בָּרַךְ barakh (H1288) comes from a root word which means “to kneel” (cf. Psalms 95:6) in the sense of bending at the knee to drink (cf. Genesis 24:11) or bending in homage (cf. Genesis 24:48) or bending down to present a tangible gift to another (cf. Deuteronomy 8:10). בָּרַךְ barakh is most translated (over 300 times) as bless, to blessed, blessed, or to be blessed in the Bible. However, since the root of בָּרַךְ barakh is neutrally applied to kneeling before another to present a gift, whether the gift is good or bad, the word has also been translated as “blaspheme” (cf. 1 Kings 21:10,13) and “curse” (cf. Job 1:5; Job 1:11; Job 2:5).
« Back to Glossary Index