The Greek definition of the word “blessed” comes from makários. This describes a believer as being in an enviable position for receiving God’s provisions (favor) – as being an extension of his grace. This happens with receiving the Lord’s inbirthings of faith (HELPS Word Studies).
In the Bible, being blessed means to be in a state of being favored by God.
In the Old Testament, being blessed is a sign that you have been chosen by God. It’s not something you can earn or work for—it’s something that happens because God loves you and wants to show it. When he blesses you, he gives you good things like health, wealth, and happiness.
In the New Testament, being blessed is still a sign that you have been chosen by God—but it also means that you can have a personal relationship with him through Jesus Christ. This kind of blessing is given to those who accept Jesus as their Savior and commit themselves to living righteously as his followers.
The Bible is a book of wisdom, and one of the most important things to understand about it is that it’s not a book for experts. It’s for everyone—the curious, the faithful, the doubters, and everyone in between.
The Bible is full of stories, poetry, and songs that are meant to be read and heard by anyone who will give them an honest chance. But there are some pieces of scripture that can be hard to understand if you don’t know what you’re looking at.
One such piece is Matthew 7:7-8:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Right here on Churchgist, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on blessing meaning in hebrew, meaning of blessing in greek, examples of blessings in the bible and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.
Definition Of Blessed In The Bible
Quite possibly, the most frequently used word in the Christian’s vocabulary is blessed. “Have a blessed day,” “blessed to be a blessing,” and “God bless you” are just a few of the ways we put it to use. It’s even common among unbelievers to describe themselves as “blessed.” Some people think of blessed as a spiritual term for “good fortune,” like when we receive something good, the desired outcome, or an exceptional comfort. But what does it really mean to be blessed?
The Greek word often translated as “blessed” is makarios, which means “fortunate,” “happy,” “enlarged,” or “lengthy.” Makarios is used in the Septuagint (a translation of the Old Testament into the Greek language) and the New Testament to define the kind of happiness that comes from receiving favor from God. Consequently, the word can also be translated “favored.” In the New Testament, it usually carries the meaning of being “blessed by God.” Mary, the mother of Jesus, was “blessed among women” (Luke 1:42–45, 48), it was the Lord God who had blessed and favored her.
While material blessings are certainly included in God’s favor, the Bible ascribes a much fuller meaning to the word blessed.
Perhaps the most well-known use of the word blessed in the Bible is found in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–12; Luke 6:20–23). Jesus used the term blessed in the framework of the Beatitudes to describe the inner quality of a faithful servant of God. This blessedness is a spiritual state of well-being and prosperity—a deep, joy-filled contentment that cannot be shaken by poverty, grief, famine, persecution, war, or any other trial or tragedy we face in life. In human terms, the situations depicted in the Beatitudes are far from blessings, but because God is present with us through these difficult times, we are actually blessed by Him in them.
What Does Blessed Mean In The Beatitudes
The true servant of God is blessed, regardless of circumstances, because God has favored him or her with a fully satisfied soul (Psalm 63:1–5; John 4:14). The material things we crave can never bring genuine happiness or contentment. True fulfillment can only be found in a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1–2).
From the time God first created humans, He blessed them (Genesis 1:22; 5:2; 12:3) and has continued to do so throughout history (Genesis 26:3; Deuteronomy 7:13; Job 42:12; Judges 13:24). Because of Christ’s work of redemption on the cross, we can now receive the full blessings of God through faith in Him: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). We are blessed because our sins are forgiven and can no longer be counted against us (Psalm 32:1–2).
The Bible measures blessedness differently from how people of the world measure it: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). To those who rest in God, He grants an inner state of joy that is unaffected by external trials. What is this promised “crown of life?” It is the never-ending, victorious life in the world to come, where all trials will be ended. The marvelous blessings we experience now are minor compared to the benefits God has stored up for us in His eternal kingdom (1 Corinthians 2:9).
The one who is blessed trusts in God’s love, no matter what: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? . . . No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35–39, NLT).
Blessed speaks of our inner state of well-being, the prosperity of our souls in Christ. Blessedness comes from unhindered fellowship with God the Father through our Lord Jesus. To be blessed is to experience the full impact of God’s presence in our lives now and for all eternity.
Blessing [N]
God’s intention and desire to bless humanity is a central focus of his covenant relationships. For this reason, the concept of blessing pervades the biblical record. Two distinct ideas are present. First, a blessing was a public declaration of a favored status with God. Second, the blessing endowed power for prosperity and success. In all cases, the blessing served as a guide and motivation to pursue a course of life within the blessing.
The Old Testament Terms for blessing abound in the Old Testament, occurring over 600 times. The major terms are related to the word meaning “to kneel, ” since in earlier times one would kneel to receive a blessing.
The history of Israel begins with the promise of blessing. The curse, which had dominated the early chapters of the biblical story ( Genesis 3:14 Genesis 3:17 ; 4:11 ; 5:29 ; 9:25 ), was countered by God’s promise to Abraham that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” ( Gen 12:3 ). The record of Israel’s past is best understood as an outworking of blessing and cursing ( Deut 27:1-28:68 ).
The institutions of society — the family, government, and religion were the means by which ceremonial blessings were received. Within the family the father blessed his wife and children ( Gen 27:27-29 ; 49:25-26 ; 1 Sam 2:20 ). In the government context, the ruler blessed his subjects ( 2 Sam 6:18 ; 1 Kings 8:14 1 Kings 8:55 ). Those who possessed a priestly role were bestowed with the privilege of blessing ( Gen 14:19 ; Lev 9:22 ). The tribe of Levi was set apart “to pronounce blessings in his [the Lord’s] name” ( Deut 10:8 ; 21:5 ).
Three common themes are present in formal Old Testament blessings. First, the greater blesses the lesser, a fact picked up by the writer of Hebrews to demonstrate the superiority of Melchizedek to Abraham ( Heb 7:6-7 ). Second, the blessing is a sign of special favor that is intended to result in prosperity and success ( Deu 28:3-7 ). Third, the blessing is actually an invocation for God’s blessing: “May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful” ( Gen 28:3 ).
In a less ceremonial sense, the Scriptures declare a general blessing on the righteous. Those who are obedient to God’s commands are blessed with affluence and victory ( Deu 28:1-14 ). On the other hand, those who are disobedient are cursed ( Deu 28:15-68 ) and suffer the consequences of drought, disease, and deprivation.
It is also possible for a person to “bless” God. The terminology arises as a response to the blessings bestowed by God: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” ( Psalm 103:2 ; KJV ). These occurrences of “bless” are usually translated “praise” or “extol” in modern versions.
Blessed By God Meaning
The New Testament The parallels between the Old and New Testament usages of blessing are striking. To be blessed is to be granted special favor by God with resulting joy and prosperity. In the New Testament, however, the emphasis is more on spiritual rather than on material blessings.
God’s promise to Abraham again serves as a foundation for blessings. The pledge that “all peoples on earth shall be blessed” ( Gen 12:3 ) is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ ( Ga 3:8-14 ). He has borne the consequences of the curse for believers ( Gal 3:13 ) and blessed them with the forgiveness of sins ( Rom 4:6-9 ; see Psalm 32:1-2 ). Believers are “blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ” ( Eph 1:3 ) and now inherit the blessings promised through the patriarchs ( Hebrews 6:12 Hebrews 6:15 ; 12:17 ; 1 Peter 3:9 ). As a result of receiving God’s blessings in Christ, believers are called to be a source of blessing to the world, especially in response to those who persecute them ( Luke 6:27-28 ; Rom 12:14 ; 1 Cor 4:12 ; 1 Peter 3:9 ; cf. Isa 19:24 ; Zech 8:13 ).
In a general sense, the terms for blessing in the New Testament are used to designate that one is favored by God. Included among these are Jesus ( Mark 11:9-10 ); children ( Mark 10:13-16 ); Mary ( Luke 1:42 Luke 1:48 ); the disciples ( Luke 24:50 ); those who “have not seen and yet have believed” ( John 20:29 ); and those who endure trials ( James 1:12 ; 5:11 ). As in the Old Testament, when these words are ascribed to God they are rendered “praise” ( Rom 1:25 ; 9:5 ; 2 Cor 11:31 ).
The most recognizable references to blessing come from the teachings of Jesus. He declares that in spite of difficulties at the present time, the promises of God’s salvation and coming kingdom bring a state of happiness and recognized favor with God ( Matt 5:3-10 ; Luke 6:20-22 ). The culmination of the Scriptures proclaims the end of the curse ( Rev 22:3 ) and the eternal blessedness of the people of God ( Rev 20:6 ; 22:7 ).
