Original Word: בְּרָכָה
Part of Speech: proper name, of a location; proper name, masculine person
Transliteration: Brakah
Pronunciation: beh-rah-KAH
Phonetic Spelling: (ber-aw-kaw')
KJV: Berachah
NASB: Beracah
Word Origin: [the same as H1293 (בְּרָכָה - blessing)]

1. Berakah, the name of an Israelite, and also of a valley in Israel

Berachah

The same as Brakah; Berakah, the name of an Israelite, and also of a valley in Palestine -- Berachah.

see HEBREW Brakah

Word Origin
from barak
Definition
an Isr., also a valley in Judah
NASB Translation
Beracah (3).

II. בְּרָכָה 1. proper name, of a location valley in wilderness by Tekoa2Chronicles 20:26 (twice in verse); modern Bereikût compare Be & references

2. proper name, masculine person one of David's band 1 Chronicles 12:3.

Occurrences in Scripture

Berachah appears three times in the Hebrew canon: once as the name of a Benjamite warrior who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:3) and twice in the narrative of Jehoshaphat’s victory, identifying “the Valley of Berachah” where Judah blessed the Lord after deliverance (2 Chronicles 20:26).

Geographical and Historical Identification

The Valley of Berachah lay on the ascent from Tekoa toward the Judean wilderness, probably along a wadi draining to the Dead Sea. Its precise location is uncertain, yet the Chronicler’s note—“to this day” (2 Chronicles 20:26)—indicates that the name endured as a physical reminder of God’s intervention during Jehoshaphat’s reign (circa 870-848 BC). Pilgrims from later generations could stand in that valley and recall the national deliverance that followed Judah’s worship-driven battle strategy.

The Warrior Named Berachah (1 Chronicles 12:3)

• Tribe and context: A Benjamite from Saul’s own tribe who defected to David.
• Significance: His very name (“Blessing”) anticipates the transfer of loyalty from the failing dynasty of Saul to the chosen dynasty of David, highlighting the theme that true blessing is found where God sets His king (Psalm 2:12).
• Ministry insight: Berachah’s commitment models individual alignment with God’s purposes even when that requires breaking with prior loyalties.

The Valley of Berachah (2 Chronicles 20:26)

• Setting in the narrative: After God routed the allied armies of Moab, Ammon, and Edom, Judah spent three days collecting plunder and a fourth day dedicating the place with praise.
• Liturgical act: “They blessed the LORD” (Hebrew root ברך) and turned a battlefield into a sanctuary of thanksgiving.
• Commemorative function: Naming the valley Berachah transformed geographic memory into theological proclamation—every mention of the valley rehearsed the truth that “the battle belongs to the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:15).
• Communal rhythm: The people first sang before the battle (20:21-22) and then blessed afterward (20:26), bracketing the conflict with worship and underscoring that praise is both weapon and witness.

Theological Themes

1. Blessing as Response: Scripture portrays blessing not merely as a spoken formula but as the fitting response of God’s people to His saving acts (Psalm 103:1-5). The valley episode crystalizes this pattern—deliverance prompts doxology.
2. Blessing as Identity Marker: The warrior Berachah personifies what the valley memorializes; both name and place identify a people marked by divine favor and grateful praise.
3. Divine Initiative and Human Participation: Jehoshaphat’s army marched in worship, yet the Lord fought the battle. Likewise, Israel’s naming of the valley does not create the blessing but recognizes it.
4. Continuity of Blessing Motif: From Abraham’s call to be a blessing to the nations (Genesis 12:2-3) through the priestly benediction (Numbers 6:24-26) to Paul’s declaration that God “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:3), Berachah fits within Scripture’s unified testimony that true blessing issues from God and returns to Him in praise.

Ministry Application

• Corporate Worship: Congregations can adopt the pattern of praising God before seeing victory, confident that God’s faithfulness endures.
• Spiritual Landmarks: Naming a testimony—whether a physical location, journal entry, or church anniversary—as “Berachah” fosters generational remembrance of God’s works (Joshua 4:6-7).
• Discipleship of Allegiance: Like the Benjamite Berachah, believers must define blessing not by human ties but by obedience to the anointed King, Jesus Christ.
• Encouragement in Conflict: The valley account reassures believers facing overwhelming odds that God can turn battlefields into places of blessing, transforming fear into worship and defeat into spoil for His glory.

Key References

1 Chronicles 12:3; 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 (esp. 20:26); Psalm 103:1-5; Ephesians 1:3

בְּרָכָ֔ה בְּרָכָ֖ה ברכה וּבְרָכָ֕ה וברכה bə·rā·ḵāh beraChah bərāḵāh ū·ḇə·rā·ḵāh ūḇərāḵāh uveraChahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts