“The Lord bless you and keep you;
Parallel translations
- WEB ‘Yahweh bless you, and keep you.
- KJV The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
- BSB ‘May the LORD bless you and keep you;
- NASB ¶The Lord bless you, and keep you;
- NLT ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The first line of the blessing asks the Lord to bless and protect His people.
Overview
This opening petition seeks God's active favor ('bless') and His watchful protection ('keep'). It grounds Israel's well-being not in their own strength but in the Lord's gracious care. Every true blessing flows from God, who guards His people now and forever in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- 1 Th 5:23May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Ps 121:4–7Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
- Phil 4:7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
- Jude 1:24Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
- Isa 42:6“I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations;
- Ps 91:11For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.
- Deut 28:3–6You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the field.
- John 17:11I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.
- Ps 134:3May Yahweh bless you from Zion; even he who made heaven and earth.
- 1 Sam 2:9He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; for no man shall prevail by strength.
- Ruth 2:4Behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “May Yahweh be with you.” They answered him, “May Yahweh bless you.”
- Phil 4:23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
- Ps 17:8Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings,
- Eph 6:24Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. Amen.
- 1 Pet 1:5who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
- Ps 28:9Save your people, and bless your inheritance. Be their shepherd also, and bear them up forever.
- 1 Cor 14:16Otherwise if you bless with the spirit, how will he who fills the place of the unlearned say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, seeing he doesn’t know what you say?
- Isa 27:3I, Yahweh, am its keeper. I will water it every moment. Lest anyone damage it, I will keep it night and day.
- Rev 1:4–5John, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from God, who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 6:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.