A Summary of The Lord Bless You: Numbers 6 for the Life of the Church by Stephen B. Chapman
Written by Tyler S. Fulcher | Old Testament, Book Reviews
Contents
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About the reviewer
Tyler S. Fulcher writes about the Bible, Theology, and Church History. He is a biblical scholar based in Springfield, MO. Click here to contact.
Preface
The Lord Bless You: Numbers 6 for the Life of the Church is a part of a larger series called "Touchstone Texts" intended to address "key Bible passages, making high-quality biblical scholarship accessible for the church." The author of this volume, Stephen B. Chapman, also serves as the series' editor.
I had the privilege of taking several classes with Dr. Chapman while I attended Duke Divinity School. I greatly valued my time learning from him and the subsequent conversations I've enjoyed with him over the year. He is an excellent scholar and a wonderful person.
Chapter 1: The Blessing in Worship
Summary
In case you are not familiar with the terminology, "The Blessing" or the "Priestly Blessing" is a shorthand reference to Numbers 6:24-26.
The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. (NRSV)
Chapman strives to accomplish three tasks in his opening chapter. First, he highlights the Israelite/Jewish origins of the Priestly Blessing. Second, he demonstrates its antiquity. Third, he traces its reception throughout history.
Chapman opens by observing how peculiar it is that the Priestly Blessing plays such a prominent role in the life of the Church. Most other blessings recited by Christians originate within the New Testament or from the life of the Church.
The Priestly Blessing, however, finds its origin firmly within the history of ancient Israel.
After making this initial observation, Chapman devotes some space to discussing the relationship between Jewish and Christian liturgical practices. He rightly notes that Christians often adopt and adapt Jewish religious practices either with no awareness or little critical reflection.
Since the Priestly Blessing is such a thoroughly Jewish text, we can and should take some time to see the relationship between Jewish worship practices and those of Christianity. As Chapman notes, Christian history carries the stains of anti-Semitism, which modern Christians must recognize so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
A central way Christians can change their internal narrative about the relationship between Judaism and Christianity is to recognize just how indebted Christian worship is to Jewish liturgical practices. While the surrounding Greco-Roman context certainly influenced the early Church, its text-centered approach to religious services is deeply indebted to Judaism, with its attendant focus on Torah during Synagogue services.
As Chapman notes, the Priestly Blessing is not just a passage inherited by Christians from Jewish tradition; it is also the oldest attested biblical text. Chapman writes, "In 1979 two amulet texts containing the blessing were discovered in a substantial burial complex at Ketef Hinnom, just to the southwest of the Old City of Jerusalem" (p. 11). These amulets contained portions of the priestly blessing and provide the oldest known archaeological discovery of a biblical text. They likely date back to the 5-600s B.C.
Not only is the Priestly Blessing an extremely ancient saying, but it also held a special place in the religious service in ancient Judaism. The priest would pronounce the blessing either just before or right after the main sacrifice. Chapman describes the pronouncement of the blessing as follows: "The high priest, together with the rest of the priests, would recite the Priestly Blessing outside the temple building, on its front steps, with the priests facing the people..." (p. 13). Further underscoring the significance of the Priestly Blessing, pronouncing the blessing was one of the few times during which the divine name could be pronounced out loud.
Whereas the Priestly Blessing has historically played a significant role in Jewish worship practices, the same cannot be said for Christian history. Chapman observes that the New Testament never references the blessing, even though it is known in the Church Fathers. Instead, the Priestly Blessing only takes on a prominent place in Christian worship after the European Reformation of the 1500s.
Since the Priestly Blessing was largely reserved for the priesthood in Judaism, it makes some sense that its usage would take on more prominence in the wake of the Protestant Reformation, which emphasized anew the priesthood of all believers. As Chapman writes, "Christian use of the Priestly Blessing does not have to be viewed, and has not functioned, as a disenfranchisement of the priestly role" (p. 20).
Favorite Quotes
“Christians have often exhibited a tendency toward spiritual amnesia and a triumphalist appropriation of Israel’s prayers.” (p. 4)
“The Christian tradition did not abolish Israel’s preisthood and its prerogatives but maintained them, while also eventually extending them—if not always in practice, at least in principle—to the laity.” (p. 20)
"The Christian tradition did not abolish Israel's priesthood and its prerogatives but maintained them, while also eventually extending them--if not always in practice, at least in principle--to the laity." (p. 20)
So Christian use of the Priestly Blessing does not have to be viewed, and has not functioned, as a disenfranchisement of the priestly role.” (p. 20)
Chapter 2: The Blessing's Thesis
Summary
The Literary Context of the Blessing
Chapman begins his analysis of the Priestly Blessing by describing its literary context. If you're unfamiliar with the concept, the literary context refers to exactly what you might guess. It refers to the material immediately before and after the passage being studied. It does not stop there, however. As Chapman notes, we can think of the literary context as a continually expanding series of concentric circles (pp. 22-23). The passage is located in the center, and it is surrounded by ever larger circles that represent everything from the immediate surrounding passages all the way to the whole Bible.
Chapman makes the following observations about the literary context:
- The immediate context (vv. 22, 27) portrays the Priestly Blessing as "a statement by God to Moses" (p. 24).
- The Priestly Blessing ends the first section of the Book of Numbers (chs. 1-6).
- The Priestly Blessing is somewhat like the center of the Pentateuch if you focus on the Blessings and Curses at the end of Genesis and Deuteronomy.
- Following the Priestly Blessing, the people move away from Sinai. This position casts the Priestly Blessing as something like "traveling mercies" for the Israelites (p. 30).
The Logic of the Blessing
While this section engages in some technical grammatical analysis, Chapman's observations are important.
He notes that the Priestly Blessing is not in the indicative mood but the volitive mood. If it were in the indicative mood, the Priestly Blessing would be nothing but a statement of fact (i.e., "The Lord Blesses You"). However, since it is in the volitive mood, the Pirestly Blessing reads more like a wish or prayer (i.e., "May the Lord bless you").
"May"
Though it is a small word, Chapman devotes significant space to discussing the theological significance of the word "may" in the Priestly Blessing. As Chapman argues, appreciating the significance of this word proves critical for understanding the meaning of the Priestly Blessing.
The English language uses the word "may" to signal that a sentence is in the subjunctive mood. The subjunctive mood expresses a wish or desire. For example, when a child asks her parent, "May I eat the ice cream?" she expresses her desire to have some dessert. The child recognizes that her parents have the authority to accept or reject this wish.
The Priestly Blessing does not express a fact or issue a command to the Lord. Instead, it expresses a desire on the part of the one who prays that God would indeed bless the people. When understood in this way, a blessing forms a kind of triangulated speech. A person speaks the blessing over another person in the sight of God. The speaker wishes that God would bless someone else.
Chapman adds another interesting insight that is often lost on Western readers. A blessing, in an ancient Israelite's conception, is somewhat akin to magic. To speak a blessing is not a light thing. It has an effect on reality. Once it is spoken, the speaker expects that something will change as a result. This observation may help explain why Isaac cannot undo the blessing he speaks over Jacob, even though he realizes Jacob deceived him.
Likewise, people living in the ancient Near East fully believed in magic. As Chapman notes, however, there is a critical distinction between magic and blessing. He writes, "What sets blessing apart from magic in the biblical tradition is that blessing does not attempt to wrest power from God. It instead seeks to participate in God's power." He continues, "In some mysterious fashion, the human speaker cooperates with God, but only because God ordains and enables the act of doing so" (p. 37).
"The Lord"
As Chapman notes, the English word "LORD" (when put in all caps) signifies the divine name (i.e., Yahweh) in the Old Testament. He spends some time in this section summarizing current hypotheses about the origin of Yahweh in the ancient Near East.
The most pertinent insight from this section, however, focuses on the equation between God's divine name and his actual presence. On seven separate occasions in the Book of Deuteronomy, the reader learns that God will place his name in a central location (eventually the temple) so that all the people may worship him there (see Deut 12:5, 11; 14:23; 16:2, 6, 11; 26:2).
This equivalence between God's name and his presence will prove critical for how we think about the Priestly Blessing. As Chapman notes, "The first version of the formula (cf., Deut 12:5) is similar to the one in the concluding instruction of the Priestly Blessing (Num. 6:27) in that it employs the same Hebrew verb . . . and noun" (p. 50).
Name Theology
As Chapman has noted earlier, the divine name could only be spoken on two occasions: the Day of Atonement and during the Priestly Blessing. While the Day of Atonement happened only one time per year, the Priestly Blessing occurred at the pinnacle of the worship experience. In both instances, however, the divine name could only be vocalized at the temple. Chapman writes, "The name of God was likely believed to reside at the temple (Jer. 7:12-14; Ezra 6:12; Neh. 1:9) because that is where the name was regularly spoken and heard" (p. 53).
This way of thinking about the divine name as equivalent to God's literal presence helps make sense of verses like Deuteronomy 28:58.
If you do not diligently observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, fearing this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God (NRSV).
Grammatically speaking, "the Lord your God" specifies what (or better, "who") the name is.
Building on these observations, Chapman argues that the Priestly Blessing becomes a description of God. He writes, "The Priestly Blessing is what the name YHWH means" (p. 57).
"Bless"
In his comments on the word "bless," Chapman builds upon the insight that speaking a blessing actually affects reality. He writes, "Human blessing . . . verbally incorporates both the speaker and the hearer within an alternative reality, a different way of seeing and thinking about the world--God's way" (p. 61). To speak a blessing is not merely a wish. Instead, it is an effort to cooperate with what God is doing in the world. When we bless someone in accordance with God's will, we strive to situate both ourselves and them within God's plans and activities.
"You (singular)"
The word "you" is actually notoriously difficult in biblical interpretation. Chapman makes three important observations about the word.
First, the English language uses the word "you" to refer to both a single person and multiple people (i.e., the plural).
Second, modern English lacks a formal version of "you." While the King James Version retains formal and informal versions of the second person pronoun (i.e., you/your and thee/thou/thy/thine), most people mistake "thee/thou/thy/thine" as the formal version. In fact, thee/thou/thy/thine are the informal versions. Thus, prayers that use thee/thou/thy/thine are actually more intimate in the KJV.
Third, languages that distinguish between singular "you" and plural "you" can still use the singular to refer to a collection of people. I know that is confusing, but all languages are ambiguous in certain ways. Biblical Hebrew sometimes uses the singular form to refer to the collective.
After explaining the grammatical issues with the word "you," Chapman notes that the Priestly Blessing uses the singular form of "you," but clearly has a group of people in mind. As Chapman notes, "The Priestly Blessing therefore holds open the possibility of being heard as directed either to a collective or an individual. It is Israel's blessing, but it also comes to each citizen of Israel as a personal word from God" (p. 70).
"Keep"
The final word Chapman discusses in Chapter Two is "keep." He describes the word as "an unexceptional term that is taken up in the act of worship as a reminder that God, the God of Israel, is not far off and disconnected from the daily life but intimately concerned with ordinary things" (p. 71).
He further suggests that English Bibles translate the Hebrew word as "protect" to avoid the militaristic connotations of "guard" and the ambiguity of "keep."
Favorite Quotes
"The biblical literature is by its very nature communal, contemplative literature, with a long history of devotional reflection, critical study, and liturgical use." (p. 22)
"In sum, blessing must be understood as performative speech--against the idea that a blessing is only an encouraging word. Blessing can even be considered a kind of magic, so long as it is understood to be God's magic" (p. 40).
"It has been estimated that there are 4,720 verses in the Bible in which 'you' should be read as 'you (pl.).' In this way, the Bible is much more communal than many English speakers ordinarily recognize. Thus, the current English language itself helps to create the individualistic misunderstanding of the Bible prevailing in contemporary US society and creates many false biblical interpretations" (p. 66-67).
Chapter 3: Unpacking the Thesis
Summary
"Make Shine"
As the second part of the Priestly Blessing opens, it opens with the idea that God would cause his face to shine upon those he blesses. While we may think of this phrase in metaphorical terms, the ancient Near Eastern worldview understood it more literally as well. Many deities were closely associated with light. In numerous passages, the God of Israel is also associated with light or fire.
Chapman points to several verses that demonstrate the connection between God and light. Here are two examples:
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
he bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does the Lord withhold
from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11 NRSV)
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you (Isa 60:1 NRSV).
Going a step further, Chapman shows how the idea of light is brought forward into the New Testament as way to speak of Jesus and his connection with God the Father. He writes, "God made light in the first act of creation (Gen. 1:3). Jesus is identified by John's Gospel as both a witness to and a representative of that light (John 1:7-9). Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). Christian worshipers can therefore hear the Priestly Blessing as affirming God's benevolent guidance of historical Israel as well as adumbrating Christ's person and work" (p. 77).
"Face"
Although you might not catch it in some English translations, the Hebrew word translated as face appears twice in the Priestly Blessing. In the NRSV, the word is translated as face (v. 25) and countenance (v. 26). The concept of God's face is used both literally and metaphorically in the Old Testament.
When used metaphorically, the word face in the Old Testament signifies God's presence. As Chapman suggests, the Incarnation quite literally reveals God's face to us.
2 Corinthians 4:6 (NRSV)
For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
"Be Gracious"
Chapman makes three important observations about this part of the Priestly Blessing.
First, the idea of grace in the Old Testament is sometimes conflated with, and thereby reduced by the concept of grace in the New Testament, which is most often associated with salvation. Chapman argues, correctly, that Hebrew term translated as grace also has a more general meaning that refers to God's general benevolence towards his people.
Second, the concept of God's face (discussed above) is often closely associated with God's graciousness. Chapman points to several OT verses in support of this position (see Psalm 119:58; Zechariah 7:2; Malachi 1:9).
Third, and finally, God's grace is not exclusively, or perhaps even primarily, spiritual. Instead, "it materializes in worldly aspects of human flourishing (prosperity, long life, fertility) as well as in a vibrant worship life and a vital apprehension of God" (p. 89).
"Lift Up"
The third line of the Priestly Blessing continues the association between God's face and his grace. The concept of lifting up one's face can be associated with smiling or generally looking at someone with favor. The opposite occurs when a person feels that God has hidden his face (see Psalm 13:1).
"Give"
While the term translated as give is common in the Old Testament, Chapman draws attention to two aspects of the word's meaning that are important in this context. First, the word is repeated here in the final line of the priestly blessing and in the next verse ("So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them" [v. 27]). This repetition of the word, along with the promise that God will bless the people, sets blessing and the possession of God's name in a synonymous relationship. To bear God's name is to be blessed.
Second, Chapman makes a striking comparison with a similar Akkadian word. His comments are worth quoting in length:
"The related Akkadian verb šamātu is used for marking the name (or sign) of a deity on a cultic devotee or enslaved person. Such markings would have been physical signs of ownership. The similarity with the closing priestly instruction in Num. 6:27 is striking. It suggests not only that there may be a nuance of divine ownership in the administration of the Priestly Blessing, but that 'putting' God's name on the people might have been understood more literally, even physically, than interpreters in the past have tended to assume. In fact, the 'putting' of peace and the 'putting' of God's name may convey a more material message than the disembodied spiritual message that twenty-first-century believers tend to hear. The Priestly Blessing is not only something to be heard and relied upon; it is something to be worn, like a new coat or a second skin" (pp. 94-95).
"Peace"
Peace is a common theme in the Bible, but Chapman helpfully reminds the reader that it is not an abstract concept. Instead, peace has practical implications for our present reality. The peace envisioned by the Old Testament is not simply individualistic but also national and worldwide.
In this section, Chapm notes that peace is a messy topic because it has seldom been achieved without some imperialistic entity enforcing it. He points to the pax Romana as one example. The era was marked by peace in certain ways, but this peace was forced upon conquered peoples under the threat of Roman retaliation.
Intriguingly, Chapman asks whether the biblical vision of future peace escapes the imperialistic constraints. Are the prophetic oracles about Israel's ultimate superiority anything besides an envisioned time when Israel will dominate the world? He suggests that, by and large, the Bible envisions a nuanced vision of peace for the future. While Israel is imagined as the center of the universe, the people are drawn to Israel instead of being conquered by it.
A Threefold Blessing
This section, and others like it, are where Chapman's acumen with theological interpretation comes more fully into view. He notes that the Priestly Blessing "highlights three divine gifts: protection (v. 24), promotion (v. 25), and peace (v. 26). Each one is a divine action and a divine attribute" (p. 106). Additionally, these three gifts explain the divine name, which is repeated three times in the blessing.
Chapman notes that medieval interpreters understood the three repetitions of the divine name in a trinitarian manner. Martin Luther read "the first phrase of the blessing as describing the gifts of the Father, the Creator, the second as naming the gifts of the Son, the Redeemer, and the third as about the gifts of the Spirit, the Sanctifier" (p. 107).
Instead of creating sharp distinctions within the Trinity, Chapman argues that the whole statement should be read in a more authentically trinitarian manner. He argues the better approach "hears the blessing in its entirety as testifying to the threefold nature of the selfsame God, as Three in One. The Father offers not only protection but also promotion and peace. The Son brings not only promotion (i.e., Christ is the one who is for us) but also protection and peace. The Spirit yields not only peace but also protection and promotion. The one true God, the God of Israel—Father, Son, and Spirit—blesses with protection, promotion, and peace" (p. 108)
"Put My Name on Them"
What does it mean for the Israelites to put the Lord's name on themselves? Chapman presents compelling evidence that this is a far more literal statement than many of us recognize.
First, the pronouncement of the Priestly Blessing was closely associated with the Lord's actual presence. According to Rabbinic tradition, when the priest would recite the Priestly Blessing he would hold his hands in a symbolic position referring to God's divine presence. As Chapman notes, "The medieval Jewish scholar Rashi wrote movingly that when the priests pronounced the divine name, the Shekinah appeared on their fingertips" (p. 111).
Second, there is a strong tradition of wearing amulets or branding oneself as a sign of connection to one's deity. At this point, Chapman reminds the reader that the Ketef Hinnom texts that contained the Priestly Blessing are amulets that were worn around the neck or on the wrist. The prohibition of tattoos in Leviticus 19:28 likely has more to do with associating yourself with someone other than the Lord.
Third, the connection between one's physical body and the Lord is not confined to Jewish contexts only. Christians used the baptismal sphragis (i.e., the mark of the cross) to signal their loyalty to the Lord. There are reports from the 400s that Christians frequently tattooed the name of Jesus or the sign of the cross on their bodies to signal their belonging to Jesus.
Similar concepts appear to lie behind verses like James 2:7 (Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you? NRSV)
Favorite Quotes
"God made light in the first act of creation (Gen. 1:3). Jesus is identified by John's Gospel as both a witness to and a representative of that light (John 1:7-9). Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). Christian worshipers can therefore hear the Priestly Blessing as affirming God's benevolent guidance of historical Israel as well as adumbrating Christ's person and work" (p. 77).
"So while the term (חנן) can signal that someone receives something 'extra,' exceeding usual expectations and norms, it does not entail the corollary that someone else receives less" (p. 86).
"Like blessing, salvation in the Bible is not exclusively individual or eschatological or religious or spiritual—but also communal, contemporary, political, and physical" (p. 87).
"There has been a great deal of romantic talk over the years about peace in the Bible, but biblical peace is hardly an internal disposition or naïve, pie-in-the-sky political idealism" (p. 96).
Chapter 4: Putting the Thesis into Practice
Summary
Introduction
Chapman observes the correspondence between New Testament verses about God's name and Jesus's name and the concept expressed at the end of the Priestly Prayer (Numbers 6:27). Additionally, Jesus lifts his hands when he blesses the disciples before he ascends to heaven (Luke 24:50–53, an action Chapman suggests mirrors that of the priest when he would lift his hands while reciting the Priestly Prayer (p. 131). We might also read the reference to Jesus's name on believers' foreheads in Revelation 22:3 is suggestive of the same idea expressed in the Priestly Prayer.
Blessing versus Benediction
Christians often conflate blessing with benediction. A benediction is a closing prayer often used in high church contexts. Chapman argues this is an unfortunate reality. We should instead preserve the distinction between a closing prayer and speaking a blessing. When we speak a blessing, we are declaring that God is going to do something in the world.
The Priority of Gratitude
Chapman suggests that blessing invites us to reorient our lives around gratitude. While we can and should make space for lament in the life of faith, we should not lose sight of the idea that God delights to act on behalf of humanity.
In this section, Chapman also raises an important question about what Christians should and should not bless. Obviously, we should not bless things that contradict God's will. At the same time, we often cannot be sure whether something genuinely transgresses God's will or our cultural taboos.
Rather than restricting blessing until we can be absolutely certain about the merits of the thing or person we are blessing, Chapman encourages us to bless generously. He points to Jesus as the prime example. While Jesus did not bless everything, he encouraged his followers to bless their enemies. Chapman writes, "Even if Jesus did not apparently think everything was worthy of blessing, he nevertheless stretched blessing radically—particularly by encouraging the blessing of enemies, which is a good reason to consider blessing as transformative or sanctifying (to use Christian theological language) rather than justifying" (p. 151).
Blessing and Prosperity
While he rejects the tenets of the prosperity gospel, Chapman observes that biblical blessing does not abide by the modern division of spiritual and material issues. Instead, the concept of blessing in the Bible is holistic.
Identity and Witness
As Chapman has argued throughout the book, the Priestly Blessing is not simply a nice thing to say in a service. Instead, it is a declaration of God's identity. In a mysterious way, it is God's presence among us. Additionally, by putting his name upon us through the Priestly Blessing, we come to recognize that our identity is wrapped up in his. Bearing his name is less an abstract thought and more of a concrete reality.
Favorite Quotes
"For a priestly act to conclude Luke's Gospel furthermore forms a neat inclusio with its initial narrative scene, in which Zechariah the priest is burning incense at the Jerusalem temple (Luke 1:5–23). Zechariah should perhaps proclaim the Priestly Blessing at the conclusion of this introductory account and yet is rendered mute by an angel. On this reading, the Priestly Blessing is then effectively postponed until the end of Luke's Gospel." (p. 132)
"To hear the witness of the New Testament clearly is to realize that the true benefit of blessing comes from being an active blesser rather than a passive receiver of blessing." (p. 134)
"The biblical view of blessing is much more robust. Blessing is a physical act as well as a verbal one. It invites God's action and asserts an alignment between the circumstances of the present and the purposes of God." (p. 136)
"The power of blessing only increases with the boldness of its expression." (p. 137).
"A blessing is not a prayer or a trinitarian formula; it is a pronouncement of God's benevolent will." (p. 137-138)
"To know and use God's name is to be schooled in the practice of recognizing God and giving thanks to God." (p. 147)
"Rather than hearing the Priestly Blessing only as a comforting word of individual encouragement, Christians need to hear it as a basic statement of God's identity and their own identity before God, a dual identity that they are now charged to bear and display before the world, and an identity to which God is holding them accountable." (p. 169)
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