📖 Biblical Definition
Strange grammar: how does man "bless" God? The Psalmist says "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name" (Ps 103:1). Man cannot increase God's existing glory — but He can acknowledge it, declare it, return it. Blessing God is the appropriate speech of the creature toward the Creator: acknowledgment, thanksgiving, praise. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (Jas 1:17) — blessing Him is returning the gift in the form of grateful speech. Blessing Him is the Christian's default verb.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
BLESS, v.t.
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BLESS, v.t. [Sax. bletsian.] (1.) To make happy; to confer a gift or favor upon. (2.) In Scripture, the verb works in both directions: God blesses man (with every spiritual blessing in Christ); and man blesses God (with the praise of the creature acknowledging the Creator). "Bless the LORD, O my soul" is the Psalmist's way of returning glory to its Source.
📖 Key Scripture
Psalm 103:1-2 — "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."
Ephesians 1:3 — "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."
James 1:17 — "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights."
Psalm 145:21 — "My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Modern Christians often say "God bless you" but rarely "I bless God." Scripture commands both directions; we have shrunk to one.
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Ephesians 1:3 works the verb in both directions: blessed be God, who blessed us. Christian speech should frequently bless God — speak praise, thanksgiving, worship back toward Him. The blessing flows; the grateful blessing returns. "Bless the LORD, O my soul" should appear in your vocabulary as naturally as "good morning." Practice the return-blessing. Speak it out loud when the coffee is good, when the sunrise is beautiful, when the child laughs, when the sermon lands.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
H1288 — barak. G2127 — eulogeō.
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H1288 — barak (בָּרַךְ) — to bless; root of berakah (blessing).
G2127 — eulogeō (εὐλογέω) — to speak well of; bless.
Usage
"Bless the LORD, O my soul. Practice the return-blessing until it becomes involuntary."
"God blessed us; we bless Him back. The grammar works in both directions; use both."