Bible Word Study
בְּרַךְ
bᵉrak · null
בְּרַךְ
Definition
The Aramaic noun בְּרַךְ (bᵉrak) means 'blessing' or 'act of blessing.' It refers to the act of praising or extolling God, often in response to His revelation or deliverance. In Daniel 2:19-20, it describes Daniel blessing God after receiving the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. In Daniel 3:28 and 4:34, it denotes blessing God following miraculous rescues and the restoration of Nebuchadnezzar's sanity, respectively. The word can also imply kneeling in worship, as seen in Daniel 6:10, where Daniel kneels to pray and bless God despite the king's decree.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the Aramaic portions of the book of Daniel. It appears in contexts of prayerful response to God's intervention. In Daniel 2:19-20 and 3:28, it follows divine revelation and deliverance from danger. In Daniel 4:34, it occurs after Nebuchadnezzar's humbling and restoration. Daniel 6:10 shows it in the context of habitual prayer and worship, even under threat. All uses involve a human (Daniel or Nebuchadnezzar) blessing the God of Israel.
Etymology
בְּרַךְ is the Aramaic cognate of the Hebrew verb בָרַךְ (bārak, H1288), meaning 'to bless' or 'to kneel.' Both share a common Semitic root (B-R-K) associated with blessing, praise, and the physical act of kneeling. In Aramaic, it functions as a noun denoting the act or content of blessing, directly corresponding to the Hebrew verbal concept.
Semantic Range
This word highlights the proper human response to God's sovereignty and grace. In Daniel, blessing God is tied to His revelation (Daniel 2:19-20), power to save (Daniel 3:28), control over kings and kingdoms (Daniel 4:34), and worthiness of unwavering devotion (Daniel 6:10). It teaches that blessing God—acknowledging His character and works—is central to faith, especially in times of trial or upon receiving divine insight. In the ancient Near East, 'blessing' a deity was an act of homage and praise, often involving prostrate posture. Daniel's use in a pagan empire underscores exclusive loyalty to Yahweh. Kneeling (Daniel 6:10) was a recognized posture for prayer, showing submission. The Aramaic usage reflects the language of the Babylonian court, yet the concept remains distinctly Israelite, affirming God's supremacy over foreign powers. בָרַךְ (bārak, H1288) — The Hebrew verb meaning 'to bless' or 'to kneel,' from which the Aramaic noun is derived. שָׁבַח (shāvach, H7623) — An Aramaic/Hebrew verb meaning 'to praise' or 'to commend,' often used in parallel contexts of extolling God.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]