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πνεῦμα

pneûma

G4151 noun

SILEX Entry

Root πνευ- to breathe, to blow, air in motion

Definition

Primary meaning: wind, air, or breath in motion. By extension, the animating or vital principle within human beings (often contrasted with the body or flesh), and further, an incorporeal being or influence, such as a superhuman agent (spirit-being, angel) or divine force. In certain contexts, refers to the spirit or disposition of a person (attitude, emotional state), and in Hellenistic-Jewish and early Christian writings, to the divine or holy spirit as a manifestation of God’s power or presence.

Semantic Range

wind, breath, air movement, vital principle, life-force, human spirit (inner self), disposition, mood or attitude, (superhuman) spiritual entity (angel, daemon), divine force or presence, Holy Spirit (in specific NT contexts)

Root / Etymology

From the verb πνέω ('to blow', 'to breathe'); originally denoting movement of air, later acquiring extended senses, including non-material or invisible forces and beings.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, πνεῦμα most commonly signified movement of air—wind, breath, or breeze. It could also refer to air as an element. By the Hellenistic period (esp. in philosophical and medical texts), the term expanded to indicate the animating principle or 'life-breath' of humans and animals, sometimes associated with 'soul' (ψυχή), but often viewed as a distinct aspect: the life-force, often physical and vital. In the Septuagint (LXX), πνεῦμα typically renders Hebrew רוּחַ (ruach), which shares this breadth: wind, breath, spirit, or disposition. In the New Testament, πνεῦμα covers a spectrum: human inner self or 'spirit' (contrasted with body and sometimes soul), specific emotional states ('spirit of fear', etc.), angels or nonmaterial beings, malicious or beneficial superhuman agents ('unclean spirits'), and in distinctive contexts, God's holy spirit (τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον), understood as a powerful, active presence of the divine. English translations often render πνεῦμα as 'spirit', 'Spirit', or 'ghost' (archaically), but nuances such as 'breath', 'life', or 'force' can be lost. The term does not inherently denote personality or individuality unless specified by context or modifiers. In philosophical Greek, πνεῦμα is distinguished from ψυχή (soul, principle of life/individuality), but in some texts the boundary is blurred. The Christian theological notion of 'Holy Spirit' (for τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον) is only one layer of its meaning, heavily shaped by theological reflection after the New Testament period.

Translation Consistency

primary "spirit" 216 occurrences

‘Spirit’ is the most frequent and natural English rendering across the full semantic range of πνεῦμα (wind/breath, the human inner life, spiritual beings, and the Holy Spirit). It covers both ordinary and theological uses, reads naturally in English, and ensures consistent treatment of every form of this Strong’s number.

Alternatives (163 occurrences):
"breath-spirit" (159x) "breath-force" (2x) "breath" (1x) "which" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from πνέω; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit:--ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind. Compare ψυχή.

Root Family

πνεῦμα (pneuma) — wind, breath, air in motion, life-force, spirit-being

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4151-01 Πνεῦμα pneuma N ACC N SG Spirit breath-spirit breath-spirit 159
G4151-07 Πνεύματος pneumatos N GEN N SG Spirit of breath-wind of spirit 95
G4151-05 Πνεύματι pneumati N DAT N SG Spirit to the breath-force spirit 91
G4151-04 πνεύματα pneumata N ACC N PL spirits spirits spirits 18
G4151-06 πνευμάτων pneumaton N GEN N PL spirits of breaths of spirits 11
G4151-02 πνεύμασι pneumasi N DAT N PL spirits to spirits to spirits 3
G4151-03 πνεύμασιν pneumasin N DAT N PL spirits to spirits to spirits 2

Occurrences in Scripture

379 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4151-07 Matthew 1:18 Πνεύματος pneumatos N GEN N SG Spirit of breath-wind of spirit
G4151-07 Matthew 1:20 Πνεύματός pneumatos N GEN N SG Spirit of breath-wind of spirit
G4151-05 Matthew 3:11 Πνεύματι pneumati N DAT N SG Spirit to the breath-force to the spirit
G4151-01 Matthew 3:16 Πνεῦμα pneuma N ACC N SG Spirit breath-spirit breath-spirit
G4151-07 Matthew 4:1 Πνεύματος pneumatos N GEN N SG Spirit of breath-wind of spirit
G4151-05 Matthew 5:3 πνεύματι pneumati N DAT N SG spirit to the breath-force spirit
G4151-04 Matthew 8:16 πνεύματα pneumata N ACC N PL spirits spirits spirits
G4151-06 Matthew 10:1 πνευμάτων pneumaton N GEN N PL spirits of breaths of spirits
G4151-01 Matthew 10:20 Πνεῦμα pneuma N NOM N SG Spirit breath-spirit breath-spirit
G4151-01 Matthew 12:18 Πνεῦμά pneuma N ACC N SG Spirit breath-spirit breath-spirit
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