– The Hebrew term ruah means wind, moving air, blowing:
Gen 8:1 : God remembered Noah and all the animals […] He made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.
Exodus 10:13 : Moses stretched out his rod over Egypt, and the Lord caused a wind from the East to blow over the land […].
Ex 15,10 : At the breath of your breath the sea buried them.
Job 21:18 : Will they be like chaff in the wind, like ashes swallowed up by the whirlwind?
Ps 10:6 : On the wicked he will rain fire and brimstone; a scorching gale wind will be their lot.
Ps 47,8 : Or as when the east wind breaks up the ships of Tarshish.
– Breath, inspiration and expiration of the nostrils:
Gen 7,15.22 : Of each species that has the breath of life, a couple entered the ark with Noah.
– Of vital breath, vigor of the soul and mind, feelings or passions of man:
Gen 6:17 : A flood that will destroy every living creature under heaven.
Gn 41,8 : When morning arrived, Pharaoh, with a worried spirit, sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt.
Gen 45:27 : However, when they told him all the words that Joseph had spoken to them, […] his spirit revived.
1Sm 1,15 : I am an afflicted woman: I drink neither wine nor alcohol, but I pour out my soul in the presence of the Lord.
Ecclesiastes 3:21 : Who knows if the breath of life of the sons of men rises to the heights and […] of animals descends to the earth?
Is 11 : 4 : He will smite the impetuous man with a sentence of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he will put to death the wicked.
Ez 37,5-10 : This is what the Lord Yahweh declares to you: I will make the breath of life enter you to revive you.
Mt 26,41 : Watch and pray so that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
1Cor 2:11 : For who knows the things that are in a man, except the spirit of man that dwells in him?
Col 2,5 : Although physically distant, I am present to you in spirit, and I am glad to see the firmness of your faith.
– The presence of this breath, breath or spirit, in man gives courage and is a gift from God:
Gen 6:3.17 : The Lord then said: “My spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is all flesh”.
Gen 41:38-39 : “Could we”, he said to them, “find a man who has the spirit of God as much as this one?”.
Ex 31,3 : I filled him with the divine spirit to give him wisdom, intelligence and skill for all sorts of works.
Numbers 16 : O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, one man has sinned, and you are angry with the whole assembly?
1Sam 16:13 : And from that moment on, the Spirit of the Lord came over David.
2Ch 21:16 : The Lord stirred up against Joram the courage of the Philistines and the Arabs, neighbors of the Ethiopians.
Job 27:3 As long as breath remains in me and the breath of God passes through my nostrils.
Ps 103 :29 : If you turn your face away, they are troubled; if you take away their breath, they expire and return to the dust from which they came.
Ecclesiastes 12 :7 : Before the dust returns to the earth […]; and before the breath of life returns to God who gave it.
Jr 51,11 : Sharpen your arrows! Put up your shields! The Lord stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes.
Hag 1 : Then the Lord inspired courage in Zerubbabel, son of Salatiel, governor of Judah.
– In other passages, ruah indicates the power of God acting in creation:
Gen 1:2 : The earth was without form and void; darkness covered the abyss, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.
Job 26:13 : His breath swept the heavens and his hand smote the fleeing serpent.
Job 33 :4 : The Spirit of God created me and the breath of the Almighty gave me life.
Ps 103,29-30 : If you turn your face away, they are troubled; if you take away their breath, they expire and return to the dust from which they came.
Wis 12,1 : Your incorruptible spirit is in everyone.
2Mc 3,24 : He gave rise to such an apparition that all […] fainted from astonishment, […] from awe at the majesty of God.
– Either in the prophets or about the people of Israel:
Judges 3:10 : The Spirit of the Lord descended on Othniel: he judged Israel and went out to war.
Judg 6:34 : The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon, who […] summoned the sons of Abiezer to follow him.
Judg 14 :6 : The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, and he tore the lion to pieces like a young goat.
1Sm 10,6.10 : The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, you will prophesy with them and you will become another man.
1Sm 11,6 : Hearing this, the Spirit of the Lord took over Saul and he was enraged.
2Kings 2 :9, 15-16 : Elisha replied: “May a double portion of your spirit be granted to me”.
Is 11,2-3 : The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding.
Is 42 :1 : I make my spirit rest upon him, that he may bring true religion to the nations.
Is 61,1 : The Spirit of the Lord rests upon me, because the Lord has consecrated me by anointing.
Ez 11,19 : I will give them one heart and encourage them with a new spirit.
Ez 39,29 : I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will sprinkle my Spirit on all the house of Israel.
– The Messiah will be filled with this Spirit:
Is 11 :2 : Upon him shall rest the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding.
– The Spirit is therefore the breath of life:
Gen 7:15 : Of each species that has the breath of life, a couple entered the ark with Noah.
Ps 142,7 : Make haste to answer me, Lord, for I am about to faint. Do not hide your face from me.
Mt 27:50 : Jesus again made a loud cry and gave up his soul.
– Providential breath:
Exodus 10:13 : Moses stretched out his rod over Egypt, and the Lord caused a wind from the East to blow over the land […].
– To revive and regain courage:
Gen 45:27 : When they told him all the words that Joseph had spoken to them […] his spirit revived.
Jz 15,19 : Samson, having drunk of this water, regained courage and regained his strength.
Micah 3:8 : I am full of strength from the Spirit of the Lord, of justice and courage, to denounce his wickedness to Jacob.
– But also the wind as a messenger and expression of God himself in creation:
Gen 1:2 : The earth was without form and void; darkness covered the abyss, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.
Jr 10,13 : At the sound of his voice, the waters in the heavens gather; […] unleashing the winds of their redoubts.
Ps 32 :6 : By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
– Yahweh is Lord of the vital breath:
Gen 2:7 : So the Lord God formed man from the clay of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
– He is the one who makes it live:
Ez 37,1-14 : The hand of the Lord came down on me. He took me in spirit and placed me in the middle of a plain.
– And you can take back that breath of life:
Job 34,14-15 : If his breath were to resume […] all flesh would expire in the same instant, and man would return to dust.
Ecclesiastes 3:21 : Who knows if the breath of life of the sons of men rises to the heights and […] of animals descends to the earth?
– The Spirit of God communicates strength and support:
Numbers 11:25 : The Lord […] spoke to Moses. He took a part of the spirit that animated him and placed it on the seventy elders.
Judges 3:10 : The Spirit of the Lord descended on Othniel: he judged Israel and went out to war.
Judg 6:34 : The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon, who […] summoned the sons of Abiezer to follow him.
Judg 11:29 : The Spirit of the Lord descended on Jephthah, who passed through Gilead and Manasseh.
Judg 14 :6 : The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, and he tore the lion to pieces like a young goat.
Lc 1,15 : He will not drink wine or liquor, and from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Lc 4,14 : Jesus, then, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee.
– Illuminates, fortifies and guides the prophets; shall stand upon the Messiah:
Is 11,2-3 : The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding.
Is 61,1 : The Spirit of the Lord rests upon me, because the Lord has consecrated me by anointing.
Lc 4,18.21 : The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me; and sent me to announce the Good News.
Ps 50,12-13 : O my God, create in me a pure heart, and renew in me the spirit of steadfastness.
Ez 36,25-26 : I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove the heart of stone from your chest.
– How about the Servant of Yahweh:
Is 42 :1 : I make my spirit rest upon him, that he may bring true religion to the nations.
– And about all believers:
Ez 36,27 : I will put my spirit within you, causing you to follow and observe my precepts.
Acts 2,4.17-18 : They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.
– Its effusion will characterize the last times:
Is 32:15 : Until the spirit from on high is poured out on us, then the desert will be turned into vergel.
Is 44 :3 : I will pour out my spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your offspring.
Gal 3,1-2 : Did you receive the Spirit by practicing the Law or by accepting the faith?
– There is also the evil spirit that can lead astray:
1Sm 18,10 : The next day the evil spirit of God took hold of him and he had a fit of delirium in his house.
Is 19:14 : The Lord spread a spirit of vertigo among them, and they wandered through all Egypt without a certain plan.
– In the NT the Holy Spirit – third person of the Holy Trinity
– has revealed his person and his work:
Mt 28:19 : Go therefore and teach all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Jn 4:24 : God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and truth.
2Cor 3:17 : Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
– Proceeds from the Father:
Jn 15:26 : When the Paraclete comes […] the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me.
– Intervenes in the incarnation of the Word:
Mt 1:20 : Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what was conceived in her comes from the Holy Spirit.
Lk 1:35 : The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
– Who makes proclaim as Lord:
Lk 1,41-42 : Well, only Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting […]; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
– Descends on John the Baptist:
Lc 1,15 : He will not drink wine or liquor, and from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
– About Isabel:
Lc 1,41 : Well, only Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting […]; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
– About Zechariah:
Luke 1:67 : His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.
– About Peter:
Acts 4 :8: Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them: “Leaders of the people and elders, listen to me”.
– About everyone:
Acts 4:31 : And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.
– About Saulo/Paulo:
Acts 9:7 : The men who accompanied him were filled with astonishment, for they heard the voice perfectly, but did not see anyone.
Acts 13:9: Then Saul, also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on him.
– And also about the heathen:
Acts 10:44-45 : While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the (holy) word.
Acts 11:15-16 : I had just begun to speak when the Holy Spirit descended on them, […] also on us.
Acts 15:8 : Now God […] testified about him, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.
– The Holy Spirit is sent from the Father:
Jo 14,16.26 : And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete, to be with you forever.
– And by the Son:
Jn 7:39 : For the Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Jn 14:26 : The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things.
Jn 15:26 : When the Paraclete comes, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth […] will bear witness to me.
Jn 16 :7 : It is to your advantage that I go! Because if I don’t go, the Paraclete won’t come to you; but if I go, I will send it to you.
– He is sent by the Father to remain among the disciples of Christ:
Jn 14:16 : And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete, to be with you forever.
Jn 16:13 : When the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will teach you all the truth.
Jn 20:22 : After these words, he breathed on them, saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit”.
– Know everything:
1Cor 2:10 : However, God revealed them to us by his Spirit, because the Spirit penetrates everything, even the depths of God.
– It manifests itself in Jesus:
Mt 3:16 : After Jesus was baptized[…] Behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descend upon him […].
Mt 4:1 : Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
Mk 1,10.12 : As Jesus came up out of the water, John saw […] the Spirit descending on him in the form of a dove.
Luke 3:22 : And the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove.
Lc 4,1 : Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert.
Lk 10:21 : At that very hour, Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit.
Jn 1,32-33 : John had declared: “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove and it abode on him”.
– And continues his mission:
Jo 14,16-17 : And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete, to be with you forever.
Jn 16 :7 : It is to your advantage that I go! Because if I don’t go, the Paraclete won’t come to you; but if I go, I will send it to you.
– Assisting the disciples:
Mt 10,19-20 : Do not worry […] at that moment you will be inspired with what you have to say.
Mk 13:11 : When they take you away to hand you over […] say whatever is inspired in you at that time.
Lc 12,11-12 : For the Holy Spirit will inspire you in that hour what you should say.
Jn 15,26-27 : When the Paraclete comes, whom I will send you […] from the Father, the Spirit of Truth […] will bear witness to me.
– To introduce them into all truth:
Jn 14:26 : The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things.
Jn 16:13 : When the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will teach you all the truth.
– The Holy Spirit is the spirit of promise:
Eph 1:13 : After you heard the word of truth […] you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:33 : Exalted by the right hand of God, having received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father.
Gal 3:14 : Thus the blessing of Abraham is extended to the Gentiles, in Christ Jesus, and by faith we receive the promised Spirit.
– What characterizes the New Covenant:
Rom 2:29 : But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and true circumcision is that of the heart, according to the spirit of the law.
Rom 7:6 : Now, having died to that Law which kept us subject, we have freed ourselves from it.
2Cor 3,6 : He has made us fit to be ministers of the New Covenant, not that of the letter, but that of the Spirit.
Gal 3,3 : Are you so frivolous? Having begun with the Spirit, do you now want to finish with the flesh?
Gal 4:29 : As at that time the son of nature persecuted the son of promise, so it is today.
– It is given by God:
Lk 11:13 : Your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.
Jo 14,16-17 : And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete, to be with you forever.
Acts 1:8 : But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you strength; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem.
Acts 2:38 : Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
1Th 4 :8 : To despise these precepts is to despise not a man, but God, who has given us his Holy Spirit.
1Jo 3 : This is how we recognize that he remains in us: by the Spirit who gave us.
– And received through faith:
Gal 3,2.14 : Only this I want to know from you: did you receive the Spirit by the practices of the Law or by the acceptance of faith?
Jn 7,38-39 : Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture says: “Rivers of living water will flow from within him”.
Acts 11:17 : For if God gave them the same grace as He gave us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
– At Baptism:
John 3 :5: Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever is not born again of water and the Spirit will not be able to enter the Kingdom of God.
Acts 2:38 : Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Acts 19,2-3 : Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?
1Cor 6,11 : You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Titus 3 :5 : He saved us through the baptism of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
– Dwells in the Christian:
Rom 8 :9 : You, however, do not live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
1Cor 3:16 : Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit
