Naphakh: to blow out, verb (Strong’s 5301); Nasham: to breathe in, verb (Strong’s 5395); N’shamah/Nishmat: breath/inhalation, feminine noun (Strong’s 5397).
Naphakh root: נָפַח Sounds like: na-fawk
Nasham/N’shamah/Nishmat root: נָשַׁם Sounds like: na-shawm
For the most part we take our breath for granted. Rarely do we see it, except on a very cold day. Ideally we do not smell it, although morning breath and garlic breath join a list of exceptions. And only when we are sick do we hear it through wheezing or coughing. Otherwise breath is like a lonely soldier, quietly carrying on until it can carry on no further.
There are three words for breath in the Bible. Ruakh is the first to be mentioned but it is sometimes translated as breath, sometimes as wind, and sometimes as Spirit. However, it’s important to not see these as three completely separate things, instead they are uniquely linked together. Ruakh is one word but all three meanings (spirit, wind, breath) are intertwined. In fancy grammatical talk this is called polysemy: one word with different, but connected, meanings.
The other two breath words are naphakh, which is often described as blowing out or exhaling, and nish’mat, which generally means to breathe-in or inhale.
As a student I find myself writing an excessive amount of words and reading a great deal more, so this week I’m going to aim to “fill two needs with one deed”. I’m in the midst of finishing my term paper and so rather than work on that AND produce a new word lesson, I thought I’d share a portion of my essay with you.
The paper I am currently working on is entitled (at least for now), Ruakh-Pneuma: A Fullness of Life Through the Synergy of Breath, Wind, and Spirit. There’s a portion in it where I explore the differences between three Hebrew words that can be translated as breath: ruakh, naphakh, and nish’mat. Here is an excerpt…
The breath/wind/spirit of all mankind is inexplicably linked with its Creator, but ruakh isn’t the only word connected to breath. We must address a few other Hebrew synonyms associated with the action of breathing. In Genesis 2:7 we read:
Then YHWH God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed [blew/exhaled: wai-yi’pakh וַיִּפַּ֥ח] into his nostrils the breath [inhalation: nish’mat נִשְׁמַ֣ת] of life; and the man became a living person.
In other words, God exhaled (blew) His life-force breath out so that humanity could inhale it in and receive life.
Yi’pakh comes from the verb naphakh which means to blow. It was often associated with fanning a fire or blowing on fire (Job 20:26, Isaiah 54:16, Ezekiel 22:20-21). It was also associated with the billowing water of a boiling pot (Job 41:29, Jeremiah 1:13). This fanning, blowing, or billowing, caused an activation. It either gave fuel to the fire or it empowered the water. Both resulted in the action of heating. So when YHWH blew, or exhaled, into humanity they were activated and empowered. They “heated up”, so to speak.
The other word for breath, which we find in Genesis 2:7 is nish’mat. This comes from the root verb, nasham, which means to gasp. It is a deep inhaling action. We find this in the following phrases:
- Nish’mat khayyim: Breath (or inhalation) of Life (Genesis 2:7)
- Nish’mat ruakh: Breath (or inhalation) of (the) Spirit/breath (Genesis 7:22, Psalm 18:15)
- Nish’mat Eloha/El: Breath (or inhalation) of God (Job 4:9; Job 37:10)
- Nish’mat Shaddai: Breath (or inhalation) of (the) Almighty (Job 32:8, Job 33:4)
- Nish’mat YHWH: Breath (or inhalation) of YHWH (Isaiah 30:33).
Life, Spirit, God, the Almighty, YHWH… humans can connect to all these elements of the Creator God through the breath they breathe, because the ruakh of God is in them. And it’s not just in believers, it’s in every human being on the planet, regardless of creed, colour, or affluence.
Daniel admonished king Belshazzar and his Babylonian subjects for not recognizing that YHWH was the breath-giver of their existence:
Daniel 5:23b
[Daniel to King Belshazzar and the Babylonians:] …and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath [nish’m’tak נִשְׁמְתָ֥ךְ] and all your ways, you have not glorified.
This passage from the Book of Daniel was originally written in Aramaic, a closely related Semitic language. Nish’m’tak from the Daniel passage is clearly recognizable in the Hebrew word nish’mat. God gives breath to the Babylonians, and in fact, the entire world, from a little kitten to a great king, the breath of God is in them all:
Psalm 18:15
Then the channels of water appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed by Your rebuke, YHWH, at the blast [inhilation: mi-nish’mat מִ֝נִּשְׁמַ֗ת] of the breath [ruakh ר֣וּחַ] of Your nostrils.
Literally, the foundations of the world were exposed when they inhaled the breath of God’s nostrils. It’s an odd image but it makes the point… YHWH is an active agent in the world. It is His ruakh that is infused into all of creation. Where nish’mat was the intake of breath, and naphakh was the exhaling of breath, ruakh was the thing (breath/wind/spirit) that tethered humans to YHWH… a life-line between the human and the Divine. During the great flood that life-line was in jeopardy:
Genesis 7:22
[Regarding the flood:] …all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life [nish’mat ruakh khayyim נִשְׁמַת־ר֨וּחַ חַיִּ֜ים], died.
During the flood, those who lived on the land, who inhaled and exhaled the spirit of life, lost their breath and died. They not only lost their breath, they lost the spirit that connected them to YHWH. This was a tragedy beyond all tragedies.
Job 34:14-15
“If He were to determine to do so, if He were to gather His spirit [ru’khow רוּח֥וֹ] and His breath [w-nish’matow וְ֝נִשְׁמָת֗וֹ] to Himself, humanity would perish together, and mankind would return to dust.”
Every human needs a deep breath to really function well, but ruakh separates itself from naphakh and nish’mat because it is more than just a physical reaction. It’s not just blowing out or inhaling in, it is a constant reminder that humans are inheritors of God’s goodness and descendants of His outstanding creativity.
Humans were made to be God’s Image-bearers so it is necessary to continually seek God and gasp for God. By breathing in YHWH and activating the Spirit, humans become effective witnesses of God’s life-giving potency. The ruakh binds and empowers all who follow YHWH so that they can be active and influential agents for the Kingdom. [End of excerpt]
We are blessed to have breath so that we can live, but we were given breath to do more than exist day to day. Breath is our life-line to the Creator and it gives us the chance to reflect His love all around the world. Make every breath count, folks, because YHWH’s counting on you. With every breath, share the love!
Next week: GREEN
Hebrew Word Lessons 