The Lord Bless You: Numbers 6 for the Life of the Church - Hardcover

by Stephen B. Chapman (Author), Stephen B. Chapman (Editor)

The Priestly Blessing in Numbers 6, "The Lord bless you," is one of the most familiar and widely used liturgical texts in Christianity. Although often recited, it is not usually a subject of in-depth study.

In this addition to the Touchstone Texts series, highly regarded Old Testament scholar Stephen Chapman provides a detailed, engagingly written exposition of the Priestly Blessing as well as a broader exploration of blessing in the Old Testament. He explores the historical and liturgical use of the Priestly Blessing in the Jewish and Christian traditions and discusses key issues related to the practice of blessing within contemporary Christianity. His interpretation of the Priestly Blessing highlights the importance of the divine name and the way the blessing offers a vision of religious faith as "name bearing." Chapman's volume will be a helpful resource for pastors and seminarians and an important reminder to all Christians of the centrality of blessing to the life of faith.

The Touchstone Texts series addresses key Bible passages, making high-quality biblical scholarship accessible to the church. The series editor is Stephen B. Chapman.

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The Touchstone Texts series addresses key Bible passages, making high-quality biblical scholarship accessible for the church. The series editor is Stephen B. Chapman.

The Priestly Blessing in Numbers 6, "The Lord bless you," is one of the most familiar and widely used liturgical texts in Christianity. Although often recited, it is not usually a subject of in-depth study.

This volume provides a detailed, engagingly written exposition of the Priestly Blessing as well as a broader exploration of blessing in the Old Testament and the life of faith.

"This is a wise, penetrating, and compassionate look at Christian blessing through the lens of a careful reading of the Priestly Blessing in Numbers 6:24-26. Stephen Chapman shows how this Old Testament passage has been understood over time and how a better understanding of blessing might not only restore the integrity of American churches in an increasingly partisan era of divisiveness but also renew a robust sense of the clerical vocation. This is a valuable contribution to the Touchstone Texts series and well worth reading."
--Kate Bowler, Duke Divinity School

"Lucid, disciplined, insightful, fresh--Stephen Chapman shows the Priestly Blessing to be a living link to a storied heritage of faith, both Jewish and Christian. He clarifies the meaning of blessing not only in the biblical text but also as a reality for today. Here we learn better how to understand and appropriate the subject matter of Scripture."
--Walter Moberly, Durham University (emeritus)

"This beautifully written book will shed considerable light on one of the most important texts of the Bible--the Priestly Blessing found in the book of Numbers. Chapman pauses over each phrase in order to give ear to all the tones sounded in this famous prayer."
--Gary A. Anderson, University of Notre Dame

Author Biography

Stephen B. Chapman (PhD, Yale University) is associate professor of Old Testament at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. He is the editor in chief of the Journal of Theological Interpretation and the author of The Law and the Prophets: A Study in Old Testament Canon Formation and 1 Samuel as Christian Scripture: A Theological Commentary. He is also an ordained American Baptist minister.