B-R-K means to bless, to speak good over someone, or to praise God. The same root gives burka, the knee, and three times the verb means to kneel (Matthew 17:14; 27:29; Mark 15:19). Everywhere else it means to bless. At the feeding of the crowds and the last meal, the blessing comes before the bread is broken.
| Form | Pattern | Transliteration | Script | Standard | Qala rendering |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| barek | Pael verb | wbarek, "and he spoke the blessing" | וברך ܘܒ݂ܰܪܶܟ݂ | to bless, to praise | bless, speak good over (e.g. Mt 14:19) |
| brik | passive participle | brik | בריך ܒ݁ܪܺܝܟ݂ | blessed | blessed: the one spoken-good-over (Mt 23:39) |
| burkta | noun, f. | burktā | בורכתא ܒܽܘܪܟ݁ܬ݂ܳܐ | blessing | (not in the Gospels) |
| burka | noun, f. | burkā | בורכא ܒܽܘܪܟ݁ܳܐ | knee | knee: "knelt" (Mt 17:14; Lk 22:41) |
In the Gospels the verb appears in the Pael, barek, to bless or speak good over (wbarek, Matthew 14:19), in the participle brik, blessed (Matthew 23:39), and in the Peal, brak, to kneel, with burka, the knee (Matthew 17:14; 27:29; Mark 15:19).
Before you eat today, bow your head and bless the food, the hands that made it and the One it comes from. Then say wbarek, he spoke the blessing, and brik, blessed.
The Beatitudes use a different word, ṭuba, good fortune, which announces a state (the Qala's "Fortunate," standard "blessed"). Brik is good spoken over someone.