Christ’s Priestly Blessing

Priestly Blessing in the Old Testament

In the book of Numbers, the Lord directed Moses to have his brother Aaron, the high priest, bless the children of Israel using the following words: “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace” (Numbers 6:24–26).

This blessing was an important part of the religious practices of ancient Israel and is still a key ritual in modern Judaism. Its significance can be seen through the many biblical passages that borrow from its language, especially its mention of the Lord lifting up the light of His countenance.¹ Archaeological digs in Jerusalem have uncovered the priestly blessing written on small, rolled up sheets of silver placed in amulets, dating from the late seventh century BC (the oldest portion of scripture ever discovered).² These finds attest to the antiquity and popularity of the blessing’s use.³

Anciently, the priestly blessing was performed on the Day of Atonement, following the sacrifices realized on that day. Matthew J. Grey has noted that the ritual included “a communal prayer, a priestly prayer of intercession, and the priest raising his hands above his head to bless the congregation.”⁴

Priestly Blessing in the Book of Mormon

In 3 Nephi 19 Jesus gave an intercessory prayer which concluded as follows: “And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one” (3 Nephi 19:23). When Jesus finished His prayer, He found that his disciples “did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him” (3 Nephi 19:24).

In this setting, it is reported that “Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them” (v. 25). As shown in the following chart, this language closely follows the priestly blessing from Numbers 6:24–26:

The New American Bible has a footnote to Numbers 6:25 which indicates that the expression “let his face shine” is “a Hebrew idiom for ‘smile.’”⁵ Additionally, biblical scholar M. I. Gruber has explained that the phrase in verse 26, “lift up his countenance,” should be rendered idiomatically as “smile.”⁶ With this in mind, the statement that Jesus’ countenance “did smile” upon the people in 3 Nephi 19:25 is a very appropriate expression of the Hebrew idiom found in Numbers 6:25–26.

Shining Faces

The transfiguration of the audience’s faces and clothing after Jesus’ blessing in 3 Nephi 19 is also worth mentioning. Verse 25 states that “they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus.” Although a transfiguration of this sort is not directly mentioned in Numbers 6, this theme is often part of scriptural accounts of persons who have met the Lord face to face, which is implied in verse 25: “The Lord make his face shine upon thee” (emphasis added).

For example, after Moses spoke with the Lord on Mount Sinai, his face shone so brightly that he had to wear a veil when he returned to speak with the children of Israel (Exodus 34:32–35). Although Exodus 33:23 inexplicably indicates otherwise, Exodus 33:11 declares that “the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” Similarly, when Jesus spoke to the Father on the so-called Mount of Transfiguration, He was transfigured so that “his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light” (Matthew 17:2). Such a transfiguration seems to be a typical feature of face-to-face encounters with Deity.

“And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel”

The conclusion of the priestly prayer in Numbers 6 states: “And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them” (v. 27). Although this concept is not directly found in the priestly blessing in 3 Nephi 19, the baptismal context strongly implies it. Right before the fervent prayers of Christ’s disciples, they were all baptized (3 Nephi 19:11–13), just as Jesus had authorized them to do (3 Nephi 12:1–2). Such baptisms would, of course, include the disciples covenanting to take upon them the name of Christ.⁷ Furthermore, the importance of Christ’s name being upon the people, and of their doing all things in and through that holy name, is emphasized extensively several chapters later in 3 Nephi 27:3–9.

Conclusion

The English word smile doesn’t show up in the King James Version of the Bible. And yet here it is in 3 Nephi 19, being used in a way that appropriately expresses the underlying Hebrew idiom from Numbers 6:24–25, a passage which is clearly being alluded to, based on both wording and context. Not only is this allusion textually appropriate, but its presence strongly suggests that whoever authored it was familiar with the underlying Hebrew idiom in Numbers 6.

Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did Jesus Allude to the Priestly Blessing in Numbers 6? (3 Nephi 19:25),” KnoWhy 212 (October 19, 2016).

Dana M. Pike, “Israelite Inscriptions from the Time of Lehi,” in Glimpses of Lehi’s Jerusalem, ed. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and Jo Ann H. Seely (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2004), 213–215.

William J. Adams Jr., “Lehi’s Jerusalem and Writing on Silver Plates,” in Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates of the 1990s, ed. John W. Welch and Melvin J. Thorne (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1999), 23–26.

3 Nephi 19:10–25

3 Nephi 19:10–25