Numbers 6:25

 

Numbers 6:25

The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

a. ASV: Jehovah make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: 'Jehovah cause His face to shine upon thee, and favour thee;  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. NLT: May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you.  [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: May HASHEM illuminate His countenance for you and be gracious to you.    [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

1. The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

a. [The] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.]

b. [make his] face [Strong: 6440 pânîym, paw-neem'; plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה pâneh; from H6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):— accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, × as (long as), at, battle, because (of), beseech, countenance, edge, employ, endure, enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, × him(-self), honourable, impudent, in, it, look(-eth) (-s), × me, meet, × more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), × on, open, out of, over against, the partial, person, please, presence, prospect, was purposed, by reason of, regard, right forth, serve, × shewbread, sight, state, straight, street, × thee, × them(-selves), through ( -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), upon, upside ( down), with(-in, -stand), × ye, × you.]

c. shine [Strong: 215 ʼôwr, ore; a primitive root; to be (causative, make) luminous (literally and metaphorically):—× break of day, glorious, kindle, (be, en-, give, show) light (-en, -ened), set on fire, shine.]

d. upon [thee] [Strong: 413 ʼêl, ale; (but only used in the shortened constructive form אֶל ʼel ); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:—about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, × hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

e. [and be] gracious [unto thee] [Strong: 2603 chânan, khaw-nan'; a primitive root (compare H2583); properly, to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow; causatively to implore (i.e. move to favor by petition):—beseech, × fair, (be, find, shew) favour(-able), be (deal, give, grant (gracious(-ly), intreat, (be) merciful, have (shew) mercy (on, upon), have pity upon, pray, make supplication, × very.]

1). a. ICR 12/3/11 This request is part of the well-known Mosaic benediction for the children of Israel (Numbers 6:24-27). The first occurrence in verb form of the word "shine" is in this verse, although in the noun form, translated as "light," it appears in the third verse of the Bible when God said, "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3).  True light comes only from God, since "God is light" (1 John 1:5). As the world depends on the sunshine for its physical life, so we continually must receive the Son's shining in our hearts to sustain our spiritual life.  It is noteworthy that the prayer of our text occurs seven other times in the Scriptures. These are as follows:  "Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake" (Psalm 31:16);  "God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah" (Psalm 67:1);  "Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved" (Psalm 80:19; also vv. 3, 7);  "Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes" (Psalm 119:135);  "O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake" (Daniel 9:17).  Since God, in His omnipotence, dwells "in the light which no man can approach unto" (1 Timothy 6:16), He shines on us for salvation, spiritual illumination, and daily guidance only through His Son, the Word made flesh, for "in him was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4). "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). HMM