Bible Encyclopedias

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature

Blessing

The terms 'blessing' and 'to bless' occur very often in the Scriptures, and in applications too obvious to require explanation or comment. The patriarchal blessings of sons form the exception, these being, in fact, prophecies rather than blessings, or blessings only in so far as they for the most part involved the invocation and the promise of good things to come upon the parties concerned. The most remarkable instances are those of Isaac 'blessing' Jacob and Esau (Genesis 27); of Jacob 'blessing' his twelve sons (Genesis 49); and of Moses 'blessing the twelve tribes' (Deuteronomy 32).