6:22–27 This last section of chapter 6 prescribes the blessing Aaron and his sons are to pronounce over the people. The instruction comes through Moses. This blessing is presumably the one Aaron pronounced in Leviticus 9:22. These verses are the most famous in the book of Numbers and continue to be used as a benediction in Jewish and Christian tradition. The importance and antiquity of the blessing have recently been confirmed by archeological findings near Jerusalem. Two silver cylinders inscribed with this blessing were discovered and dated from around 600 B.C.E.

The blessing itself consists of three poetic lines in parallel form, characteristic of Hebrew poetry (cf. Ps. 4:7; 67:1). The prayer asks for divine blessing with jussive verbs (third-person commands). Note the progression of t…