“Spirit” translates two words that start with something you can feel: Hebrew ruach and Greek pneuma both mean, first of all, “wind” or “breath.” From that root the Bible stretches the word across a wide range.
It names the breath of life and the vital principle in a person (Ecclesiastes 8:8); the rational soul — what later tradition called immortal — that sets human beings apart (Acts 7:59; 1 Corinthians 5:5), and that soul in its state after death (Hebrews 12:23). It also names unseen persons — an apparition (Luke 24:37–39), an angel (Hebrews 1:14), or a demon (Luke 4:36) — and, used figuratively, a disposition or tendency (Luke 13:11).
In a few passages the same word points to the divine nature itself (Romans 1:4; 1 Timothy 3:16). That divine sense the glossary treats separately — God’s own Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity (called the Paraclete, or Advocate, in John) — distinct from “spirit” as breath, soul, or created being, and often pictured as a Dove.
Explore Spirit and related terms in the full glossary → a.fortt.com/glossary-app
How this is made · A Fortt Media project, created & edited by Jon Fortt. Grounded in a curated Scripture database and carefully drafted and audited with the help of AI — described plainly, and written to assume no particular denomination or doctrine. Read the full approach → · Report a correction →
