"The basic idea of rual (Gr. pneuma) is air in motion," from air which cannot come between a crocodile's scales (Job 41:16 (H 8]) to the blast of a storm (Isa 25:4; Hab 1: 11 ASV, RSV). The "four winds," ruhot, describe the four quarters or four directions of the world (Jer 49:36; Ezk 37:9). In living beings the ruah is their breath, whether of animals (Gen 7:15; Ps 104:25, 29), men (Isa 42:5; Ezk 37:5), or both (Gen 7:22-23); whether inhaled (Jer 2:24) or on the lips (Isa 11:4; cf. Job 9:18; contrast dead idols, Jer 10:14; 51:17). God creates it: "The ruah "spirit" [s] of God (from God) is in my nostrils" (Job 27:3)." ... "Ruah comes finally to denote the entire immaterial consciousness of man: "With my spirit within me I will seek you earnestly" (Isa 26:9);'a wise man "rules his spirit" (Prov 16:32; cf. Dan 5:20), and "in his spirit there is no guile" (Ps 32:2). While the OT generally treats man as a whole (see nepesh -soul," often rendered simply as "self"), it also recognizes his essential dualism (A. B. Davidson, The Theology of the OT, P. 202). Flesh and spirit combine to form the "self," so that while man may be said to have a Ruah he is a nepesh (yet he is sometimes said to possess a nepesh, which departs from his body at death). The Ruah is contained with its bodily nidneh 'sheath' (Dan 7:15, Aramaic; cf. Zech 12; 1). At death the body returns to dust, but the immortal spirit returns to God who gave it (Gen 3:19; Eccl 12:7). In this regard ruah and nepesh, here meaning distinctly "soul," tend to overlap (Job 7:11 Isa 26:9; cf. Ex 6:9 with Num 21:4; RTWB, P. 234). This differs from liberal theology, which tends to limit ruah to an impersonal vital power that becomes individualized only in the nepesh. Thus it claims that the soul cannot exist independently of the body, i.e. that when the ruah or ,-Power" departs (Eccl 12:7), the person ceases. to exist (L. Kdhler, Old Testament Theology, p. 145, opposed by Davidson, op. cit., pp. 200-201). Yet both nepesh and ruah may leave the body at death and exist in a state separate from it'(Gen 35:K Ps 86:13; cf. I Kgs 17:22 on the rare case of a soul's return to its body). On a higher plane, ruah may then designate a supernatural, angelic being, "a spirit from God" (I Sam 16:23, NASB). The function may be revelatory (Job 4:16[?]; cf. Zech 1:9, 19 [H 1:9; 2:21, mal'ak, q.v). Or, appropriately, God might have his angels serve as ruhot "winds" (Ps 104:4, not "spirits"; Heb 1:7) or fire (cf. I Kgs 19:11-12). Satan is -the great, accusing spirit" (I Kgs 22:2 1). Other evil spirits could fall upon men, as decreed by God (I Sam 16:14 18: 10; 19:9). The preeminent example of spiritual personality is God (Isa 31:3). Ruah can exhibit a range of meaning. The "breath" of God may be a strong wind (Isa 40:7; 59:19; cf. Num 11:31). His "spirit" may indicate no more than active power or mood Isa 40:13, "Who hath directed the spirit [intention] of the Lord?" or, "who has known the mind [intention] of the Lord," SO Lxx and I Cor 2:16). At most points, however, context approves and the analogy of the NT strongly suggests that the ruah YHWH is the Holy Spirit, "in the fullest Christian sense" (Theological Workbook of the Old Testament, R. Laird Harris, Vol 2, page 836-7)

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Written By Steve Rudd, Used by permission at: www.bible.ca