Ruach--The Person Him[Her]self

A third meaning of the word "ruach" (Hebrew: Older Testament) or "pneuma" (Greek: Newer Testament) in the Bible is "the person him[her]self." Here we can mention only a few representative passages.

1. Genesis 41:8--When Pharaoh experienced the dreams in which he saw seven ugly and thin cows eat seven sleek and fat cows, and seven thin and blighted ears of grain eat seven plump and good ears of grain (Genesis 41:1-7), the Bible says: "his SPIRIT [Hebrew RUACH] was troubled." Obviously, this means simply that "HE" [Pharaoh] was troubled. So here, "spirit" means "the person himself."

2. Genesis 45:27--When Jacob's sons returned from Egypt with grain the second time, they told Jacob that Joseph was alive and second in command in Egypt. And the Bible says that "the SPIRIT [Hebrew RUACH] of their father Jacob revived" [several years before this, Jacob thought a wild animal had killed Joseph--Genesis 37:31-35]. Again, it is obvious that Jacob's "spirit" is Jacob himself.

3. 1 Samuel 1:15--When the priest Eli saw Hannah praying, he thought she was drunk. But Hannah replied: "No, my lord, I am a women of sorrowful SPIRIT [Hebrew RUACH]." The New Revised Standard Version [NRSV] translates this: "No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled" (note that the NRSV does not even use the word "spirit," although the Hebrew text has this word). Again, it is obvious that Hannah's "spirit" here means Hannah herself.

4. 1 Kings 21:5--When king Ahab of North Israel offered to buy or trade the vineyard of his neighbor at Jezreel named Naboth, and Naboth refused the offer, Ahab returned to his palace, went to his bedroom, began to sulk, and refused to eat. In time, Ahab's wife Jezebel came to him and asked: "Why is your SPIRIT [Hebrew RUACH] so sad that you will not eat?" The NRSV translates this phrase as follows: "Why are you so depressed . . . ?" It does not even use the word "spirit," even though it is in the Hebrew text. Again, it is obvious that Ahab's "spirit" here means Ahab himself.

Notice that in all these cases [and there are many more like them in the Bible], a person's "spirit" is not a separate person who lives and acts outside that person, but is the person him[her]self. In other words, one's "spirit" is a common idiomatic expression for the person him[her]self throughout scripture. This truth is important when one comes to study "the spirit of God."

More to come

John Willis