What Does Psalm 135:19 Mean in the King James?

Bless the LORD, O house of Israel: bless the LORD, O house of Aaron:

Psalm 135:19 · KJV

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 root of “bless” carries the body’s bend of the knee, so Israel’s house and Aaron’s house meet in one shared posture before the LORD.

THE MEANING

This verse gathers Israel’s house and Aaron’s house in one response: blessing the LORD. You hear the people’s shared life and priestly service named together, so blessing reaches across the whole gathered community.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the belief that blessing the LORD belongs only to priests: Israel’s house and Aaron’s house are named together.

THE ROOT

בָּרְכוּ

bārĕḵû

GROWS FROM

ברך

b-r-k

Bend the knee, kneel; in the blessing form, bless.

“Bless” in this verse is bārĕḵû. The command is plural and names two houses, making the blessing a common act shared across Israel and Aaron. The related word for “knee” keeps the body’s bending posture near the act of blessing.

ALSO GROWS

berekh: Knee

בֶּרֶךְ

This branch reveals the bodily posture carried in the root as both houses are called to bless the LORD.

berakhah: Blessing

בְּרָכָה

The noun names the blessing shared in this verse, joining the two households in one response.

THE PATTERN

Blessing the LORD is a shared response that reaches from ordinary communal life through service and out across peoples.

When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

Deuteronomy 8:10 · KJVReceived provision becomes an occasion for the people to bless the LORD in ordinary life.

A Song of degrees. Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.

Psalm 134:1 · KJVThe servants who stand in the LORD’s house are included in the shared call to bless him.

And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

Romans 15:11 · KJVThe call widens to Gentiles and all peoples, carrying praise beyond the two houses named here.

THE THREAD

Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

Numbers 6:23 · KJV

Numbers uses the same Hebrew root ⁨ברך⁩ (b-r-k, bless) when Aaron and his sons bless Israel. The root reveals blessing moving in both directions: Israel and Aaron bless the LORD here, and Aaron’s house speaks blessing over Israel there.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us