because what was said about what Jesus Christ would pass through has happened.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)