Spirit/breath
πνεῦμαStrong’s G4151pneuma
Appears in 349 verses of the New Testament
In short
Spirit, wind or breath, all one word. Jesus plays on it: "The wind bloweth where it listeth ... so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).
“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
Meaning
Usually translated “spirit” and “spirits”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.
How it's translated
- spirit 285
- spirits 27
- a spirit 18
- of spirit 17
- in spirit 12
- by spirit 6
- with spirit 4
- the spirit 3
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- Acts 67
- Luke 37
- 1 Corinthians 33
- Romans 28
- Revelation 24
- Mark 22
25 books in all.
Explore in Scripture
- 2 Thessalonians 2:2In contextThat ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:8In contextAnd then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13In contextBut we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
- 1 Timothy 3:16In contextAnd without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
- 1 Timothy 4:1In contextNow the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
- 1 Timothy 4:12In contextLet no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
All 349 verses, by book
- Luke 37
- 1:151:171:351:411:471:671:802:252:262:272:403:163:224:14:144:184:334:366:187:218:28:298:559:399:429:5510:2010:2111:1311:2411:2612:1012:1213:1123:4624:3724:39
- Acts 67
- 1:21:51:81:162:42:172:182:332:384:84:315:35:95:165:326:36:56:107:517:557:598:78:158:178:188:198:298:399:179:3110:1910:3810:4410:4510:4711:1211:1511:1611:2411:2813:213:413:913:5215:815:2816:616:716:1616:1817:1618:2519:219:619:1219:1319:1519:1619:2120:2220:2320:2821:421:1123:823:928:25
- Romans 28
- 1:41:92:295:57:68:18:28:48:58:68:98:108:118:138:148:158:168:238:268:279:111:812:1114:1715:1315:1615:1915:30
- 1 Corinthians 33
- 2:42:102:112:122:132:143:164:215:35:45:56:116:176:196:207:347:4012:312:412:712:812:912:1012:1112:1314:214:1214:1414:1514:1614:3215:4516:18
- Titus 1
- 3:5
- Philemon 1
- 1:25
- 2 Peter 1
- 1:21
Greek dictionary
πνεῦμα pneuma · spirit/breath
πνεῦμα, -τος, τό, [in LXX chiefly and very frequently for רוּחַ ;] 1. of air in motion; (a) wind: Jhn.3:8; pl., Heb.1:7 (LXX); (b) breath: π. ζωῆς, Rev.11:11; π. τοῦ στόματος, figuratively, 2Th.2:8 (cf. Ps 32 (33)6). …
From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “spirit” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
SPIR'IT, noun
[Latin spiritus, from spiro, to breathe, to blow. The primary sense is to rush or drive.]
- Primarily, wind; air in motion; hence, breath.
- Animal excitement, or the effect of it; life; ardor; fire; courage; elevation or vehemence of mind.
- Vigor of intellect; genius.
- Temper; disposition of mind, habitual or temporary; as a man of a generous spirit or of a revengeful spirit; the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit Let us go to the house of God in the spirit of prayer.
All definitions and other forms of “spirit”
- The soul of man; the intelligent, immaterial and immortal part of human beings. [See Soul.] the spirit shall return to God that gave it.
- An immaterial intelligent substance. spirit is a substance in which thinking, knowing, doubting, and a power of moving do subsist.
- An immaterial intelligent being. John 4:23
- Turn of mind; temper; occasions; state of the mind.
- Powers of mind distinct from the body.
- Sentiment; perception.
- Eager desire; disposition of mind excited and directed to a particular object.
- A person of activity; a man of life, vigor or enterprise.
- Persons distinguished by qualities of the mind.
- Excitement of mind; animation; cheerfulness; usually in the plural.
- Life or strength of resemblance; essential qualities; as, to set off the face in its true spirit The copy has not the spirit of the original.
- Something eminently pure and refined.
- That which hath power or energy; the quality of any substance which manifest life, activity, or the power of strongly affecting other bodies; as the spirit of wine or of any liquor.
- A strong, pungent or stimulation liquor, usually obtained by distillation, as rum, brandy, gin, whiskey.
- An apparition; a ghost.
- The renewed nature of man. Matthew 26:41Galatians 5:5
- The influences of the Holy spirit Matthew 22:43
SPIRIT, verb transitive
- To animate; to actuate; as a spirit
- To animate with vigor; to excite; to encourage; as, civil dissensions spirit the ambition of private man.
- To kidnap.
Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.
Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.