Meaning:

• Wind
• Breath
• Spirit

Noun. Occurs about 380 times in the Old Testament.

Though usually feminine, רוּחַ sometimes takes masculine verbs and adjectives, especially when referring to the Spirit of God (רוּחַ יְהוָה).

The plural רוּחוֹת often means winds rather than spirits.

The word רוּחַ (ruach) is a richly layered term with several interconnected meanings depending on context. It is one of the most theologically significant words in Scripture.

The root idea is movement of air, which naturally extends into several related senses:

• Wind – a literal breeze or storm (e.g., “wind of the sea” in Exodus 10:13plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigExodus 10:13
  
  Hebrew וַיֵּ֨ט מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶת מַטֵּהוּ֮ עַל אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֒ וַֽיהוָ֗ה נִהַ֤ג ר֥וּחַ קָדִים֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ כָּל הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא וְכָל הַלָּ֑יְלָה הַבֹּ֣קֶר הָיָ֔ה וְר֨וּחַ֙ הַקָּדִ֔ים נָשָׂ֖א אֶת הָאַרְבֶּֽה ESV So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts. καὶἐπῆρεντὴνῥάβδονεἰςτὸνοὐρανόνκαὶκύριοςἐπήγαγενἄνεμοννότονἐπὶτὴνγῆνὅληντὴνἡμέρα…
• Breath – the animating force in living beings (e.g., “the breath of life” in Genesis 6:17plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigGenesis 6:17
  
  Hebrew וַאֲנִ֗י הִנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אֶת הַמַּבּ֥וּל מַ֨יִם֙ עַל הָאָ֔רֶץ לְשַׁחֵ֣ת כָּל בָּשָׂ֗ר אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ֙ ר֣וּחַ חַיִּ֔ים מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר בָּאָ֖רֶץ יִגְוָֽע ESV For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. NIV I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in i…).
• Spirit – an invisible, life-giving, and personal force—whether human, angelic, or divine

So רוּחַ can refer to anything from a physical wind to the spiritual presence of God. The same Hebrew word thus bridges the natural and the supernatural—the air that moves the trees and the Spirit that moves hearts.

It is frequently paired with God or Yahweh, that is, The Spirit of God (רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים) and Spirit of the Lord (רוּחַ יְהוָה) are commonly found the Old Testament.

When applied to people, ruach refers to the inner life or disposition:

• Genesis 41:8plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigGenesis 41:8
  
  Hebrew וַיְהִ֤י בַבֹּ֨קֶר֙ וַתִּפָּ֣עֶם רוּח֔וֹ וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח וַיִּקְרָ֛א אֶת כָּל חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֶת כָּל חֲכָמֶ֑יהָ וַיְסַפֵּ֨ר פַּרְעֹ֤ה לָהֶם֙ אֶת חֲלֹמ֔וֹ וְאֵין פּוֹתֵ֥ר אוֹתָ֖ם לְפַרְעֹֽה ESV So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh. δὲπρωὶκαὶἐταράχθηἡψυχὴαὐτοῦκαὶἀποστείλαςἐκάλεσενπάνταςτοὺςΑἰγύπτουκαὶπάν… - Pharaoh’s spirit was troubled
• Proverbs 16:32plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigProverbs 16:32
  
  Hebrew ט֤וֹב אֶ֣רֶךְ אַ֭פַּיִם מִגִּבּ֑וֹר וּמֹשֵׁ֥ל בְּ֝רוּח֗וֹ מִלֹּכֵ֥ד עִֽיר ESV Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. NIV Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city. ἀνὴρἰσχυροῦὁδὲκρατῶνὀργῆςκαταλαμβανομένουπόλιν - A person who controls his spirit is better than one who conquers a city
• Ecclesiastes 12:7plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigEcclesiastes 12:7
  
  Hebrew וְיָשֹׁ֧ב הֶעָפָ֛ר עַל הָאָ֖רֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָ֑ה וְהָר֣וּחַ תָּשׁ֔וּב אֶל הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר נְתָנָֽהּ ESV and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. NIV and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. NLT καὶἐπιστρέψῃὁἐπὶτὴνγῆνὡςἦνκαὶτὸπνεῦμαἐπιστρέψῃπρὸςτὸνθεόνὃςἔδωκεναὐτό… - The spirit returns to God who gave it.

Here, spirit represents the non-material aspect of humans, their emotions, thoughts, and will.

The Spirit of the Lord (רוּחַ יְהוָה) is profoundly important:

• Genesis 1:2plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigGenesis 1:2
  
  Hebrew וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֨הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם ESV The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. NIV Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. ἡδὲγῆἦνἀόρατοςκαὶκαὶσκότοςἐπάνωτῆςἀβύσσουκαὶπνεῦμαθεοῦἐπεφέρετοἐπάνωτοῦὕ… - “The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”
• The Spirit of the LORD empowers prophets, judges, and kings, e.g. Judges 3:10plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigJudges 3:10
  
  Hebrew וַתְּהִ֨י עָלָ֥יו רֽוּחַ יְהוָה֮ וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֣ט אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיֵּצֵא֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וַיִּתֵּ֤ן יְהוָה֙ בְּיָד֔וֹ אֶת כּוּשַׁ֥ן רִשְׁעָתַ֖יִם מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֑ם וַתָּ֣עָז יָד֔וֹ עַ֖ל כּוּשַׁ֥ן רִשְׁעָתָֽיִם ESV The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. καὶἐπαὐτὸνπνεῦμακυρίουκαὶἔκρινεντὸνΙσραηλκαὶἐξῆλθενἐπὶτὸνπόλεμονκαὶπαρέδω…
• In Ezekiel 36:27plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigEzekiel 36:27
  
  Hebrew וְאֶת רוּחִ֖י אֶתֵּ֣ן בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑ם וְעָשִׂ֗יתִי אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר בְּחֻקַּי֙ תֵּלֵ֔כוּ וּמִשְׁפָּטַ֥י תִּשְׁמְר֖וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶֽם ESV And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. NIV And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. καὶτὸπνεῦμάμουδώσωἐνὑμῖνκαὶποιήσωἵναἐντοῖςδικαιώμασίνμουπορεύησθεκαὶτὰκρίματάμουφυλάξησθεκαὶποιήσητε… God promises, “I will put My Spirit within you.”

Here רוּחַ expresses God’s dynamic, personal presence and power - His life-giving energy that creates, inspires, and renews.

In the Greek Septuagint, רוּחַ is usually translated as πνεῦμα, carrying the same range of meanings: wind, breath, spirit. This continuity explains why in the New Testament, πνεῦμα is used for both the Holy Spirit and human spirit.

The word רוּחַ testifies to the living God who breathes life into creation and into His people. Just as God’s רוּחַ gave life to Adam (Genesis 2:7plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigGenesis 2:7

Hebrew וַיִּיצֶר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶת הָֽאָדָ֗ם עָפָר֙ מִן הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה וַיִּפַּ֥ח בְּאַפָּ֖יו נִשְׁמַ֣ת חַיִּ֑ים וַֽיְהִ֥י הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּֽה ESV 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. NIV the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. καὶἔπλασενὁθεὸςτὸνἄνθρωπονἀπὸτῆςγῆςκ…), so His Spirit gives new life to believers (Ezekiel 37 and John 3:8plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigJohn 3:8

Greek τὸ πνεῦμα ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ, καὶ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀκούεις, ἀλλ’ οὐκ οἶδας πόθεν ἔρχεται καὶ ποῦ ὑπάγει· οὕτως ἐστὶν πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος. ESV The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.“ NIV The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit…).

It reminds us that God’s presence is both powerful and personal, unseen yet active. It moves like the wind, revives what is dead, and empowers those who trust in Him.

In Biblical anthropology, both נֶפֶשׁ and רוּחַ are essential parts of human life, but they emphasize different dimensions:

• The word נֶפֶשׁ points to the whole living person - their emotions, appetites, and physical life. When Scripture says a “soul” is hungry or joyful, it refers to the person's lived experience in the body. In short, it is the the living self
• The word רוּחַ emphasizes the invisible breath that gives that self life and consciousness. It is what comes from God and returns to Him - the spiritual dimension that links humanity to the Creator. In short, it is the life-giving breath or spirit from God.

Thus, in biblical thought, humanity is both נֶפֶשׁ (a living being) and animated by רוּחַ (the Spirit or breath of God).