Modern Summary of Abbott-Smith’s Lexicon (1922)
The word "πνεῦμα" (pneuma) primarily refers to "spirit," "breath," or "wind." It can describe physical phenomena like wind or breath, the vital principle of life, or the human spirit, often contrasted with the body, flesh, or soul. Additionally, it is used to denote incorporeal beings such as angels, demons, or the Holy Spirit, with nuances depending on context, including disposition, influence, or divine operations.
spirit; the Spirit, the Holy Spirit
The Greek word pneyma fundamentally means "spirit; the Spirit, the Holy Spirit." It is translated in the KJV as "ghost", "life", "spirit", "mind", reflecting its range of use in Scripture.
Acts as a root form within the "from G4154 (πνέω);" word family, giving rise to related terms across Scripture.
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
In the New Testament, pneyma appears in passages such as John 4:24. The variety of contexts in which pneyma appears reveals that its meaning is not confined to a single usage but expands across different literary and theological settings.
Its Hebrew parallel is רוּחַ (rûwach), revealing shared conceptual ground across the biblical languages. Thematically connected words include ζωή (zōē).
The semantic range of pneyma — spanning meanings like ghost, life, spirit — suggests a word whose full significance cannot be captured by a single English term. As part of the "from G4154 (πνέω);" word family, this term connects to a broader network of related concepts in biblical thought.
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Lexical data derived from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. See full disclaimer
Word DNA
Origin
This word acts as a root form.
Word Family
from G4154 (πνέω);Key Connections
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Meaning Layers
This word carries distinct senses across different contexts.
How This Word Behaves
Selected distinct patterns of usage found in Scripture.
Scripture Occurrences
Selected verses where this word appears in the KJV.
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"
"But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."
"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:"
Connection Map
Nearest neighbors in the lexical network.
Compare This Word
Explore how pneyma relates to similar or contrasting biblical words.
רוּחַ
rûwach
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)
ζωή
zōē
life (literally or figuratively)
Spirit, Life & Light Cluster
Words that share the same theological orbit.
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רוּחַ
rûwach
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)
ζωή
zōē
life (literally or figuratively)
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