Ruach: Wind, Breath and Spirit in Context
Ruach is a Hebrew word whose range includes wind, breath and spirit. Context decides which sense fits.
Last updated October 15, 2026
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Ruach is a Hebrew word whose range includes wind, breath and spirit. Context decides which sense fits. Genesis 8 describes a wind over the earth; Ezekiel 37 plays with breath, wind and spirit in a vision. Genesis 1:2 needs its own discussion of the phrase ruach elohim.
Do not translate ruach as spirit in every sentence. The historical entry records several related senses. A wind that dries the earth, breath that gives life to bodies, and divine Spirit language have different subjects and actions. Ezekiel places several senses in one scene, making the local wording especially important.
Ruach: source entries
| Term | Entry ID | Historical entry wording | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ruach / ruwach | 7307 | […] wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions): […] | Strong original Hebrew |
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Genesis 8: a wind in the flood account
God causes a wind to pass over the earth as the waters subside. The action and physical setting guide the sense. Calling this a lesson about human personality would ignore what the verse describes. The shared word does not force an identical explanation in every passage.
Start with the verb and the thing affected. Here the earth and waters are in view. The sentence provides stronger guidance than selecting one preferred English word from a long dictionary list.
Ezekiel 37: one vision uses a range
The dry bones scene moves from a valley and scattered bones to restored bodies and breath. The prophet is told to speak, and the scene supplies an interpretation concerning the house of Israel. The four winds and life-giving breath belong within that vision.
A translation can use different English words where the Hebrew repeats a related form. Comparing editions helps show what each translator makes explicit. The figure's force also comes from the sequence: assembled bodies without breath are not yet living people. The later explanation should remain in view.
Genesis 1:2: a phrase requires another check
Ruach elohim joins ruach with a word commonly translated God in that setting. Whether to describe the phrase as Spirit of God or to discuss a wind reading requires more than the isolated ruach entry. The phrase explanation compares that wording directly.
A broad range is a reason for care. It is not a reason to insert every possible sense at once. Breath, wind and spirit can be related images while the specific sentence still makes a choice or preserves an ambiguity.
Wording and context in three editions
Genesis 1:2
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
2 The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
2 And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Before (WEB Classic): 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
After (WEB Classic): 3 God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.
Genesis 8:1
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
1 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
1 God remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and God made a wind to pass over the earth. The waters subsided.
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
1 And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged;
After (WEB Classic): 2 The deep’s fountains and the sky’s windows were also stopped, and the rain from the sky was restrained. 3 The waters continually receded from the earth. After the end of one hundred fifty days the waters receded.
Ezekiel 37:1-14
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
11 ¶ Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
1 Yahweh’s hand was on me, and he brought me out in Yahweh’s Spirit, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.
2 He caused me to pass by them all around; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and behold, they were very dry.
3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I answered, “Lord Yahweh, you know.”
4 Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear Yahweh’s word.
5 The Lord Yahweh says to these bones: “Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live.
6 I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.” ’ ”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, there was an earthquake. Then the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8 I saw, and, behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ”
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’
12 Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 You will know that I am Yahweh, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, my people.
14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken it and performed it,” says Yahweh.’ ”
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
1 The hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of Jehovah, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
2 And he caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, thou knowest.
4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah.
5 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live.
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and, behold, an earthquake; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8 And I beheld, and, lo, there were sinews upon them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.
9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.
12 Therefore prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up out of your graves, O my people.
14 And I will put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land: and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken it and performed it, saith Jehovah.
After (WEB Classic): 15 Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, 16 “You, son of man, take one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions.’ Then take another stick, and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions.’
FAQ
Are wind, breath and spirit three unrelated Hebrew words here?
Ruach can cover this range. The English editions may select different words for context. That does not mean each English word always corresponds to a separate Hebrew lemma.
Related meanings
Continue this study
Verdict: Ruach
Ruach can concern wind, breath or spirit. The local action narrows the range. Ezekiel's vision deliberately brings several senses into view, while Genesis gives different physical and creation settings.