God the Holy Spirit, Mentor's Guide, MG14

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G O D T H E H O L Y S P I R I T

B. The best description of the Holy Spirit as portrayed in the Old Testament Scriptures would probably be “the powerful breath of God.”

1. In the Hebrew Scriptures, God’s breath is a powerful force which both destroys (Exod. 15.10; Isa. 11.4) and creates (Ps. 33.6).

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The Hebrew word for ‘spirit’ is ruach . The root r-w-ch , from which the noun is derived, means primarily “to breathe out through the nose with violence.” . . . The word ruach stands for hard, strong, violent breathing, as against neshamah , which means ordinary, quiet breathing. . . . The word ruach is frequently used of the wind; some eighty-seven times in all. Of these thirty-seven speak of the wind as the agent of Jehovah, mostly destructive, and always strong and violent. . . . The ruach-adonai [Spirit of the Lord] is the manifestation in human experience of the life-giving, energy-creating power of God. . . . . The ruach-adonai cannot be hindered (is not ‘straitened’), but is like His word, which shall not return unto Him void, but will accomplish that which He pleases.

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~ N. H. Snaith. Chapter VII, “The Spirit of God.” The Distinctive Ideas of the Old Testament . pp. 143-158.

2. Old Testament Judaism understood the Holy Spirit to be “the power of God in action.” That power might be demonstrated as:

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a. Strength in battle (as when the Wind of God parts the Red Sea or when the Judges are empowered in their fight against Israel’s enemies)

b. Various kinds of wisdom (as with the craftsmen at the Tabernacle or Joseph or Daniel having special gifts for the administration of Government).