Many people will read or pray over others the following scripture verses in

Numbers 6:24-25:

“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 you and give you peace”

Our Heavenly Father instructed Moses to tell his brother Aaron as the High Priest/Cohen haGadol to give this blessing to the people of Israel. 

Pronouncing this blessing over the people was not to be said just one time because His sons were to repeat this blessing over the children of Israel. Hebrew literature states clearly that the words,“his sons” is a reference to all the Levites or priests serving under Aaron the High Priest. Our Heavenly Father had a purpose for this blessing, it was more than an encouraging statement, there was something deeper in the words He gave them to say.

Initially we should look carefully at what it means to give a blessing. 

In verse 23 it says; “On this wise shall you bless…”  

The first 3 words “On this wise…”  are not easy to understand and in Hebrew is just the one word: koh.  

The Hebrew word koh follows a written command in many scriptures. 

Strongs #3541 koh: thus, so, here, in this manner

Original Word: כֹּה
Part of Speech: demonstrative adverb; adverb
Transliteration: koh
Pronunciation: koh
Phonetic Spelling: (ko)
KJV: also, here, + hitherto, like, on the other side, so (and much), such, on that manner, (on) this (manner, side, way, way and that way), + mean while, yonder
NASB: thus, so, also, here, this, this is what, this way
Word Origin: [from the prefix k and H193 (אוּל – Mighty)1]

1. (properly) like this
2. (by implication, of manner) thus (or so)
3. (also, of place) here (or hither)
4. (of time) now

Here, Aaron and the Levites were commanded

to bless the people of Israel. 

The word bless in Hebrew is barak and it has a very broad meaning. 

It could mean anything from a simple greeting to actually imparting something tangible.  E.g.

abundantly, altogether, at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, greatly, indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, still, thank blessed, blesses, cursed, greet, abundantly bless.

Strongs #1288 barak: To bless, to kneel

Original Word: בָרַךְ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: barak
Pronunciation: bah-rahk
Phonetic Spelling: (baw-rak’)

In this case the Levites were to impart six tangible things from our Heavenly Father to the people. 

In verse 24 (1) Bless you and (2) Keep You.

In verse 25 (3) Cause His face to shine upon you and (4) be gracious to you.

(5) Lift up His countenance upon you and (6) give peace to you.

What does it mean in verse 25…

The Lord make His face shine upon you?

In the Hebrew it is

“ya’er Yahweh panaw ‘eleka” 

6437 panah/panaw: To turn, to face, to look, to prepare

Original Word: פָנָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: panah
Pronunciation: pah-NAH
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-naw’)
KJV: appear, at (even-)tide, behold, cast out, come on, X corner, dawning, empty, go away, lie, look, mark, pass away, prepare, regard, (have) respect (to), (re-)turn (aside, away, back, face, self), X right (early)

Literally it is translated: 

Cause to shine Jehovah your face upon you.  

The sentence construction here is rather strange.

Cause to shine – ya’er, is in a Hiphil future form. 

What is difficult is that the Hiphil is related to the word ya’er’ not to penayan. 

Clearly it is not

to cause your face to shine,

but

cause a shining of your face. 

Is this the same thing? 

Recall Moses face shone

when He had been in the presence of the Lord?

So maybe not, especially when we take a look at the words shine and face.

The word shine is from the root word avar.  

This word does mean to shine, but its primitive original meaning it has the idea of a revelation of light or truth, in the way of a film over the eyes being removed. A type of spiritual blindness, similar to Shaul/Paul who after prayer something like scales fell from his eyes; and he was able to see the truth having been both physically and spiritually blind.

So could we say it this way?

YHVH/Heavenly Father cause the revelation of light or truth to be seen on His face and such revelation and truth be upon you.

In Hebrew the word face is panah.  

Panah has the idea of approaching, turning, front, hence face. 

6437 panah: To turn, to face, to look, to prepare

Original Word: פָנָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: panah
Pronunciation: pah-NAH
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-naw’)
KJV: appear, at (even-)tide, behold, cast out, come on, X corner, dawning, empty, go away, lie, look, mark, pass away, prepare, regard, (have) respect (to), (re-)turn (aside, away, back, face, self), X right (early)
NASB: turned, turn, facing, looked, look, clear, faces
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to turn
2. (by implication) to face, i.e. appear, look, etc

  However, the origin of this word expresses the idea of

gazing upon

or staring

or looking intently at someone. 

A primitive root; to turn; by implication, to face, i.e. Appear, look, etc. — appear, at (even-)tide, behold, cast out, come on, X corner, dawning, empty, go away, lie, look, mark, pass away, prepare, regard, (have) respect (to), (re-)turn (aside, away, back, face, self), X right (early).

In ancient times people believed that there was something very spiritual in someone staring at you. They believed that while someone was holding you in their gaze, the individual was imparting part of their essence, energy or power onto the other person; and because of this belief, panah came to express the presence of our Heavenly Father. 

So from this we can understand that the presence of our Heavenly Father is Him, known to us today as His Ruach haKodesh/Holy Spirit, gazing or staring intently on us and imparting His energy, essence and power on us. In other words He is transferring His very presence or energy onto you as He steadily gazes at you!

Note that in verse 25, the word ‘May’ in our English translations is not there in the Hebrew, and the verse could read it both as a prayer or as a paraphrase, with our revealed understanding of the Hebrew text:

YHVH /Jehovah, I ask that you look intently and impart your very essence, energy, power, and truth, upon them.

Shalom/peace to friends and family as we pray blessings over one another!

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..

don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.