Breathe and Spirit
By
Yochanan Ben Emek
There is a creation account in Bereshit/Genesis chapters 1-2. There is a resurrection account in Yehe’zqel/Ezekiel 37. Are they related to each other, is the Hebrew describing the same process or similar process? If it is not, then can we alternatively interpret Ezekiel 37 other than a literal resurrection? Is it a vision of the re-gathering of the House of Yisrael/Ephraim and the House of Yehudah.
Nashamah (nun-shin-mem-hey) which is a feminine noun. It is reference number 5397 and found on page 675 in the BDB. It is also found on page 849 in the NEHC. It is from the reference number 5795 nasham a verb.
Bereshit/Genesis 2:7
7 Yehovah Elohim formed man from the dust of the earth. He
blew into his nostrils the breath of life (nish’mat chayim), and man
became a living being (va yahiy ha’adam lenefesh chayah).
The first use of nashamah is the plural form which would be the breathes of life. At this point man becomes a nefesh chayah or living being/soul. But was man the only one with the breath of life?
Bereshit/Genesis 7:22
21 And all flesh that stirred on earth perished—birds, cattle, beasts, and all the things that swarmed upon the earth, and all mankind. 22 All in whose nostrils was the merest breath of life (nish’mat-ruach chayim), all that was on dry land, died. 23 All existence on earth was blotted out—man, cattle, creeping things, and birds of the sky; they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.
So we see that birds, cattle, beast, and swarming things
that where on the earth including mankind had a nish’mat-ruach chayim
(breath-spirit of life).
Devarim/Deuteronomy 20:16
15 Thus you shall deal with all towns that lie very far from
you, towns that do not belong to nations hereabout. 16 In the towns of the
latter peoples, however, which Yehovah Eloheykha is giving you as a heritage, you
shall not let a soul remain alive. (lo tachayeh kal-nashamah)
They are not to let live any one that breathes.
Yehoshua/Joshua 10:40
40 Thus Joshua conquered the whole country: the hill country, the Negeb, the Shephelah, and the slopes, with all their kings; he let none escape, but proscribed everything that breathed (kal-hanashamah)—as Yehovah, the Elohim of Israel, had commanded.
Yehoshua destroyed everything that breathed.
Yehoshua/Joshua 11:11,14
11 They proscribed and put to the sword every person in it.
Not a soul survived (kal-nashamah), and Hazor itself was burned
down. 12 Joshua captured all those royal cities and their kings. He put them to
the sword; he proscribed them in accordance with the charge of Moses, the
servant of Yehovah. 13 However, all those towns that are still standing on
their mounds were not burned down by Israel; it was Hazor alone that Joshua
burned down. 14 The Israelites kept all the spoil and cattle of the rest of
those cities as booty. But they cut down their populations with the sword until
they exterminated them; they did not spare a soul (kal-nashamah).
Kal-nashamah is all breathes. So all who breathe.
Shemuel Bet/2 Samuel 22:16
16 The bed of the sea was exposed, The foundations of the world were laid bare By the mighty roaring of Yehovah, At the blast of the breath (minish’mat ruach) of His nostrils.
From his Breathes (minish’mat) wind (ruach) of his nostrils.
Melekhim Aleph/I Kings 15:29
28 Baasha killed him in the third year of King Asa of Judah and became king in his stead. 29 As soon as he became king, he struck down all the House of Jeroboam; he did not spare a single soul (kal-nashamah) belonging to Jeroboam until he destroyed it—in accordance with the word that Yehovah had spoken through His servant, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite
All that breathes were killed.
Melekhim Aleph/I Kings 17:17 (17-23)
17 After a while, the son of the mistress of the house fell
sick, and his illness grew worse, until he had no breath (nashamah) left
in him. 18 She said to Elijah, “What harm have I done you, O man of Elohim,
that you should come here to recall my sin and cause the death of my son?” 19
“Give me the boy,” he said to her; and taking him from her arms, he carried him
to the upper chamber where he was staying, and laid him down on his own bed. 20
He cried out to Yehovah and said, “Yehovah my Elohim, will You bring calamity
upon this widow whose guest I am, and let her son die?” 21 Then he stretched
out over the child three times, and cried out to Yehovah, saying, “Yehovah my
Elohim, let this child’s life (nefesh hayeled) return to his body!” 22
Yehovah heard Elijah’s plea; the child’s life (nefesh hayeled) returned
to his body, and he revived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and brought him down
from the upper room into the main room, and gave him to his mother. “See,” said
Elijah, “your son is alive (chay).”
Here is a documented case of resurrection in the Tanakh. Yet, we see no reference to ruach here but nefesh hayeled or soul of boy. It does state in the beginning that no breath (nashamah) was in him. So breath (nashamah) had to return to him for him to live.
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 2:22
22 Oh, cease to glorify man, Who has only a breath (nashamah) in his nostrils! For by what does he merit esteem?
Man only has breath in him and is not to be esteemed.
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 42:5
5 Thus said Elohim Yehovah, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and what it brings forth, Who gave breath (nashamah) to the people upon it And life (varuach) to those who walk thereon:
Here the prophet of Yehovah states that those who have breath also have ruach/spirit. This was so from creation.
Dani’el/Daniel 10:17
17 How can this servant of my lord speak with my lord, seeing that my strength has failed and no spirit (vanashamah breath) is left in me?”
No breath is left in him in the sense of life.
Iyov/Job 27:3
3 As long as there is life (nish’matiy my breath) in me, And Elohim’s breath (varuach Elohim) is in my nostrils,
Breath is in Iyov he remains a live and Elohim’s ruach/spirit in him.
We can see that nashamah is used primarily to indicate the breath as in the breath of life. As it is indicated in Bereshit.
Next, lets look at the verb which this word is from. Reference number 5395 is nasham (nun-shin-mem). This is found on page 849 in the NEHC and page 675 in the BDB. There is only one reference for the verb. So looking in the BDB you will notice that the Syrian related word means breathe, blow. The Arabic related word means gently blow or pant as in the breathing of a woman.
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 42:14
14 “I have kept silent far too long, Kept still and restrained Myself; Now I will scream like a woman in labor, I will pant (‘eshom) and I will gasp.
What we see is that nashamah is the breath that made mankind and all animals. We even saw where several places it linked Ruach as spirit to the nashamah as breath. So what about Ruach? What does it mean and are these the two the same thing stated differently?
Let us first look at the verb which Ruach’s meaning would be derived. That is reference number 7306. Ruach (Resh-Vav-Chet) which is found in the BDB on page 926 and in the NEHC on page 1160. These are Hiphil Infinitive and Future tenses.
Shemot/Exodus 30:37
37 But when you make this incense, you must not make any in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be held by you sacred to Yehovah. Whoever makes any like it, to smell (laharuach) of it, shall be cut off from his kin.
The verb is used here to denote one who uses their sense of smell.
Shofetim/Judges 16:9
9 while an ambush was waiting in her room. Then she called out to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” Whereat he pulled the tendons apart, as a strand of tow comes apart at the touch (bahariycho smell) of fire. So the secret of his strength remained unknown.
At the sense of smell of fire the ropes come apart.
Yesha’yahu/Isaiah 11:3
3 He shall sense (vahariycho smell/breath) the truth by his reverence for Yehovah: He shall not judge by what his eyes behold, Nor decide by what his ears perceive.
He is able to discern, as one would smell something.
Bereshit/Genesis 8:21
21 Yehovah smelled (vayarach) the pleasing odor, and Yehovah said to Himself: “Never again will I doom the earth because of man, since the devisings of man’s mind are evil from his youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living being, as I have done.
Here we see that Yehovah smells the pleasant order of the offering.
Bereshit/Genesis 27:27
27 and he went up and kissed him. And he smelled (vayarach) his clothes and he blessed him, saying, “Ah, the smell (reyach 7381) of my son is like the smell (reyach 7381) of the fields that Yehovah has blessed.
Here we see that yarach a form of the verb ruach is shown again as smell in the case of smelling (sense of smell).
Vayiqra/Leviticus 26:31
31 I will lay your cities in ruin and make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not savor (ariyach) your pleasing odors.
Not smell the pleasing orders.
Devarim/Deuteronomy 4:28
28 There you will serve man-made Elohims of wood and stone, that cannot see or hear or eat or smell (yariychun).
The idol cannot smell an offering made to it.
Shemu’el Aleph/I Samuel 26:19
19 Now let my lord the king hear his servant out. If Yehovah has incited you against me, let Him be appeased (yarach to smell) by an offering; but if it is men, may they be accursed of Yehovah! For they have driven me out today, so that I cannot have a share in Yehovah’s possession, but am told, ‘Go and worship other Elohims.’
Yehovah will smell and accept the offering made.
Tehillim/Psalms 115:6
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see;
6 they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell (yariychun);
7 they have hands, but cannot touch, feet, but cannot walk; they can make no sound in their throats.
8 Those who fashion them, all who trust in them, shall become like them.
The idol is not the same as Yehovah as it is a made thing and not able to smell the offering even if it shows a nose.
The word Ruach which is the one most translated as spirit in the Tanakh. It is 7307 (Resh-Vav-Chet) which is the common usage of the word is found in the NEHC on pages 1160-1162 and the BDB on pages 924-926.
There are so many references to this word we will cover it by looking at them categorized in their usage. The reference to a spirit, wind, life breath, talent are all the same word used here. Since it comes from the verb form which is smell in the sense or sensing it.
Thus, as a spirit is something not touchable it becomes like the wind in some cases. It becomes the breath in other cases. It is the talent granted by Yehovah. It is a thing, which cannot be physically measured or touched. We will see that looking at the different usages that it is used for both literal and figurative language.
Bereshit/Genesis 1:2
2 the
earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a
wind from Elohim (varuach ‘elohim) sweeping over the water
This shows Ruach as wind but some translations translate it as Spirit of
Elohim.
Bereshit/Genesis 8:1
1 Elohim remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark, and Elohim caused a wind (ruach) to blow across the earth, and the waters subsided.
Here Yehovah causes a wind to flow over the water to cause it to subside.
Bereshit/Genesis 3:8
8 They heard the sound of the Adoni Yehovah moving about in the garden at the breezy time (laruach) of day; and the man and his wife hid from the Adoni Yehovah among the trees of the garden.
This is shown as ruach being wind.
Shemot/Exodus 10:13, 19
13 So Moses held out his rod over the land of Egypt, and Yehovah drove an east wind (ruach) over the land all that day and all night; and when morning came, the east wind had brought the locusts.
19 Yehovah
caused a shift to a very strong west wind (ruach), which lifted the
locusts and hurled them into the Sea of Reeds; not a single locust remained in
all the territory of Egypt.
Again, ruach shown as a wind from Yehovah.
Shemot/Exodus 14:21
21 Then Moses held out his arm over the sea and Yehovah drove back the sea with a strong east wind (baruach) all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground. The waters were split,
It was a wind from Yehovah from the east that caused the waters to separate for
the sea of reeds. It was a specific
wind that was not natural in that walls of water remained on each side of the
Yisraelim and the ground was dry to walk on.
Shemot/Exodus 15:8,10
8 At the blast (ubaruach) of Your nostrils the waters piled up, The floods stood straight like a wall; The deeps froze in the heart of the sea.
10 You made Your wind (baruachkha) blow, the sea covered them; They sank like lead in the majestic waters.
Here is the poem said by the people that recount the event that saved them from the Egyptians. Again it is used as wind.
Melekhim Aleph/I Kings 18:45
45 Meanwhile the sky grew black with clouds; there was wind (varuach), and a heavy downpour fell; Ahab mounted his chariot and drove off to Jezreel.
This is wind from a storm. Ruach is used again here for wind.
Melekhim Bet/2 Kings 3:17
17 For thus said Yehovah: You shall see no wind (ruach), you shall see no rain, and yet the wadi shall be filled with water; and you and your cattle and your pack animals shall drink.
Here wind again is used as what one would see from a storm. So you can see from these references that wind as something that is sensed but not able to touch is ruach.
Kohelet/Ecclesiastes 1:14, 17
14 I
observed all the happenings beneath the sun, and I found that all is futile and
pursuit of wind (ura’ut ruach).
17 And
so I set my mind to appraise wisdom and to appraise madness and folly. And I
learned—that this too was pursuit of wind (ra’yon ruach):
If you try to pursue wind to catch it you never can catch it. Thus, ruach used as wind but with ura’ut 7469 or striving and later with ra’yon as pursuit to form as idom.
Kohelet/Ecclesiastes 2:11, 17, 26
11 Then my thoughts turned to all the fortune my hands had built up, to the wealth I had acquired and won—and oh, it was all futile and pursuit of wind (ura’ut ruach); there was no real value under the sun!
17 And
so I loathed life. For I was distressed by all that goes on under the sun,
because everything is futile and pursuit of wind (ura’ut ruach).
26 To
the man, namely, who pleases Him He has given the wisdom and shrewdness to
enjoy himself; and to him who displeases, He has given the urge to gather and
amass—only for handing on to one who is pleasing to Elohim. That too is futile and
pursuit of wind (ura’ut ruach).
Again the idom pursuit of wind or ruach is shown as something futile.
Shemot/Exodus 28:3
3 Next
you shall instruct all who are skillful, whom I have endowed with the gift of skill (ruach hakh’mah spirit of wisdom),
to make Aaron’s vestments, for consecrating him to serve Me as priest.
Here Yehovah states that he has given individual ruach of wisdom /knowledge to make the vestments.
Shemot/Exodus 31:3
2 See,
I have singled out by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of
Judah. 3 I
have endowed him with a divine spirit of skill (ruach Elohim bahakmah),
ability (ubit’vunah), and knowledge (ubada’at) in every kind of craft; 4 to make
designs for work in gold, silver, and copper, 5 to cut stones for setting and to
carve wood—to work in every kind of craft.
This spirit of Elohim is one that gives talent of wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. It is not separate spirits but one that he grants skills and the ability to use them.
Shemot/Exodus 35:31
31 He has endowed him with a divine spirit of skill (ruach Elohim bahakh’mah), ability (bit’vunah), and knowledge (ubada’at) in every kind of craft.
Here we see again like before the spirit of Elohim as a something not being able to be grasped but coming from Yehovah it gives talent to those he desires to grant it to.
Devarim/Deuteronomy 34:9
9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom (ruach hakh’mah) because Moses had laid his hands upon him; and the Israelites heeded him, doing as Yehovah had commanded Moses.
When Moshe laid hands on Yehoshua/Joshua he was granted the wisdom to lead the people.
We see that as defined as a spirit it is something granted to the individual.
Ruach as Spirit of Attitude or Emotion (both voluntary
and involuntary)
Bereshit/Genesis 41:8
8 Next morning, his spirit (rucho) was agitated, and he sent for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men; and Pharaoh told them his dreams, but none could interpret them for Pharaoh.
Spirit is used here but used in a way to express one’s attitude or state of mind.
Bereshit/Genesis 45:27
27 But when they recounted all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit (ruach) of their father Jacob revived.
Here the spirit of Yaqqov is revived by the idea of his son being alive.
Bamidbar/Numbers 14:24
24 But My servant Caleb, because he was imbued with a different spirit (ruach) and remained loyal to Me—him will I bring into the land that he entered, and his offspring shall hold it as a possession.
Calev had a different spirit in that he remained loyal to Yehovah and was willing to go up in the land.
Ezra 1:1,5
1 In
the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, when the word of Yehovah spoken by
Jeremiah was fulfilled, Yehovah roused the spirit (ruach) of King Cyrus
of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his realm by word of mouth and in
writing as follows:
Yehovah roused King Cyrus to action. So
it is shown here as ones spirit being roused or another way of saying he put
desire in him to act.
5 So
the chiefs of the clans of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites, all
whose spirit (rucho) had been roused by Elohim, got ready to go up to
build the House of Yehovah that is in Jerusalem.
Yehovah put within then the desire to build up the House of Yehovah.
Yehe’zqel/Ezekiel 21:12
12 And
when they ask you, “Why do you sigh?” answer, “Because of the tidings that have
come.” Every heart shall sink and all hands hang nerveless; every spirit
(ruach) shall grow faint and all knees turn to water because of the tidings
that have come. It is approaching, it shall come to pass—declares the Adoni
Yehovah.
Everyone spirit goes faint is like saying everyone losses the heart to continue.
Shemu’el Aleph/I Samuel 16:14-16
14 Now
the spirit (ruach) of Yehovah had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit
(ruach) from Yehovah began to terrify him. 15 Saul’s courtiers said to him,
“An evil spirit (ruach) of Elohim is terrifying you. 16 Let
our lord give the order [and] the courtiers in attendance on you will look for
someone who is skilled at playing the lyre; whenever the evil spirit (ruach)
of Elohim comes over you, he will play it and you will feel better.”
The spirit from Yehovah taken from Shaul. At that time did he realize what was happening and that he was losing the kingdom. The spirit from Elohim is one of worry, anxiety, fear. We see this from the actions of Shaul in the pursuit of David.
Bamidbar/numbers 5:14,30
14 but
a fit [spirit - ruach] of jealousy comes over him and he is wrought up
about the wife who has defiled herself; or if a fit [spirit - ruach] of
jealousy comes over one and he is wrought up about his wife although she has
not defiled herself
29 This
is the ritual in cases of jealousy, when a woman goes astray while married to
her husband and defiles herself, 30 or
when a fit [spirit - ruach] of jealousy comes over a man and he is
wrought up over his wife: the woman shall be made to stand before Yehovah and
the priest shall carry out all this ritual with her.
A spirit of Jealousy is in a sense a state of mind like that of the evil spirit that vexed Shaul.
Tehillim/Psalms 51:12, 14, 19
12 Fashion
a pure heart for me, O Elohim; create [renew] in me a steadfast spirit
(ruach).
14 Let
me again rejoice in Your help; let a vigorous (willing) spirit (ruach)
sustain me.
19 True sacrifice to Elohim is a contrite spirit (ruach); Elohim, You will not despise a contrite and crushed heart.
In this poetic form, we see spirit (ruach) applied to the attributes of steadfast, willing, and contrite. The desire of the writer is using ruach as an innermost desire that these attributes be applied to him.
Ruach as life breath (another term for spirit)
Bereshit/Genesis 6:17
17 “For My part, I am about to bring the Flood—waters upon the earth—to destroy all flesh under the sky in which there is breath of life (ruach chayim); everything on earth shall perish.
Ruach Chayim would literally be spirit/wind of life. So in using breath does this become a idom.
Bereshit/Genesis 7:15, 22
15 They
came to Noah into the ark, two each of all flesh in which there was breath
of life (ruach chayim).
22 All
in whose nostrils was the merest breath of life (ruach chayim), all that
was on dry land, died.
The breath of life here in the above verse is the same as the previous.
Tehillim/Psalms 33:6
6 By the word of Yehovah the heavens were made, by the breath (ubaruach) of His mouth, all their host.
Here again we see ruach used as breath. Literally it would be like saying the spirit/wind of his mouth. Since spirit of his mouth does not express what the writer wanted the idea of breath would be from blowing or breath of the wind from his mouth.
Kohelet/ Ecclesiastes 3:19,21
19 For in respect of the fate of man and the fate of beast, they have one and the same fate: as the one dies so dies the other, and both have the same lifebreath (ruach); man has no superiority over beast, since both amount to nothing. 20 Both go to the same place; both came from dust and both return to dust. 21 Who knows if a man’s lifebreath (ruach) does rise upward and if a beast’s breath (ruach) does sink down into the earth?
Both man and animal have the same spirit. There is no difference between them.
Kolelet/ Ecclesiastes 8:8
8 No man has authority over the lifebreath (baruach)—to hold back the lifebreath (haruach); there is no authority over the day of death. There is no mustering out from that war; wickedness is powerless to save its owner.
Man also does not have authority over death. We all one day die.
Yesha’yahu/Isaiah 42:5
5 Thus said Elohim Yehovah, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and what it brings forth, Who gave breath (nashamah) to the people upon it And life (ruach) to those who walk thereon:
Breathing into them he gave people the spirit.
Tehillim/Psalms 146:4
4 His breath (ru’cho) departs; he returns to the dust; on that day his plans come to nothing.
Here as spirit leaves man he dies and eventually becomes dust.
Bamidbar/Numbers 16:22
22 But they fell on their faces and said, “O Elohim, Source of the breath (haru’chot) of all flesh! When one man sins, will You be wrathful with the whole community?”
The spirits of all flesh. It appears to be a way of acknowledging that he gave spirit to all flesh.
Bamidbar/Numbers 27:16
12 “Let Yehovah, Source of the breath (haru’chot) of all flesh, appoint someone over the community
The maker of all flesh and giver of all life.
Yesha’yahu/Isaiah 63: 10,11
10 But they rebelled, and grieved His holy spirit (ruach qad’sho); Then He became their enemy, And Himself made war against them. 11 Then they remembered the ancient days, Him, who pulled His people out [of the water]: “Where is He who brought them up from the Sea Along with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put In their midst His holy spirit (ruach qad’sho),
Yehovah is the holy spirit who is referenced here.
Tehillim/Psalms 51:13
13 Do not cast me out of Your presence, or take Your holy spirit (varuach qad’shakha) away from me.
This is David asking that after the instance with Bathsheva that he not lose contact with him and Yehovah’s spirit as given to him as his anointing.
Yehe’zqel/Ezekiel 11:19
18 I will give them one heart and put a renewed spirit (varuach) in them; I will remove the heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh,
A renewed spirit is given to them and they may follow Yehovah.
Yehe’zqel/Ezekiel 18:31
31 Cast away all the transgressions by which you have offended, and get yourselves a renewed heart and a renewed spirit (ruach), that you may not die, O House of Israel.
Here Elohim’s people are told to go get a renewed heart and spirit. They could go out and start keeping his mitzvoth.
Yehe’zqel/Ezekiel 36:26
26 And I will give you a renewed heart and put a renewed spirit (ruach) into you: I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh;
Yehovah says that in the future we will give them the
renewed heart and spirit. This is in
contrast with what we read before.
Bereshit/Genesis 1:2
2 the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind (varuach) from Elohim sweeping over the water.
This could be a spirit of Elohim going over the water. Since we have seen that it could be either wind or spirit both would work here.
Bereshit/Genesis 6:3
3 Yehovah said, “My breath (ruchiy my spirit) shall not abide in man forever, since he too is flesh; let the days allowed him be one hundred and twenty years.”
The text actually read “And said Yehovah, not shall strive my spirit with man to all time in their erring”. This gives a different feeling to the text. Does it mean that he limits his spirit in man or that he will not put in an extended effort working with man?
Bereshit/Genesis 41:38
38 And Pharaoh said to his courtiers, “Could we find another like him, a man in whom is the spirit of Elohim (ruach Elohim)?”
Pharaoh felt that Yosef had a divine spirit in him to do what he did.
Bamidbar/Numbers 24:2
2 As Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the spirit of Elohim (ruach Elohim)came upon him.
Yehovah caused himself to influence him. So that he would only bless the children of Yisrael.
Shofetim/Judges 3:10
9 The Israelites cried out to Yehovah, and Yehovah raised a champion for the Israelites to deliver them: Othniel the Kenizzite, a younger kinsman of Caleb. 10 The spirit of Yehovah (ruach Yehovah) descended upon him and he became Israel’s chieftain. He went out to war, and Yehovah delivered King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram into his hands. He prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim,
The spirit of Yehovah is given to the leaders of Yisrael.
Shemu’el Aleph/I Samuel 10:6, 10
6 The
spirit of Yehovah (ruach Yehovah) will grip you, and you will speak in
ecstasy along with them; you will become another man.
10 And
when they came there, to the Hill, he saw a band of prophets coming toward him.
Thereupon the spirit of Elohim (ruach Elohim) gripped him, and he spoke
in ecstasy among them.
The spirit of Yehovah is placed upon prophets and they speak His words. In this case if was a young Shaul before he was King.
Shemu’el Aleph/I Samuel 11:6
6 When he heard these things, the spirit of Elohim (Ruach Elohim) gripped Saul and his anger blazed up.
The spirit of Elohim caused Shaul to
act.
Shemu’el Aleph/I Samuel 16:13
13 Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of Yehovah (ruach Yehovah) gripped David from that day on. Samuel then set out for Ramah.
Here David is anointed King and Yehovah’s spirit comes upon him. Just like Yehoshua, Shaul, Othniel the Kenizzite, and other leaders
What we have seen is that nashamah is breath and ruach is spirit/wind. So the point of all this is that we can examine creation account as found in Bereshit/Genesis 1-2 and compare that to the Yehe’zqel/Ezekiel 37:1-14, and Yesha’yahu/Isaiah 26:9,18. We know from our study that ruach and nahsamah are related in the Bereshit/Genesis 7:22. Yet, is Ezekiel 37 a resurrection account or can there be another interpretation.
Bereshit/Genesis 2:7
7 Yehovah Elohim formed man from the dust of the earth. He
blew into his nostrils the breath of life (nish’mat chayim), and man
became a living being (va yahiy ha’adam lenefesh chayah).
Notice that the breath is from nashamah not ruach. So the method of causing man to live at first was the nashamah chayim to be blown into him.
Bereshit/Genesis 7:22
21 And all flesh that stirred on earth perished—birds, cattle, beasts, and all the things that swarmed upon the earth, and all mankind. 22 All in whose nostrils was the merest breath of life (nish’mat-ruach chayim), all that was on dry land, died. 23 All existence on earth was blotted out—man, cattle, creeping things, and birds of the sky; they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.
Here we see the breath spirit is in man and all animals. Ruach as spirit is a life force.
Yehe’zqel/Ezekiel 37:9
9 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath (haruach - the spirit), prophesy, O mortal! Say to the breath (haruach - the spirit): Thus said the Adoni Yehovah: Come, O breath (haruach – the spirit), from the four winds (ruchot), and breathe (ufachay 5301) into these slain, that they may live again.”
Four corners is a similar concept of like the four winds (ruach). The same word for winds is the plural of ruach. The reason I believe it is winds and not spirit here is that how would “the spirit” come from four spirits.
Also, did Yehovah breath into man or was it the Spirit as stated here. Thus, the method of creation or recreation is different here.
Yesha’yahu/Isaiah 11:11-12
11 In that day, Adoni will apply His hand again to redeeming the other part of His people from Assyria—as also from Egypt, Pathros, Nubia, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coastlands. 12 He will hold up a signal to the nations And assemble the banished of Israel, And gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.
We can see in other
parts of the Tanakh where dried bones are from other than death.
Mishlei/Proverbs
17:22
22 A joyful heart makes for good health; Despondency dries up the bones.
Which matches the verse in Ezekiel 37:11
11 And He said to me, “O mortal, these bones are the whole House of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone; we are doomed.’
So it could be that this prophecy talks of the despondency of the whole house of Israel that they feel without hope of ever returning to the land. When it says “they say” that is a clue to me that these are not truly dead individuals talking. As taken from Yesha’yahu’s account of Hezekiah poem the dead know nothing nor do they speak.
Yesha’yahu 38:18
18 For it is not Sheol that praises You, Not [the Land of] Death that extols You;
Nor do they who descend into the Pit Hope for Your grace.
19 The living, only the living Can give thanks to You As I do this day; Fathers relate to children Your acts of grace:
So my conclusion is that the Ezekiel account of the dried bones can be alternatively be interpreted as metaphorically as the state of Yisrael in exile. They being without hope (despondent). The restoring from the graves is the taking from the four winds (ruach) and gathering them and placing hope back into them as represented as the spirit (haruach).
We have also seen that ruach is spirit/wind as something which is sensed. Specially since the verb is “to smell’ which is to say to sense. Thus, spirit and wind both being similar in they are not touchable and both can be felt or sensed. Neither can be captured or held. The account of creation is specifically from nashamah, which was breath. We see that the result of that breath was that men and beasts become nefesh chayim (living souls). The spirit from Yehovah or Elohim is given to the leaders and prophets or even to the skilled craftmen to increase their abilities.
All this being said, please don’t think that I am saying there will be no resurrection. In Daniel 12:2 it refers to a resurrection. Yesha’yahu 26:18-19 also talks of the dead awakening.