Numbers 6:24-26—“Make the LORD Bless You and Keep You”

“Make Jehovah bless you and protect you. Make Jehovah make im face shine on top you, and make e favor you. Make Jehovah show you favor and give you peace.”—Numbers 6:24-26, New World Translation.

“Make the LORD bless you and keep you; make the LORD make im face shine ontop you, and dey kind to you; make the LORD show you favor and give you peace.”—Numbers 6:24-26, New King James Version.

Meaning of Numbers 6:24-26

Them de call the words wey dey this verse ‘priest blessing’ or ‘Aaron blessing’ because Aaron na the first high priest for Israel. (Exodus 28:1) But this blessing come from God. (Numbers 6:22, 23) God tell Moses say: “Tell Aaron and im sons say, ‘This one na the way una go bless the people of Israel.’” After, God come talk wetin dey for Numbers 6:24-26. Priests wey dey faithful for Israel de follow this command wey God give them. Them still de honor the name of God wey be Jehovah. a Verse 27 talk say: And them [the priests] must use my name call the people of Israel so that I fit bless them.”

“Make Jehovah bless you and protect you.” Jehovah de bless people wey de worship-am as e de protect them and de help them succeed. (Proverbs 10:22) As Jehovah use the word “you” for Numbers 6:24-26, e show say Jehovah de talk to each Israel person. This one fit mean say God no go only bless Israel people as nation, but e go still bless them one by one.

“Make Jehovah make im face shine on top you, and make e favor you.” To beg God make im “face shine ontop” person, na for God to show the person favor and to de happy with-am.b We fit still translate this word as “Make the LORD smile for you.” (Numbers 6:25, New International Reader’s Version) Jehovah de show im people favor as e de dey kind to them, de show them mercy, and pity them.—Isaiah 30:18.

“Make Jehovahc show you favor and give you peace.” Jehovah ‘de do people wey de worship-am well’ as e de notice them, de show them love and give them peace. One book talk say, “the Hebrew word wey them translate as peace (shalom) no only mean say people no de fight each other, but e still mean say person well for body and e dey complete, and e get better friendship with God.”

To fit gain from the blessing for this verses, Israel people need to obey Jehovah. (Leviticus 26:3-6, 9) When them obey-am, e de help them as e promise. This na wetin happen when some kings de rule for Israel, like King Solomon and King Hezekiah.—1 Kings 4:20, 25; 2 Chronicles 31:9, 10.

Even though say no be must for Christians to de talk this blessing word for word for their prayer, them fit talk things wey resemble this words when them de pray for other people or when them de encourage their brothers and sisters. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, 25) Jehovah no de change. E always ready to bless and protect all the people wey de worship-am. So for this our time, true Christians fit get peace as them know say Jehovah ‘face’ de shine ontop them.

Things wey dey around Numbers 6:24-26

The laws wey Jehovah give Israel people when them dey near Mount Sinai as them de go the Promise Land dey for chapter one to chapter ten of the book of Numbers. Israel people stay for this area for about one year. Na that time Jehovah arrange them to be nation and give them the laws wey be the Law Covenant.

Jehovah still tell Moses how Aaron and im sons wey E choose as priests go de bless Israel people. (Numbers 6:22,23) After, Aaron and im sons use the words for Numbers 6:24-26 to bless the people. After some time, e come be Israel people tradition for priest to talk this blessing after them don do the last sacrifice for temple everyday.

Watch this short video to see the things wey dey the book of Numbers.