The meaning of God's blessing
The Hebrew word בְּרַךְ (berach) may literally mean either “to bless” or “to kneel”. It's not clear which of these two meanings came first. It is interesting that in the Hebrew Bible the verb בְּרַךְ (berach) “bless” is often juxtaposed to the verb אָרַר (arar) “curse”. The latter verb is closely connected to the idea of “binding” and “limitation” or “restriction”. For that reason, at least presumably, בְּרַךְ (berach) would carry the opposite meaning of “freedom” or “being set free”. There are other linguistic treasures that can be pointed out here, but we will continue with our story of Adam and Eve.
Loving and caring dominion
In blessing Adam and Eve, God set their trajectory for growth and expansion. It is customary to call “be fruitful and multiply” a commandment, but the natural flow of the text rather seems to point to this being a description of the blessing given. Now that Adam and Eve are blessed by God, they are “set free” to fulfill their magnificent purpose to exercise loving and caring dominion over the created order by being fertile and increasing numerically, thereby filling the earth and mastering it.
Explore the riches of Biblical Hebrew
By reading the Hebrew Bible in its original language, you will be able to understand the deeper meanings of the text. Enroll in our next Biblical Hebrew online course taught live from Israel and start your journey to understanding the Holy Scriptures.
