Recap: Genesis explores the interplay between God’s order and human disorder, revealing God’s continual work in restoring creation.
Learning Theology
Pneumatological Theme: Giver of Life (Genesis 2:7)
Connection to Christ: 1 Cor 15:45 cites Gen 2:7 and expands on the text: Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:45-47
Cross References:
Genesis 3:19
Ecclesiastes 12:7
Job 33:4
Job 27:3
When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22
Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
- Gen 2:7 (ESV)
Did you know?
Biblical anthropology is the study of humanity’s origin, nature, and purpose as revealed in Scripture.
The second account of God’s Spirit mentioned in the Bible is found in Genesis 2:7, part of the creation story. The passage is about Adam's creation. God needed someone to work the ground (2:26), so the LORD did two things.
formed man from the dust of the ground (body)
breathed the breath of life into him (soul)
In the Seven Pillars of Pneumatology, we teach that humans are composed of a body and an inner being/soul. A person’s spiritual state, whether or not they are a Christ follower, impacts every facet of who they are (their will, emotions, mind, heart, consciousness, etc.). Reading Adam’s creation story reveals that God formed his body from dust, yet the breath of life animated him into a living being.
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From dust, Adam was made; with breath, alive he came.
Is this breath of life from the Holy Spirit?
Nine passages mention the phrase “breath of life” throughout the Bible. Within these passages, "breath" translates into three key concepts, each linked to a specific Hebrew or Greek word. Understanding the different translations of the word “breath” will help us understand if the Holy Spirit is the actual breath of life.
“Breath” in “breath of life” means:
1 ) Creature (nephesh)
Strong’s Biblical Concordance (5315) defines the word as creature, being, i.e., an animal of any kind, as a living thing in creation [1]
Gen 1:30: To every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath (nephesh) of life, I have given every green plant for food.
Creatures are given life.
2 ) Spirit/Wind/Breath (ruach)
Strong’s Biblical Concordance (7307) notes that the Hebrew word denotes multiple things: "spirit," "wind," or "breath." The Old Testament describes the Spirit of God, the human spirit, and natural occurrences like the wind. This word also conveys the idea of life, power, and divine presence. Ruach is often associated with God's creative and sustaining power and His presence and influence in the world and in the life of individuals. [2]
Gen 6:17: For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath (ruach) of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.
Gen 7:15: They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath (ruach) of life.
Job 12:10: In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath (ruach) of all mankind.
Rev 11:11: After the three and a half days a breath (ruach) of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
Greek translation is pneuma which means Spirit, wind, breath [3]
Thread of Truth from Old to New Testament: See Revelation 11:11, which talks about the breath of God resurrected two people who are dead.
Genesis explores the interplay between God’s order and human disorder. These verses illustrate that the breath of God both gives and takes away life. In Noah’s era, creatures entered the ark under divine preservation, highlighting God's sovereignty over life and foreshadowing the life-giving power of His resurrection breath found in Revelation.
3) Breath that gives life (nishmat)
Strong’s Biblical Concordance (5397) uses the Hebrew word nishmat for “breath,” which is the word used in our main passage (Gen 2:7). Nishmat means the breath of life and is connected to God, breathing life into humans and animals. [4]
Gen 2:7: The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath (nishmat) of life, and the man became a living creature.
Gen 7:22: Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath (nishmat) of life died.
Job 33:4: The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath (nishmat) of the Almighty gives me life.
Isaiah 57:16: For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath (nishmat) of life that I made.
Thread of Truth from Old to New Testament: He [Jesus] breathed on them [disciples] and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22
The breath of God is central to the creation of life, as seen in the formation of Adam. It is also how all life perished under divine judgment during the reordering of humanity. Yet, this same breath signifies God's power to restore and renew, offering life to the weary and pointing toward ultimate redemption.
Holy Spirit is connected to the breath of life. But is He depositing His Spirit within humans at their formation?
Job 33:4 says, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life (also see Job 27:3).
Therefore, one can conclude that the Spirit of God plays a role in bringing about life.
In studying these passages, we can conclude five things about the breath of life:
Holy Spirit creates life.
Scripture does not directly state whether or not the Holy Spirit is God taking on the form of physical breath (as a creative miracle) or if the breath is a resource He is using to animate creation to life. We can see that God controls blowing life into different things.
As the Spirit of God is breathing life, we witness the active work of the Father and Lord Jesus. This is a trinitarian event based on the evidence found within the Scriptures previously mentioned.
Life and death remain within the sovereign will of the Triune God.
The “breath of life” does not imply that the Holy Spirit imparts His indwelling presence within the human soul. Rather, it signifies physical life. His presence indwells those who follow Christ; He does not indwell a person at the start of physical existence (see John 14:15-21). Humanity is made in the image of God, which is a different concept but important to note about the origin of humanity (see Gen 1:26-27).
“Cyril explicitly identifies the ‘breath of life’ in Gen. 2:7 as the Holy Spirit. However, he is concerned that some might misunderstand the passage and assume that the Holy Spirit became Adam’s soul. He warns his readers, ‘Let none of us catechize falsely on this point.”
Source: Cyril, Commentary on John 14:20 (Maxwell 2:187) as shared here.
Living Out Theology
Across these passages, the concept of breath is central to life and death, demonstrating that Creator God controls both. His presence brings about life, order, and purpose to dormant objects. As God brings people into existence, the natural and supernatural collide; a physical body becomes animate as one’s soul is awakened.
Consider This: God gives our physical body life, and eternal life to those who acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior. Both actions are the Holy Spirit at work.
In John 20:22, Jesus breathed on His disciples, inviting them to receive His Spirit. This moment wasn’t just symbolic; it was an invitation to experience the indwelling presence of God. Jesus was awakening their souls with the invitation of Himself.
The Holy Spirit breathed a soul and life into Adam and is the same God who also breathes eternal life into us. What does that mean for us? Reflect on how the breath of God creates life and is also a life-giving reality for those who follow Christ.
Jenny Randle is an academic theologian and author who has been serving in vocational ministry since 2008. She holds a Master's in Biblical and Theological Foundations and is ordained by an internationally ecclesiastical credentialing organization. She is the President of the Holy Spirit Ministry Center.
Footnotes:
1 James Swanson,Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
2 Strong’s Hebrew 7307 found at thttps://biblehub.com/hebrew/7307.htm
3 Strong’s Greek 4151 found at https://biblehub.com/greek/4151.htm
4 James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
