Numbers 6:26
in Numbers 6may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
KJV
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
⋯
This verse in Numbers 6
Commentary
10 notes on this verseLift up his countenance - That is, look upon thee with a chearful and pleasant countenance, as one that is well pleased with thee and thy services. Peace - Peace with God, with thy own conscience, and with all men; all prosperity is comprehended under this word.
This site's exposition
may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you
on Numbers 6:25-26
A shining face and a lifted countenance are what a man’s face does when he turns toward someone he is pleased with. Psalm 67:1 prays these lines back, “cause His face to shine upon us”, and Psalm 80:3 prays “cause Your face to shine upon us”.
This site's exposition
lift up His countenance toward you
To lift the face toward someone is to look on him with favour. John Wesley reads it as God looking on His people as one pleased with them. Deuteronomy 31:17 names the reverse, where God hides His face and troubles come.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
That the favour of God is all in all in this blessing, for that is the fountain of all good. (1.) The Lord bless thee! Our blessing God is only our speaking well of him; his blessing us is doing well for us; those whom he blesses are blessed indeed.
), including all that good which goes to make up a complete happiness. God here promises to ratify and confirm the blessing: They shall put my name upon the children of Israel,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
THE Lord has blessed His people and He would have them know it. He has blessed them with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus—and it is His wish that they should experience the fullness of this blessing. Are any of the Lord's people without a sense of His blessing? It is not the will of God that you should continue in this low condition! If you are cast down, He has said to His Prophets, "Comfort you, comfort you My people. Speak you comfortably to Jerusalem." Have you sinned and wandered into the darkness?
THE Lord has blessed His people and He would have them know it. He has blessed them with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus—and it is His wish that they should experience the fullness of this blessing. Are any of the Lord's people without a sense of His blessing? It is not the will of God that you should continue in this low condition! If you are cast down, He has said to His Prophets, "Comfort you, comfort you My people. Speak you comfortably to Jerusalem." Have you sinned and wandered into the darkness? The Lord bids you return and encourages you to pray, "Turn us again, O God, and cause Your face to shine and we shall be saved." The happy God would have you happy in the enjoyment of His blessing. To bring this blessing constantly to the remembrance of His chosen, the Lord appointed a representative of Himself who should publicly pronounce His blessing upon the people. He chose Aaron and He bade Moses instruct him. Aaron was not only to offer sacrifice and to make intercession, but he was to take a higher stand and bestow blessings, in the name of God, upon the assembled people. Those who are old may fitly pronounce a blessing upon their children, as Jacob did upon his 12 sons. And the minister of Christ may, in God's name, pronounce a benediction upon the people. This was the custom in early times—the congregation was dismissed with the gracious words—"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen." Our God has appointed One above all others to bless His people, even our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the antitype of Aaron and his sons and in the exercise of His high office continually blesses His people.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3371: “Two Choice Benedictions” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
IT seemed to me that as this was the last of the Thursday evenings of the dying year and I should no more meet some of you who only come here on Thursday evenings during this year, it would be well for us to close the year as our Master closed His life on earth, with a benediction—and, oh, it will be a rich enjoyment in the year to come if, by God's Grace, we shall be able to grasp and make our very own the precious things which are here presented to the whole redeemed family…
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3371: “Two Choice Benedictions” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
IT seemed to me that as this was the last of the Thursday evenings of the dying year and I should no more meet some of you who only come here on Thursday evenings during this year, it would be well for us to close the year as our Master closed His life on earth, with a benediction—and, oh, it will be a rich enjoyment in the year to come if, by God's Grace, we shall be able to grasp and make our very own the precious things which are here presented to the whole redeemed family of the living God! I shall begin, therefore, first of all with— I. THE AARONIC BLESSING. This was pronounced at the close of the public tabernacle service when the people were about to separate, the one from the others. It is said by the Rabbis to have been only spoken at the morning sacrifice, but not in the evening because, say some, the old faith of the few gave them the early blessing. But it remained for Christ to come in the eventide of the world, at the end of time, to give us the evening blessing, the blessing of the great, eternal, evening Sacrifice. It is worthy of notice that the word, Jehovah, which is put in capital letters in our English version, occurs three times—three blessings—and each time the word has a different accent in the original Hebrew. And the Rabbis, although they did not know the meaning of it, or pretended not to know, yet all agree that there is some significant mystery therein. The word would not be accented thus differently unless there were some different shade of meaning intended. I believe we have here the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. "The Lord bless you and keep you." Is that the blessing of the Father? "The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you." Is that the blessing of the Son? "The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace." Is that the blessing of the great forgiving Holy Spirit? I think it is very likely.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יִשָּׂ֨א | yisa' | may he lift up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה׀ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| פָּנָיו֙ | panav | face his | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֵלֶ֔יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְיָשֵׂ֥ם | veyasem | and may he appoint | H7760 → | 584 times |
| לְךָ֖ | lekha | for <the> you | ||
| שָׁלֽוֹם׃ ס | shalom | peace | H7965 → |
יִשָּׂ֨אmay he lift up
yisa'H5375 →656 times
יְהוָ֤ה׀Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
פָּנָיו֙face his
panavH6440 →2123 times
אֵלֶ֔יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
וְיָשֵׂ֥םand may he appoint
veyasemH7760 →584 times
לְךָ֖for <the> you
lekha
שָׁלֽוֹם׃ סpeace
shalomH7965 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 16:33I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”
it leads to
- 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.
- 1 John 5:4
because everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.
- 1 John 4:4
You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
- Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Through
Romans 15:13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
it leads to
- 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope,
- Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17
Through
2 Thessalonians 3:16Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
it leads to
- John 16:33
I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 16:33
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
On this verse
About Numbers
This page draws on Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2170: “The Blessing of the High Priest” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3371: “Two Choice Benedictions” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.