What Does Numbers 6:25 Mean in the King James?
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The blessing joins the LORD’s shining face to his favor, making light itself a sign of welcome.
THE MEANING
You are addressed as someone toward whom the LORD’s face is turned, with its light reaching you. The blessing joins that nearness to favor: you are met with welcome, not only seen.
THE ROOT
יָאֵר
yaʾer
GROWS FROM
אור
Light; shine.
“make ... shine” in this verse is yaʾer. The verb means to cause light to shine, and the face is directed toward you. The image is not light at a distance, but the LORD’s face becoming illumination in your direction.
ALSO GROWS
ʾor: Light.
אוֹר
The root names the light carried by the shining face.
maʾor: A light-bearer or heavenly light.
מָאוֹר
This branch shows the root can name both light itself and what gives light.
וִיחֻנֶּךָּ
vichunneka
GROWS FROM
חנן
Show favor; act graciously.
“be gracious” in this verse is vichunneka. This verb shares its root with the Hebrew word for favor. The shining face and the gracious act belong together: illumination is joined to welcome, not left as a bare display of light.
ALSO GROWS
ḥen: Favor.
חֵן
This noun names the gift expressed by the verb in the blessing.
ḥannun: Gracious; showing favor.
חַנּוּן
This form describes the character of the one who grants favor.
THE PATTERN
Scripture pictures divine favor as a face turned toward people, with light making that nearness visible.
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.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.THE THREAD
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.Both verses use the same Hebrew root חנן (ḥ-n-n, show favor): Numbers asks that the LORD show favor to you, while this psalm asks that he show favor to us. The English words gracious and merciful conceal the shared root, carrying the same gift from one person to a people.
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