Basic HTML Version
(
/
, 299), “without blemish”; is always so rendered in the
RV
, Eph.
1:4; 5:27; Phil. 2:15; Col. 1:22; Heb. 9:14; 1 Pet. 1:19; Jude 24; Rev. 14:5. This meaning
is to be preferred to the various
KJV
renderings, “without blame,” Eph. 1:4,
“unblameable,” Col. 1:22, “faultless,” Jude 24, “without fault,” Rev. 14:5. The most
authentic mss. have
, “without blemish,” in Phil. 2:15, for
, “without
rebuke.Ӧ In the Sept., in reference to sacrifices, especially in Lev. and Num., the Psalms
and Ezek., “of blamelessness in character and conduct.” See
BLAME
,
FAULT
.
BLESS, BLESSED, BLESSEDNESS, BLESSING
A. Verbs.
1.
$
(
' !
, 2127), lit., “to speak well of” (
$
, “well,”
, “a word”),
signifies, (a) “to praise, to celebrate with praises,” of that which is addressed to God,
acknowledging His goodness, with desire for His glory, Luke 1:64; 2:28; 24:51, 53; Jas.
3:9; (b) “to invoke blessings upon a person,” e.g., Luke 6:28; Rom. 12:14. The present
participle passive, “blessed, praised,” is especially used of Christ in Matt. 21:9; 23:39,
and the parallel passages; also in John 12:13; (c) “to consecrate a thing with solemn
prayers, to ask God’s blessing on a thing,” e.g., Luke 9:16; 1 Cor. 10:16; (d) “to cause to
prosper, to make happy, to bestow blessings on,” said of God, e.g., in Acts 3:26; Gal. 3:9;
Eph. 1:3. Cf. the synonym
, “to praise.” See
PRAISE
.
2.
$
(
#
!
, 1757), “to bless,” is used in the passive voice, Acts
3:25, and Gal. 3:8. The prefix apparently indicates the person on whom the blessing is
conferred.¶
3.
(
$&
, 3106), from a root
, meaning “large, lengthy,” found
also in
, “long,”
, “length,” hence denotes “to pronounce happy, blessed,”
Luke 1:48 and Jas. 5:11. See
HAPPY
.¶
B. Adjectives.
1.
$
(
'
, 2128), akin to A, 1, means “blessed, praised”; it is applied
only to God, Mark 14:61; Luke 1:68; Rom. 1:25; 9:5; 2 Cor. 1:3; 11:31; Eph. 1:3; 1 Pet.
1:3.¶ In the Sept. it is also applied to man, e.g., in Gen. 24:31; 26:29; Deut. 7:14; Judg.
17:2; Ruth 2:20; 1 Sam. 15:13.
2.
(
1$
, 3107), akin to A, No. 3, is used in the beatitudes in Matt. 5
and Luke 6, is especially frequent in the Gospel of Luke, and is found seven times in
Revelation, 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14. It is said of God twice, 1 Tim. 1:11;
6:15. In the beatitudes the Lord indicates not only the characters that are “blessed,” but
the nature of that which is the highest good.
C. Nouns.
1.
$
(
' &
, 2129), akin to A, 1, lit., “good speaking, praise,” is used of (a)
God and Christ, Rev. 5:12-13; 7:12; (b) the invocation of blessings, benediction, Heb.
12:17; Jas. 3:10; (c) the giving of thanks, 1 Cor. 10:16; (d) a blessing, a benefit bestowed,
Rom. 15:29; Gal. 3:14; Eph. 1:3; Heb. 6:7; of a monetary gift sent to needy believers, 2
Cor. 9:5-6; (e) in a bad sense, of fair speech, Rom. 16:18,
RV
, where it is joined with