ANEMOS/PNEUMA

Noel Fitzpatrick njfitzpatrick at eircom.net
Thu Jul 4 13:22:29 EDT 2002


Is there an area of meaning overlap between ANEMOS (wind) and 
PNEUMA (spirit) in New Testament Greek?  Or are they separate 
words with different meaning?

One question that particularly interests me is the use of 
ANEMOS/PNEUMA for wind/spirit.

It seems to me that in the NT ANEMOS is used for literal 
wind/storm only, with the exception of Eph 4:14  (PANTI ANEMW 
THS DIDASKALIAS), while PNEUMA is never used for wind, with 
the possible exception, depending on the translation (eg AV and 
NRSV) of Hb 1:7 (hO POIWN TOUS AGGELOUS AUTOU 
PNEUMATA), which is based on Psalm 103(104):4.

I would consider breath closer to spirit than to wind (2 Th 2:8, AV 
and NRSV). 

I note from BDAG that PNEUMA  is used for wind in many 
works, including the LXX, but only (possibly) in the NT in Hb 1:7, 
as noted above.

Thus ANEMOS, used 31 times in the NT, seems to me to be 
always used for wind/storm and never for spirit/breath.  In fact 
even outside the NT it is apparently given the same meaning.
  
Also out of 379 occurrences there is only one possible use of 
PNEUMA as wind in the NT. 

This view seems to be supported by Liddell-Scott (Perseus site).

Thus is it correct to claim that PNEUMA is never used for wind in 
the NT always for "spirit/breath"  and ANEMOS is never used for 
spirit, but always for wind/storm?
 
Thus, if the focus is the GNT, wind and spirit are separate words, 
with separate areas of meaning and no overlap.

I would appreciate comments and suggestions where there might 
be similar meanings between the two words in the GNT.

Many Thanks,

Noel J Fitzpatrick.

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Noel Fitzpatrick
16 Granville Park
Blackrock
Co Dublin
Ireland

Phone:   353 1 2893851

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