Happiness...a little rabbit trail.

In case you were wondering, the actual English word "blessed" comes from a German word bletsian meaning "blood"--which automatically reckons me back to the Old Testament system of sacrifices. It seems, however, that this was not the case for the translators.

The Oxford English Dictionary confirms that the word "bless" is from the Old Teutonic (German) bletsian, from heathen blood sacrifices. German: das Blut. English: blood.

The meaning, then, was "to mark (or affect in some way) with blood (or a sacrificial animal)". Interesting choice of translation for a word associated with goddness from God, wouldn't you say?

The sense development of the word "bless" was greatly influenced by its having been chosen (in the early English church ceremonies) to translate the Latin (benedicere) and the Greek (eulogeitos). Latin writers used the verb form benedicere to translate the Greek, preferring to offer the literal sense of the Greek. The Latin word benedicere, to bless, derives from the Hebrew bentsh, to recite the Jewish grace (blessing) after meals.

It is thought that a strictly English word was desired to get away from the Catholic expressions and the Semitic language as well. The word "bless" was not a literal translation, but it did have religious overtones, heathen as they were! So, there was a long and varied series of associations - Jewish, heathen, Christian - to blend in the English use of the word "bless". Therefore - "blessing" is a word which has a position in Christian vocabulary by reason of long-standing usage...if not any true linguistic meaning or translation.

Maybe this is why I initially was having difficulty arriving at the true meaning/understanding of this word. It does not directly translate from eulogeitos or barak!

BUT - there is a modern version which does have a direct translation, and it is to this version that I must make mention. The version is the Spanish. In Ephesians 1:3 we read "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." In the Spanish, the word bendito is the part participle of the verb bendecir. It means, literally, "to say good things or good words".There is no doubt to Spanish speaking people what this word means. Decir, to say or to tell, is one of the most common Spanish words. The Spanish translators, not having the issues the English translators seemed to have, translated directly from the Greek (via the Latin). The English equivalent to bendición is "benediction", also from the Greek by way of Latin. So, eulogeitos => benedicere => bendición => benediction => "praise".

Just a thought for your evening snack.

Extra Credit...Want to know the Jewish word commonly associated with "blessing" in Hebrew? It is beracha. Sometimes this is understood as praising or lauding. However, many sources indicate that beracha more accurately refers to a flow of increase and bounty. Even more interesting is the word meaning benediction, prayer, praise, or blessing...berachot. More on this next time.