The Hebrew verb barak means to bless as seen in Genesis 12:2 but can also mean kneel as seen in Genesis 24:11. A related Hebrew word is berakah meaning a blessing or a gift or present. From this we can see the concrete meaning behind barak in the sense of a blessing. It is to bring a gift to another while kneeling out of respect. The extended meaning of this word is to do or give something of value to another. God "blesses" us by providing for our needs and we in turn "bless" God by giving him of ourselves as his servants.