# H7307 - ruach **Strong's:** [H7307](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7307/) · BLB lookup **Pronunciation:** roo'-akh **Part of speech:** feminine noun (occasionally masculine when of the divine Spirit) **Greek equivalent (LXX):** [G4151 - pneuma](/codex/g4151-pneuma/), overwhelmingly the standard rendering. **OT occurrences:** ~378 ## Semantic range (Brown-Driver-Briggs) 1. **Wind**, atmospheric / meteorological ([Genesis 8:1](/codex/genesis-8-1/); [Job 1:19](/codex/job-1-19/); [Jonah 1:4](/codex/jonah-1-4/)). 2. **Breath**, physical respiration; "breath of life" ([Genesis 6:17](/codex/genesis-6-17/), [7](/codex/genesis-6-7/):15). 3. **Disposition / temperament**, inner attitude ([Numbers 5:14](/codex/numbers-5-14/) "spirit of jealousy"; [Joshua 5:1](/codex/joshua-5-1/) "spirit melted"; [Proverbs 14:29](/codex/proverbs-14-29/) "slow to anger"). 4. **Animating principle**, the life-spirit that departs at death ([Ecclesiastes 12:7](/codex/ecclesiastes-12-7/); [Psalm 146:4](/codex/psalms-146-4/)). 5. **Inner self / mind / will**, the seat of consciousness, emotion, will ([1 Samuel 1:15](/codex/1-samuel-1-15/) "I poured out my soul"; [Daniel 7:15](/codex/daniel-7-15/) "my spirit was distressed"). 6. **The Spirit of God / divine Spirit**, God's active power, presence, inspiration ([Genesis 1:2](/codex/genesis-1-2/); [Exodus 31:3](/codex/exodus-31-3/); [Joel 2:28-29](/codex/joel-2-28-29/)). The semantic flexibility of *ruach*, like Greek *pneuma*, allows it to span the whole spectrum from physical (wind / breath) to psychological (disposition / inner self) to theological (divine Spirit). The connecting metaphor: *moving air*, invisible, powerful, life-bearing. ## Theological force, the divine Spirit The most theologically loaded use is **the Spirit of God**, *Ruach Elohim* / *Ruach YHWH*. Three foundational uses: 1. **Creation.** [Genesis 1:2](/codex/genesis-1-2/), *v'Ruach Elohim merachefet al-pnei ha-mayim*, "and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." The divine Spirit is present from creation's inception. The verb *merachefet* (hovering) is rare, used elsewhere only of an eagle ([Deuteronomy 32:11](/codex/deuteronomy-32-11/)) hovering over its young. The image: God's Spirit broods protectively-actively over the unformed creation. 2. **Empowerment for service.** [Exodus 31:3](/codex/exodus-31-3/), Bezalel filled with *Ruach Elohim* "with skill, with understanding, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship" for tabernacle construction. [Numbers 11:25](/codex/numbers-11-25/), the Spirit on the seventy elders. [Judges 3:10](/codex/judges-3-10/); 6:34; 11:29; 14:6; 15:14, the Spirit empowering the Judges. [1 Samuel 16:13](/codex/1-samuel-16-13/), the Spirit anointing David. [2 Kings 2:9-15](/codex/2-kings-2-9-15/), Elijah's spirit on Elisha. The Spirit empowers prophetic, royal, judicial, and craft service in OT economy. 3. **Eschatological promise.** [Joel 2:28-29](/codex/joel-2-28-29/), "I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind… your sons and daughters will prophesy." [Ezekiel 36:26-27](/codex/ezekiel-36-26-27/), "I will give you a new heart… I will put My Spirit within you." The promise: the Spirit, restricted to specific persons in OT, will be poured out *on all flesh* in the eschatological age. [Acts 2:17](/codex/acts-2-17/), Peter at Pentecost cites [Joel 2:28-29](/codex/joel-2-28-29/) as fulfilled. ## *Ruach* and the Trinitarian structure The OT *Ruach Elohim* / *Ruach YHWH* anticipates but does not fully reveal the Holy Spirit as the third Trinitarian person. The OT pattern: - The Spirit is **God's own Spirit**, distinguishable in some sense from God speaking ([Genesis 1:1-2](/codex/genesis-1-1-2/), [3](/codex/genesis-1-3/), God / Spirit / Word in close conjunction) - The Spirit is **God's active power** in creation, history, prophecy - The Spirit is **personally referred to** in some passages ([Isaiah 63:10](/codex/isaiah-63-10/), "they grieved His Holy Spirit") suggesting personhood - The full Trinitarian doctrine awaits NT revelation The progressive-revelation pattern: OT *Ruach* hints; NT *Pneuma* (in John 14-16, [Romans 8](/codex/romans-8/), etc.) reveals the Spirit's full personhood and divinity. ## Notable verses ### Creation - **[Genesis 1:2](/codex/genesis-1-2/)**, *Ruach Elohim* hovering over the waters - **[Genesis 2:7](/codex/genesis-2-7/)**, God breathes (*neshamat*, parallel concept) the breath of life into Adam - **[Job 33:4](/codex/job-33-4/)**, "the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath (*neshamah*) of the Almighty gives me life" - **[Psalm 33:6](/codex/psalms-33-6/)**, "by the *Ruach* of His mouth all their host" (paralleled with *davar*) - **[Psalm 104:30](/codex/psalms-104-30/)**, "you send forth Your *Ruach*, they are created" ### Empowerment - **[Exodus 31:3](/codex/exodus-31-3/)**, Bezalel filled with *Ruach Elohim* - **[Numbers 11:25](/codex/numbers-11-25/)**, Spirit on the seventy elders - **[Numbers 11:29](/codex/numbers-11-29/)**, Moses: "would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put His *Ruach* upon them" (anticipates Pentecost) - **[Judges 3:10](/codex/judges-3-10/)**, Othniel; **6:34**, Gideon; **11:29**, Jephthah; **14:6, 19; 15:14**, Samson - **[1 Samuel 10:6](/codex/1-samuel-10-6/), [10](/codex/1-samuel-10-10/)**, Saul; **16:13-14**, David anointed; Spirit departs from Saul ### Prophetic / Messianic - **[Numbers 24:2](/codex/numbers-24-2/)**, Spirit on Balaam - **[Isaiah 11:1-2](/codex/isaiah-11-1-2/)**, *Ruach YHWH* rests on the Branch (Messiah): "the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD" - **[Isaiah 42:1](/codex/isaiah-42-1/)**, "I have put My *Ruach* upon Him" (Servant Song, applied to Christ in [Matthew 12:18](/codex/matthew-12-18/)) - **[Isaiah 61:1](/codex/isaiah-61-1/)**, "the *Ruach* of the Lord GOD is upon me" (cited by Jesus in [Luke 4:18](/codex/luke-4-18/)) ### Eschatological promise - **[Joel 2:28-29](/codex/joel-2-28-29/)**, outpouring on all flesh (cited [Acts 2:17](/codex/acts-2-17/) at Pentecost) - **[Ezekiel 36:26-27](/codex/ezekiel-36-26-27/)**, new heart + Spirit-indwelling - **[Ezekiel 37:1-14](/codex/ezekiel-37-1-14/)**, valley of dry bones; *Ruach* enters the bones - **[Isaiah 32:15](/codex/isaiah-32-15/); 44:3**, *Ruach* poured out - **[Zechariah 12:10](/codex/zechariah-12-10/)**, *Ruach* of grace and supplication poured out ### Inner-self / disposition - **[Genesis 41:8](/codex/genesis-41-8/)**, Pharaoh's *ruach* troubled - **[Psalm 51:10-12](/codex/psalms-51-10-12/)**, David: "create in me a clean heart… renew a steadfast *ruach* within me… do not take Your Holy *Ruach* from me… restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing *ruach*" - **[Proverbs 16:32](/codex/proverbs-16-32/)**, "he who rules his *ruach* (better than) he who captures a city" - **[Proverbs 25:28](/codex/proverbs-25-28/)**, "a man without control over his *ruach* is like a city broken into" ### Wind / breath - **[Genesis 6:17](/codex/genesis-6-17/)**, *Ruach chayyim* (breath of life) - **[Genesis 8:1](/codex/genesis-8-1/)**, God sent a *ruach* over the earth (wind dried the floodwaters) - **[Job 1:19](/codex/job-1-19/)**, "a great *ruach* came from across the wilderness" ## Patristic / scholarly note The patristic tradition reads *Ruach Elohim* of [Genesis 1:2](/codex/genesis-1-2/) as the Holy Spirit, Basil of Caesarea (*On the Holy Spirit* 16, c. AD 375); Augustine (*De Genesi ad Litteram* 1.6); the Cappadocian-Constantinople creedal tradition. The phrase grounds the Spirit's eternal presence in creation alongside the Father (who speaks) and the Son (the Word). The relationship between *Ruach* and *Pneuma* is critical for biblical theology: - **Same conceptual range**, wind, breath, spirit, Spirit - **LXX renders almost universally with *pneuma*** - **NT use of *pneuma* assumes OT *Ruach* background**, the Holy Spirit is the same divine *Ruach* now revealed in fuller Trinitarian-personal clarity Modern conservative Old-Testament-pneumatology: Daniel Block (*Ezekiel*), Christopher Wright (*Knowing the Holy Spirit through the Old Testament*, 2006), James Hamilton (*God's Indwelling Presence*, 2006). Modern systematic-pneumatology: Sinclair Ferguson (*The Holy Spirit*, 1996); Wayne Grudem (*Systematic Theology*, ch. 30); Michael Horton (*Pilgrim Theology*, 2011). ## Verses in this codex _See Obsidian's backlinks pane for every verse page linking here._ ## See also - [G4151 - pneuma](/codex/g4151-pneuma/), Greek/NT equivalent - [H5315 - nephesh](/codex/h5315-nephesh/), *nephesh* (soul / life), distinct but related anthropology term - [H3068 - YHWH](/codex/h3068-yhwh/), *YHWH*'s *Ruach* - [H0430 - elohim](/codex/h0430-elohim/), *Ruach Elohim* in [Genesis 1:2](/codex/genesis-1-2/) - [Genesis 1.1](/codex/genesis-1-1/), [Genesis 1.26](/codex/genesis-1-26/), creation context - [John 14.26](/codex/john-14-26/), NT promise of the Spirit; fulfillment of [Joel 2:28](/codex/joel-2-28/)