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, Stephen Chapman, associate professor of Old Testament, 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. Chapman is also series editor.
Chapman's work focuses on the formation of the biblical canon, the nature of the Old Testament as Scripture, the literary dynamics of biblical narrative, the challenge of biblical violence, and the history and use of the Old Testament within the Christian tradition and Western culture. He is the author of 1 Samuel as Christian Scripture (2016), which was named Reference Book of the Year for 2017 by the Academy of Parish Clergy, and The Law and the Prophets (2000; 2nd ed. 2020), as well as numerous essays.