Benedictions

Prayers invoking God's blessing upon others. They are often spoken at a time of impending separation, although they may sometimes constitute greetings.

Benedictions pronounced by priests

Numbers 6:23–27 See also Deuteronomy 21:5; 1 Samuel 2:20; 2 Chronicles 30:27

“Tell Aaron and his sons:This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: ‘May the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.’ So they shall put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Benedictions pronounced by kings

1 Kings 8:54–61 See also Genesis 14:18–20; 2 Samuel 6:20; 2 Chronicles 6:3–11

Now when Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and petition to the LORD, he got up before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. And he stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel according to all that He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He made through His servant Moses. May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He never leave us or forsake us. May He incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep the commandments and statutes and ordinances He commanded our fathers. And may these words with which I have made my petition before the LORD be near to the LORD our God day and night, so that He may uphold the cause of His servant and of His people Israel as each day requires, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God. There is no other! So let your heart be fully devoted to the LORD our God, as it is this day, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments.”

Benedictions pronounced by other leaders of the nation of Israel

Joshua 22:6–8 See also Deuteronomy 33:1–29

So Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way, and they went to their homes. (To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan among their brothers.) When Joshua sent them to their homes he blessed them, saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth, with immense herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very many clothes. Divide with your brothers the spoil of your enemies.”

Benedictions pronounced by family members

Ruth 1:8–9 See also Genesis 24:60, Genesis 27:27–29, Genesis 48:9–22, Genesis 49:1–28

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you loving devotion, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud

Apostolic benedictions on the church

The blessing of grace and peace

Romans 1:7 See also Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 1:3, 1 Corinthians 16:23; Galatians 1:2–5, Galatians 6:16; Ephesians 1:2, Ephesians 6:23; 1 Timothy 1:2; Revelation 22:21

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The blessing of spiritual growth

Hebrews 13:20–21 See also 1 Peter 5:10

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

The blessing of God in all his fulness

2 Corinthians 13:14

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.