1. INTRODUCTION – GOD BREATHED INTO ADAM
In the previous post I wrote that God created (Yatsar) the body as a vehicle for the human spirit. Adam was created physically then God put spirit in him:
God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen 2: 7).
After shaping every complex part of Adam’s body, God then breathed into his nostrils. This sounds much like the process of resuscitation of a non breathing individual. Naphach/H5301)/to breathe, blow, is the Hebrew word used for breathed. In other words, God put His own breath into Adam, completing the process of forming him in His image and likeness.
Naphach is found twelve times in scriptures. It also means to lose one’s life (Job 31: 39). God gave up life so Adam could live.
One parallel for the creation is found in Ezekiel 37: 9 in which God told Prophet Ezekiel to “prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe (naphach) upon these slain, that they may live.”
2. GOD BREATHED HIS BREATH OR SPIRIT INTO ADAM
This is another critical truth to be understood. Strong’s H5397/nĕshamah is the Hebrew word used for breath. Biblical usage will add clarity to this truth:
- Neshamah is used to denote respiration or breathing, the absence of which leads to physical death (Gen 7: 22; Deut 20: 16; Josh 10: 40; Josh 11: 11 etc)
- Breath of God/God’s breath (2 Sam 22: 16; Job 33: 4)
- Job used neshamah to denote “spirit” when he asked his friend, “to whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?” (Job 26: 4)
- Job used inspiration (neshamah) in 32: 8 when speaking about God’s inspiration giving understanding to man
- Several writers used neshamah to refer to the spirit of man, thus equating the spirit of man with the breath of God. Examples include Proverbs 20: 27 (The spirit 5397 of man [is] the candle the LORD);
CONCLUSION
We see that God’s breath is His Spirit which He breathed into man, thus imparting physical life. However, the Breath or Spirit of God expands beyond physical life and also refer to God’s understanding and the resulting spirit in man which came from God.
I still need to explore the remaining truths in Gen 2: 7 and will do so another time. Blessings!
