πνέω (pneō)
pneō
to blow
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb pneō simply means to blow or to breathe, describing the physical movement of air. In the New Testament, it appears seven times, primarily in the Gospels and Revelation, where it characterizes the wind’s action. For instance, Jesus uses it to describe how a storm can batter a house built on sand (Matthew 7:25), and Luke records its use when sailors judge weather by the direction of the wind (Luke 12:55).
This word carries significant theological weight in John 3:8, where Jesus compares the Spirit’s work to the wind. He notes that while you can hear it blowing, you cannot see where it comes from or goes. The term captures this invisible, powerful force, linking the natural phenomenon of air movement with the mysterious activity of God. It is a root word that grounds abstract spiritual concepts in tangible physical reality.
Translators typically render pneō as "blow" when referring to wind, preserving the directness of the Greek. The sources highlight its use in Acts 27:40, where sailors let the ship drift with the breeze. This usage underscores the word’s focus on the natural motion of air, whether it is a gentle current or a destructive gale, serving as a vivid metaphor for unseen divine power.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word pneō describes the simple, physical act of blowing air. In the New Testament, it appears seven times, mostly in the Gospels and Revelation, to describe the wind’s movement. Jesus uses this image in John 3:8 to explain the Holy Spirit. He says the wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound but cannot see its origin or destination. This comparison helps us understand that God’s work is real and powerful, even when we cannot trace every step of it.
Seeing this word in Scripture reminds us that faith does not require seeing everything to believe. Just as sailors once watched the wind to gauge the sea, we can trust the invisible guidance of God. The same force that calms storms or drives ships also moves in our lives. We do not need to control the breeze; we only need to trust the One who sends it.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- blew2×
- may blow1×
- is blowing,1×
- blows,1×
- blowing [wind]1×
- blowing1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἔπνευσαν2×
- πνέῃ1×
- πνέοντος1×
- πνέοντα,1×
- πνεῖ,1×
- πνεούσῃ1×
Key Verses
-
John 3:8
The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Jesus uses this verb to illustrate how the Spirit moves with divine freedom, audible but unseen.
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Matthew 7:25
The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.
The winds blow against the house built on sand, showing how external pressures test weak foundations.
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Luke 12:55
When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens.
The south wind blows to bring heat, illustrating how natural signs often predict immediate weather changes.