NEW THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE, DEHRADUN

Paper Presentation on: Blessings and Curses

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course: Old Testament Theology

Submitted to: Rev. Mahiban M. Melif

Date of submission: 20th October, 2022

Submitted By: Rubin Wilson and Robin

Respondents: Prakash Chandra G and Samron Terang

Outline

1. Introduction
2. Blessing
2.1 Etymology of Word “Blessing”
2.2 Blessings in Pentateuch
2.3 Blessing in Prophets
2.4 Blessing in Other Books
3. Curse
3.1 Etymology of Word “Curse”
3.2 Curses in Pentateuch
3.3 Curse in Prophets
3.4 Curse in Other Books
4. Nature of Divine Blessing and Cursing
5. Conclusion
1. Introduction

In this paper our attempt is to understand the concept of blessings and curses according to the old
testament. The theme of blessings and cursing can be found in the first book (Genesis) and
continues till the last book.(Malachi). So, let us look into these two themes which are constantly
going together in the Old testament.

2. Blessing (‫ב ֶרְך‬,

Etymologically the Hebrew root for ‘blessing’ comes from the word brk which means ‘to bless.’
The Hebrew lexicons distinguish between two Hebrew roots for this word: brk 1 which is given
by the qal meaning ‘to kneel’ and brk 2 which is given by the qal passive participle meaning
barukh – blessed or praised, and the noun word for blessing is berakhah.1Somewhat closely
associated roots: rsh and rason means ‘be favorably pleased’ or ‘favor.’ Another root sih means
to advance or prosper. The state of wellbeing and security that emerges from blessing may be
encompassed in the term shalom.2

Blessing in the Old Testament

The theme of blessing is an integral element of many of the biblical traditions. God’s blessings of
man and the animals in the primeval history are indicative of His favorable attitude toward the
creation. Human blessings also played a central role in the Bible because there are many
occasions where people uttered blessings like the patriarchs delivered their deathbed testaments
in the form of blessings. Prayers were often uttered in the form of blessings and also people
expressed praise toward God by means of blessing formulas.3Now, let us look into the use of the
word ‘Blessing’ in the Old Testament:

2.2 Blessing in Pentateuch: The theme of blessing begins in Genesis 1. On day 5, God blesses
the sea creatures and birds (Genesis 1:22). On day 6 he blesses humanity: “Be fruitful and
multiply … and have dominion …” (Genesis 1:22). Blessing here is an expression of being in
favor or relationship with God. It involves the gift of fertility and an ability to subdue and rule
the world. Blessing often signifies being protected by, and provided for, by God. We see this in
the blessing on Noah; in the greetings of Boaz; and especially in the Aaronic blessing
of Numbers 6:24-26.4When we Genesis 1:28, we can see that it communicates the idea of
blessings in five verbal terms: fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue and have dominion. These

1
Edited by. G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, (USA:
William B. Eerdmans, 1975), 279-280.
2
Kondasingu Jesurathnam, Old Testament Theology: History, Issues and Perspectives, (New Delhi: Christian World
Imprints, 2016), 227.
3
Christopher Wright Mitchell, The meaning of Brk “To Bless” in the Old Testament, (Georgia: Scholars Press,
1987), 14.
4
Victor Hamilton, Handbook on the Pentateuch (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1982), 18
verbal imperatives convey the meaning that God intends to bless and prosper humanity and given
them wellbeing. It is also evident in the Pentateuch that land also comes as a sign of blessing
(Genesis 17:20). In the patriarchal narratives blessing functions in the family or clan and in
Deuteronomy blessing functions in the entire nation.5We can see in Genesis 3 God’ s curse for
disobeying Him but after all this cursing, blessing is a major theme in the promises to Abraham.
The Abrahamic promises seek to reverse the effects of the fall and restore creation to the
blessedness seen in Genesis 1. We need to understand that the blessing is not focused on
Abraham. Rather, he is to become a conduit of God’s blessing to others. Other nations will be
blessed through Abraham. There is an escalation in the promises to Abraham: (I) Abraham will
be blessed, (ii) he will be a blessing, and (iii) all the nations will receive blessing.6The book of
Deuteronomy particularly deals with the idea of blessings in terms of God-given land as a gift
and all the blessings connected in terms of prosperity and peace in the land (Deut. 28: 1-14) and
these blessings are conditional and can be attained only if the people of Israel give total
obedience to God’s commandments.7

2.3 Blessing in Prophets: The prophetic literature depicts blessing in terms of God’s salvation
that will be initiated in the lives of the people of Israel.In the prophetic book of Jeremiah 29: 4-7,
32:15, it communicates the blessings of God in terms of the wellbeing that will be seen in the
lives of the exiles. Deutero. Isaiah proclaims the state of blessedness to the Babylonian exiles in
the midst of their hopelessness and illusory hope that the people would return to their own land
and this deliverance communicated by the prophet is nothing but the blessings that will be
showered upon them. The prophetic utterance of blessings is also connected with peace as a sign
of blessing and promise (Micah 4:3-4, Isaiah 11).8The thing we have to notice here is that the
promises of blessings proclaimed by the prophets are not made to the individuals; rather it is
made to the whole nation of Israel; and the material blessings promised are often only symbols of
more abstract benefits such as God’s favor and peace.9

2.4 Blessing in the other Books: In the Old Testament, the concept of blessing is concretely
related to the institution of kingship (1 King 2:45) and according to Claus Westermann, the
human king is understood as the one who mediates God’s blessings to the people. The kings are
appointed by Yahweh as His vicegerents (a person exercising power on behalf of a sovereign
ruler) so that they would lead the people in the path of blessing and prosperity.In the entire book
of Psalms, it is basically affirmed that Yahweh is the source and distributor of blessing. For
example, Psalms 24:5 which says that – ‘he will receive blessing from the Lord and
righteousness from the God of His salvation,’ the same theme can also be seen in Psalms 128:5.

5
Jesurathnam, Old Testament Theology: History, Issues and Perspectives, 228.
6
James McKeown, Genesis, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), 222.
7
Jesurathnam, Old Testament Theology: History, Issues and Perspectives, 228.
8
Jesurathnam, Old Testament Theology: History, Issues and Perspectives, 228.
9
Mitchell, The meaning of Brk “To Bless” in the Old Testament, 52.
Blessing is pronounced who abides by the covenant commandments of Yahweh. 10 The book of
Proverbs, like in 10:22, describes God’s blessing as giving money as well as goods and other
things of value. The point is not that all who are rich must therefore have God’s blessing, for the
wicked also can be wealthy, but the difference is only God’s blessing gives lasting wealth. Goods
acquired by dishonest means, or simply by one’s own labors without God’s sanction, are fleeting
(Proverbs 20:21, 21:5).11

3. Curse (‫ָארּור‬,
֤ ’ā·rūr)
3.1 Etymology of the Word ‘Curse’

The etymology for the word ‘curse’ comes from the Hebrew root words: ‘lh, ‘rr, qll. The word
‘lh reflects the meaning of vocal or written imprecation. The word ‘rr' means a kind of banning
of receiving any benefits.12

Curse in the Old Testament

3.2 Prophets and curse: Prophets very often talk about curse in different contexts as a condition
opposite of blessings. Jeremiah in 20:14-15 pronounces a double curse of the day when he was
born and of the person who brought the news to his father about his birth. The main reason why
Jeremiah pronounces this curse is to know the purpose of the unknowable and inscrutable nature
of God. During the 8th and 7th century, prophecy curse was pronounced as war threat, siege
warfare, exile, imprisonment and destruction of basic source of subsistence. The curse imagery
found in prophets (Jer 20:5-6; 31:45; Zeph 1:7-13; Amos 5:11) clearly project the
socio-economic and political condition of the above-mentioned centuries due to the growth of
urbanization. The debased religious, moral and ethical standards of the time invited a condition
of alienation between the people and God as the people’s minds are perverted and even become
corrupt.13

3.3 Curse in other Books: It must be noted that the curse and its expressions are also rooted in
the realm of magic and probably some such influence of curse may be noted in Deut. 27, 28
chapters and in Josh 5:23; 21:5. The curse is also associated with the stipulations of the covenant
as found in the formula “cursed before the face of Yahweh” in Josh 6:26 and 1 Sam 26:19. In Ps
109 and 137 we find a curse that is addressed towards the tormentors and the enemies. In psalms
curse could also take the form of judgment (Ps 83:9f), adversaries (Ps 37:34; 149:7) and prayer
of vengeance (Ps 17:13; 28:4; 54:5; 56:7; 58:6).In the book of Job in 3:1-31, the pronouncement
of curse is response to catastrophic suffering which calls for a radical reordering of life. In this
10
Jesurathnam, Old Testament Theology: History, Issues and Perspectives, 229.
11
Mitchell, The meaning of Brk “To Bless” in the Old Testament, 46.
12
Jesurathnam, Old Testament Theology: History, Issues and Perspectives, 227.
13
Jesurathnam, Old Testament Theology: History, Issues and Perspectives, 228.
text, it is to be noted that Job’s crisis reflects human predicament and suffering that goes against
traditional understanding of misery and suffering. Job’s rhetoric in the above-mentioned text
shatters and all that is seen in order and without any disruption.14

4. The Nature of Divine Blessing and Cursing

Before considering further intertwining of the blessing and the curse, the nature of blessing
should be examined. Why is a blessing frequently given as a command? What does it mean to
receive divine blessing? What does it mean to be a blessed one? How can the aquatic and avian
creatures, mankind, and on the seventh day all receive God’s favor in the same manner? While
contexts vary, a basic definition of the nature of blessing, at least within Genesis, is
possible. Blessing is the bestowing of privilege, right, responsibility, or favor upon some portion
of the creation, by God or by one whom he has blessed. In relation to humanity, to be blessed is
to be one of God’s own people with all the benefits that bring, in other words, the blessing of
God is his relational presence in one’s life. Such a definition requires some defense since many
theologians equate the blessing of God primarily with life power, inner strength, or
fertility. Certainly, the blessing of God includes life, strength, and fertility; but these are largely
the manifestations, not the substance, of blessing.15Cain understood this. Thus, after God cursed
him, Cain summarized the curse as a loss of both benefits (being driven away from the ground)
and access to God— “from your face I shall be hidden.” The curse of God alienates one from
God’s presence, while the essence of divine blessing is “I will be with you” (26:3).

Over and over, the Lord proclaims to the reader in Genesis that blessing is pre-eminently about a
right relationship with him. That is not simply a part of the blessing; it is the very core.

Blessing certainly has a broader meaning than “relationship with God” (though even if it did not,
it would still be an incredible display of grace!), but blessing does not have a meaning outside
of relationship with God. Whatever else it implies (fertility, life, riches, etc.), relationship with
God is always the pivot point of blessing. However, each type of relationship may be distinct
from the others. On the one hand, God blessed the seventh day and established an exceptional
relationship with it (2:3). On the other hand, God gives externally similar blessings to the fish
and birds on the fifth day and to the man and woman on the sixth day in Genesis 1. The
distinction between these two blessings is beautifully crystallized by James McKeown:

These blessings are pronounced in a way that indicates two different levels of relationship. The
blessing on the human beings was communicated “to them,” whereas the blessing on the fish and
birds was simply pronounced and the words “to them” are missing. Although God blessed other
creatures, it was the blessing on the humans that reflected the more intimate relations.16

14
Jesurathnam, Old Testament Theology: History, Issues and Perspectives, 229.
15
Paul Ferguson, “Cursed, Accursed,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, edited by, Walter Elwell
(Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), 139.
16
James McKeown, Genesis, 228.
In contrast to the blessing, God’s curse signifies the divine shattering of relationships. The
example of Cain has already been given; the other curses in Genesis demonstrate the point
further. In the first recorded curse, perpetual enmity destroyed the previously good relationship
between the serpent and mankind (3:14). Next, God broke the relationship which he had
established between mankind and the ground: no longer could man eat freely of the earth’s
bounty; now, he would labor and eat only with difficulty (3:17; 5:29; cf. 1:29–30; 2:5, 16). Later,
Canaan’s normal filial relationships were shattered as he was separated from the blessing of God
(9:25–27). Anyone who cursed Abram or Jacob would be separated from God’s blessing (12:3;
27:29); and, finally, due to their cursed actions, Simeon and Levi lost some of the natural family
privileges of older sons to their younger brother (49:7–12).

It is of critical importance that God did not curse “man” after the fall. Rather, in what seems like
a strange turn of events, God cursed the ground. In Genesis, God’s curse and his blessing never
both fall on the same person, even when that would seem most natural. God had blessed Adam
and Eve, and they could not be cursed. Similarly, Canaan was cursed instead of Ham, who had
been blessed upon leaving the ark; Ham could not be cursed. Finally, the curse of God (mediated
through Jacob) was proclaimed upon the anger of Simeon and Levi, not on the blessed brothers
themselves (49:7, 28). God never abandons the men and women whom he has chosen to bless
with covenant relationship.17As Friedrich Horst writes, “Who receives such blessing? God
blesses human beings and, for their sake only, other beings.”18These types of statements are
likely to conjure up a variety of theological feelings, but the point here is simple: God gives
himself in blessing-relationship only to those whom he has chosen as his own. This might seem
obvious when stated so baldly, but it must be said: God is the only source of blessing or cursing,
and his actions are ultimately decisive.

5. Conclusion

In this paper we have understood the etymology of the words “Blessing” and “Curse”, their
meaning according to the Old testament. Through this paper we have understood that blessings
and curses are connected to each other and can be understood as God’s grace and kindness to his
people. Also, the God who shows grace and mercy also initiates to curse people out of their
greed and disobedience. However, cursing as a punishment can be seen as an opportunity for a
new blessing.

17
Claus Westermann, Blessing in the Bible and the Life of the Church, trans. Keith Crim, (Philadelphia: Fortress,
1978), 27.
18
Westermann, Blessing in the Bible, 29.
Bibliography

Editors. G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren. Theological Dictionary of the Old
Testament. USA: William B. Eerdmans, 1975

Ferguson, Paul, “Cursed, Accursed,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, edited by,
Walter Elwell. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996

Hamilton, Victor, Handbook on the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1982

Jesurathnam, Kondasingu, Old Testament Theology: History, Issues and Perspectives. New
Delhi: Christian World Imprints, 2016

McKeown, James, Genesis, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008

Mitchell, Christopher Wright, The meaning of Brk “To Bless” in the Old Testament. Georgia:
Scholars Press, 1987

Westermann, Claus, Blessing in the Bible and the Life of the Church, trans. Keith Crim.
Philadelphia: Fortress, 1978