Bleek, Friedeich, a distinguished German theo- logian, born in 1793 at Arensbok in Holstein, died at Bonn Feb. 21, 1859. He studied theology at the uni- versities of Kiel and Berlin ; in the latter place under De Wette, Schleiermacher. and Neander. In 1818 he commenced giving theological lectures at Berlin, was appointed in 1823 extraordinary professor, and in 1829 ordinary professor at the University of Bonn. His writings are especially distinguished for keenness of investigation. His principal work is Der Brief an die Ilebrder, a German translation of and commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews (Berl. 1828-40, 4 vols). In another work, Beitriige zur Evanyelienk-ntik (Berl. 1846), he defended the authenticity of the Gospel of John against the attacks of the Tubingen school. Be- sides these two larger works, Bleek wrote many valu- able articles for theological journals. Several impor- tant works of Bleek were published after his death, viz. : Tntrod. to the O. T. (Einleit. in das A. T. ,• ed. by J. F. Bleek and A. Kamphausen, Berl. 1860) ; Intrad. to the v. /'. </;;„/, U. in das N. T. ; ed. by J. F. Bleek, Berl. '"mm. on three first Gospels (Synopt. Erhlarung d rdreiersten Ew»»£.;ed.byH.Holtzman, Lpz. 1862); Led. on tic /:■ vt lotion | I 'orlesungen uberdie Apoc. ,• ed. by 1 h. Hossbach, Berl. 1862).— Herzog, Svpplem. i, 207.
Blemish (-""2, fi&poQ ; once bi^Pl, blear-eyed, Lev. xxi. i'n). There were various kinds of blemishes, i. e. imperfections or deformities, which excluded men
frn.u the priestl i, ami animals from being offered in
I hese blemishes arc described in Lev. xxi, 17 23; --.-.ii. !:> 25; Dent, xv, 21. We learn from the MUhna (Zebachim, xii. 1 ; Becoroth. vii, 1) that temporary blemishes excluded a man from the priest- hood '.nly as Inn- as those blemishes continued. The rule concerning animals was extended to imperfections of the inward parts: thus, if an animal, free from out- ward blemish, was found, after being slain, internally defective, it was not offered in sacrifice. The natural feeling that only that which was in a perfecl condition was lit for sacred puqwses, or was a becoming offering
to the gods, produced similar rules concerning blem- ishes among the heathen nations (comp. Pompon. Laet. De Sacerdot. cap. 6 ; Herodot. ii, 38 ; Iliad, i, 66 ; Ser- vius, ad Virg. JEn. ii, 4) Kitto, s. v.
Bless (Tpa, barak' ; evXoyioj). There are three or four points of view in which acts of blessing may be considered.
1. When God is said to bless his people. Without doubt the inferior is blessed by the superior. When God blesses, he bestows that virtue, that efficacy, which renders his blessing effectual, and which his blessing expresses. His blessings are either temporal or spirit- ual, bodily or mental ; but in every thing they are productive of that which they import. God's bless- ings extend into the future life, as his people are made partakers of that blessedness which, in infinite fulness, dwells in himself (Gen. i, 22; xxiv, 35; Job xlii, 12; Psa. xlv, 2 ; civ, 24, 28 ; Luke xi, 9-13 ; James i, 17). •
2. When men are said to bless God, as in Psa. ciii, 1, 2 ; cxlv, 1-3. We are not, then, to suppose the di- vine Being, who is over all, and in himself blessed for- evermore, is capable of receiving any augmentation of
! his happiness from any of the creatures which he has made : such a supposition, as it would imply something of imperfection in the divine nature, must ever be re- 1 jected with abhorrence; and therefore, when creatures bless the adorable Creator, they only ascribe to him that praise and dominion, and honor, and glory, and blessing which it is equally the duty and joy of his creatures to render. So that blessing on the part of man is an act of thanksgiving to God for his mercies, or rather for that special mercy which, at the time, occasions the act of blessing; as for food, for which thanks are rendered to God, or for any other good. j 3. Men are said to bless their fellow-creatures when, 1 as in ancient times, in the spirit of prophecy they pre- j dieted blessings to come upon them. From the time that God entered into covenant with Abraham, and promised extraordinary blessings to his posterity, it 1 appears to have been customaiy for the father of each j family, in the direct line, or line of promise, immedi- ' ately previous to his death, to call his children around him, and to inform them, according to the knowledge which it had pleased God to give him, how and in what manner the Divine blessing conferred upon Abra- j ham was to descend among them. Upon these occa- sions the patriarchs enjoyed a Divine illumination, and under its influence their benediction was deemed a prophetic oracle, foretelling events with the utmost certainty, and extending to the remotest period of time (see Bush, Notes en Gen. in loc). Thus Jacob blessed his sons (Gen. xlix, 1-28 ; Heb. xi, 21), and Moses the children of Israel (Deut. xxiii, 1-29). The bless- ings of men were also good wishes, personal or official, and, as it were, a peculiar kind of prayer to the Author of all good for the welfare of the subject of them ; thus Melchisedek blessed Abraham (Gen. xiv, 19: Heb. vii, 1, 6, 7). The form of blessing prescribed in the Hebrew ritual (Num. vi, 23-27) which Jehovah com- manded Moses to instruct Aaron and his descendants to bless the congregation, is admirably simple and sub- lime : "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee : the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee : the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace" (Hiiner, De benedictione sacerd. Jen. 1712). It was pronounced standing, with a loud voice, and with the hands raised toward heaven (Luke xxiv, 50). National blessings and cursings were some- times pronounced (Deut. xxvii, 12-26 ; xxviii, i, 68).