Breath or Spirit?
The word in these linked locations is either:
Depending on the context and the author’s intent, it can mean:
- A peron’s breath, such as their breathing (the breath of life),
- The wind, or any sort of movement of air,
- A spirit creature, like an angel or demon,
- A person’s immortal spirit or soul.
We get the English word ‘spirit’ from the Latin word spiritu, which also just means breath.
Often deceptively translated
The belief that humans possess immortal souls or spirits did not become widespread among Jews and Christians until after their holy texts were completed, mostly due to the influence of Greek philosophy.
Such ideas are not found in the Hebrew Bible or New Testament. The concept of an immortal soul or spirit were confined to apocryphal texts, such as 1 Enoch.
- See our Timeline of Afterlife Doctrines
In 1 Enoch chapter 22, it copies the Greek idea of immortal spirits being hidden away in a cave where they await judgment. However, even that book describes itself as a ‘parable’ (1 Enoch 1:2) and later talks of ‘souls’ who ‘have died’ (1 Enoch 102:4, 103:3), so it’s unclear whether it’s really promoting the idea as real or just as a poetic illustration.
Modern translators of the Bible and early Church texts, therefore, mislead their readers when they translate Bible books with words like ‘spirit’ or ‘ghost’. They know that the original writers were often thinking of someone’s breath of life, or even just the wind.
For example, incorrectly using ‘spirit’ instead of ‘breath’ at John 19:30 (where Jesus dies) greatly changes its meaning.
The NIV says:
‘When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.’
This makes it sound like Jesus’ spirit, or ghost, left his body and floated up to heaven. However, translating it accurately as breath gives this:
‘Then he hung his head and gave up his breath.’
Or as the God’s Word translation says:
‘Then he bowed his head and died.’
Yes, ‘gave up his breath’ simply means Jesus stopped breathing and, therefore, died.
‘Holy Spirit’ or ‘holy breath’
Therefore, the ‘Holy Spirit’ that Bible texts describe as being sent by God or Jesus is literally ‘holy breath’, and that’s the term we use throughout our translations of Bible texts and early Christian writings.
Also, note that we don’t capitalize it, because it’s neither a proper noun nor a title. Besides, the belief that God’s breath is a ‘person’ of the Trinity did not arise until centuries after the Bible was completed, so capitalizing it would be anachronistic and would mislead readers into thinking certain texts are confirming a later doctrine.
- See our Timeline of the Trinity doctrine
The breath of life
The word breath is used in the phrase ‘breath of life’ in 11 places, and many other references to breath simply mean normal human breathing and being alive.
This pneuma or ruhah is not the same as the soul (which literally means a ‘breathing thing’, or a ‘breather’), and is never described as being immortal.
For example, note how pneuma is found in the Greek Septuagint at Job 27:3, where Job asked:
‘Does the breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’
Here pneuma is referring to actual breath here, not to God’s holy spirit. He was talking about his own breathing, the breath of life.
Note how at Genesis 6:3, God said concerning the wicked people on earth before the Downpour:
‘I won’t allow my breath (Greek: pneuma mou, literally ‘breath Mine’) to stay with these men through the age, for they are fleshly.’
Most other Bibles use Spirit here. So while the words breath Mine (pneuma mou) may refer to God’s holy breath, it seems more likely to us that He was just referring to the breath of life that He gave to Adam. Otherwise, it’s difficult to believe that the wicked people He destroyed had the breath or spirit of God!
So, it appears that God was saying that the breath of life, which originally came from Him, would be removed prematurely – in other words, they’d die!