Word Study for H1289 (בְּרַךְ)

bᵉrak /ber-ak'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) corresponding to בָרַךְ

Meaning(to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason))

KJV usagebless, kneel.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of bᵉrak — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word bᵉrak, represented by H1289, is a term with dual meaning, used for both physical and verbal acts of reverence. It appears 5 times across 5 unique verses in the Bible. The term corresponds to the Hebrew word for bless and carries the meanings to kneel and, by implication, to bless God as an act of adoration.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, all occurrences of H1289 are found in the book of Daniel, where it highlights profound moments of worship. The word describes a physical act of devotion, as when Daniel kneeled upon his knees three times a day to pray Daniel 6:10. It is also frequently used to express verbal adoration. After a secret was revealed to him in a vision, Daniel blessed the God of heaven Daniel 2:19. This act of blessing is also performed by King Nebuchadnezzar after witnessing God's power, once when he blessed God for delivering Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Daniel 3:28, and again when his own understanding was restored Daniel 4:34.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words help clarify the context of worship and praise surrounding H1289:

H6739 tsᵉlâʼ (pray; pray): This word is directly linked to the physical posture of H1289, as Daniel kneeled upon his knees and prayed to his God Daniel 6:10.
H3029 yᵉdâʼ (to praise; (give) thank(-s)): This term for giving thanks is used to describe Daniel's regular practice of devotion, where he kneeled and gave thanks before his God Daniel 6:10.
H7624 shᵉbach (to adulate, i.e. adore; praise): This word for praise is used alongside H1289 when Nebuchadnezzar, after his humiliation, blessed and praised the most High Daniel 4:34.
H5457 çᵉgid (to prostrate oneself (in homage); worship): This word is used in contrast to true devotion. Nebuchadnezzar blessed God because His servants refused to worship any other god Daniel 3:28.

Theological Significance

The significance of H1289 is centered on the proper response to God's power and revelation.

A Response to Divine Action: The act of blessing God is consistently a reaction to His mighty works. Daniel blessed God after receiving a revealed secret Daniel 2:19, and Nebuchadnezzar blessed God after witnessing the deliverance of His servants from the fiery furnace Daniel 3:28.
Posture of Devotion: The word connects an internal attitude of reverence with an external, physical act. Daniel's practice to kneel demonstrates that prayer and thanksgiving are embodied practices of humility Daniel 6:10.
Acknowledging Sovereignty: To bless God, as used in Daniel, is to declare His eternal dominion and might. Daniel blessed the name of God, declaring that "wisdom and might are his" Daniel 2:20, and Nebuchadnezzar's blessing is coupled with praising God "whose dominion is an everlasting dominion" Daniel 4:34.

Summary

In summary, H1289 is a focused Aramaic term found exclusively in Daniel that encompasses both the physical act of kneeling and the verbal act of blessing. It is used specifically to articulate profound moments of worship, thanksgiving, and acknowledgment of God's supreme authority. Whether through Daniel's humble kneeling or Nebuchadnezzar's declarative praise, the word illustrates a complete posture of reverence in response to the divine.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 5 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Pael Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 1×
Pael Perfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
Pael Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Peal Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 1×
Peil Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 1×

Singular: One.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Peal: The Aramaic simple stem — counterpart of Hebrew Qal.
Pael: The Aramaic intensive stem — counterpart of Hebrew Piel.
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

5 verses, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.