The original meaning of the Hebrew word for “blessing” (Berachah) was “gift” or “homage.” This explains the Bible's frequent references to man “blessing” God. Man gives God his thanks, praise, and adoration, and in return receives from God His blessing in the form of both physical and spiritual well-being. In addition, the ancients believed in the power of the spoken word to fulfil itself, whether for good (as a blessing) or for evil (as a curse). Blessing or cursing in ancient Israelite culture were significantly different, however, from what was obtained in other ancient Middle Eastern cultures. In the latter, it was the inherent, automatic power of the word to affect reality; in the Bible, God's will alone determines the good and the evil. Blessing and cursing are therefore always in the name of God, either explicitly or implicitly.

 The first blessing mentioned in the Bible is that conferred by God on the creatures of the sea and the air: “And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply in the earth”. A similar but more elaborate blessing is bestowed on the man and the woman. And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. Particularly noteworthy is God’s blessing of the seventh day of creation and declaring it holy. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it He had rested from all his work which God created and made.

 The first curse in the Bible is God's anathema of the serpent for having enticed Eve to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. And the Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life.

One of the specific meanings of Divine blessing, as evidenced by the verses cited above as well as in many other passages, is fruitfulness. The fertility of the earth, increased by rain, is thus implied: “Will I not then open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall be more than enough?”. Divine blessing can spell not only material abundance but also spiritual well-being, as implied in God's blessing of Abraham: “All the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you”.

 The Bible contains many references to a father blessing his sons and grandsons before his death, and of friends blessing each other on meeting or parting. Examples of the former are Isaac's blessing of Jacob and Esau and Jacob's blessing of his grandsons. Moses likewise blessed the people on a number of occasions, while the priest Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, Hannah, in the name of God. The traditional response to a friend's greeting is “The Lord bless you!”.

 Blessings are pronounced on the people by priests, kings, prophets, and leaders. On the last day of the Sanctuary's inauguration, Aaron blessed the people with uplifted hands. And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings. and a threefold formula known as the Priestly Blessing is given in Num. This blessing is pronounced to this day in traditional synagogues by the kohanim, worshipers of priestly descent. At the dedication of the First Temple, King Solomon blessed “the whole congregation of Israel”; and it was the prophet Samuel's custom to bless the sacrifice brought by the people before they partook of it.

 In the ancient Near East, it was common practice to append a series of blessings and curses, in the name of a god or gods, to the end of a collection of laws. The blessings were intended for those who maintained the laws and the curses for those who violated them. Similarly, the Pentateuch gives a series of blessings and curses following the laws of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The maledictory portions of these are known as the Tochechah (“chastisement”).