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H1289 · Hebrew · Old Testament
בְּרַךְ
berak
Verb (Piel/Aramaic)
to bless; to kneel

Definition

The Aramaic cognate of bārak (H1288), used in the Aramaic portions of Daniel. Berak means to bless or to kneel in reverence. Daniel 6:10 uses this word to describe Daniel kneeling three times a day in prayer — the physical act of kneeling expressing submission, reverence, and blessing.

Usage & Theological Significance

The Aramaic berak preserves the ancient connection between physical posture and spiritual orientation. When Daniel knelt (berak) three times a day facing Jerusalem, he was performing an act of covenantal defiance — choosing God's kingdom over the king of Babylon. The word carries the weight of blessing moving in two directions: upward (human worship of God) and downward (divine blessing upon humanity). This bidirectional flow is inherent to the Hebrew and Aramaic root. To kneel is to acknowledge that all blessing comes from above. Daniel's practice models what the New Testament calls unwavering, habitual prayer (Luke 18:1; 1 Thess. 5:17). True blessing is found in the kneeling — in the posture of dependence.

Key Bible Verses

Daniel 6:10 He knelt down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
Daniel 2:19 Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
Daniel 4:34 I raised my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever.
Psalm 95:6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

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