The Gender of the Holy Spirit in Hebrew and Greek Manuscripts

Matthew 1

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;

5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

John 14

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

The study of sacred manuscripts reveals that the gender and grammatical construction used to describe the Holy Spirit are rooted in specific linguistic laws that ensure divine truth is preservedARSH January 28, 1862, page 70.4+1.

The Hebrew Perspective: Ruach

In the Hebrew language, the word for spirit is ruach, which occurs 442 times in the Old TestamentSBBS 318.5. Grammatically, ruach is typically a feminine noun, though it is used to describe the "spirit of God" or the "spirit of man" as the vital principle of life residing in the breath Genesis 6:17+1SBBS 318.5+1. This term often signifies a breathing, a breath of air, or air in motionSBBS 318.5+1. It is through this Spirit that God made known His ways to Moses and instructed the children of IsraelPsa 103:7+1, Nehemiah 9:20.

The Greek and Latin Context: Matthew and John

While the Hebrew ruach is feminine, the Greek and Latin manuscripts provide different grammatical structures:

• Gender in Greek: In the New Testament, the word for spirit is pneuma, which is of the neuter genderSCSNT 5.2+1. However, the Holy Spirit is also identified as the Comforter, or the "Spirit of truth"TDOC 177.4+1.

• The Case of Matthew 28:1: In the Greek text of Matthew, the numeral adjective mian (first) is of the feminine genderARSH January 28, 1862, page 70.4+2. It cannot agree with sabbaton (Sabbath/week) because sabbaton is neuterGRFA 17.1+1. Therefore, it must agree with the latent feminine noun hemeran (day)SBBS 534.5+1.

• Translation into Latin: Historically, when Greek letters were sent to Rome, they were often translated into Latin for the benefit of the bishopsECE 129.3. In the Latin language, spiritus is used, and while early theologians like Tertullian elucidated these truths in Latin, they recognized the Spirit as a gentle and tender influence that should not be disturbed by human passionFACC 186.3+1.

The Plurality and Unity of God

The Hebrew Scriptures prepare the mind for the mystery of a plurality in the Godhead through the name ElohimHBS 217.1. Although Elohim is a plural noun, it is constantly joined with verbs and adjectives in the singular when referring to the one true GodHBS 217.1. This reflects the reality of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working in perfect unionHBS 217.1+1.

• The Act of Creation: In the beginning, the Spirit of God was present in the creation of man Genesis 2:7+1.

• The Promise of John 14: Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be sent from the Father as the Comforter and a teacher of truth John 14:12ST February 6, 1896, par. 3+1. This Spirit is the source of life in all its manifestations and is the agency through which the life of Christ is constantly imparted to the believerSBBS 318.1+1.

• The Baptismal Vow: Christians are baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, uniting them with the three great powers of heaven18LtMs, Lt 129, 1903, par. 10.

Summary Table of Terms and Gender

Term	Language	Gender	Reference
Ruach	Hebrew	Feminine	SBBS 318.5+1
Pneuma	Greek	Neuter	SCSNT 5.2+1
Mian	Greek (Numeral)	Feminine	GRFA 17.1+2
Sabbaton	Greek	Neuter	GRFA 8.3+2

The Holy Spirit is not merely an abstract force but a free, working, independent agency used by the God of heaven to transform human hearts into the divine image6MR 327.2+2. We are encouraged to open our hearts to this molding influence so that we may become better acquainted with God9LtMs, Lt 51, 1894, par. 21+1.

The use of the masculine pronoun "he" in English translations remains necessary because the spiritual reality of the Spirit transcends human gender, and the grammatical structure of the biblical text requires specific pronoun agreementsGRFA 17.1+1. While the Hebrew word for spirit, ruach, is feminine, the inspiration of the Almighty provides understanding that goes beyond mere linguistic labelsGCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.2+1.

The Grammar of Agreement

In the biblical languages, adjectives and pronouns must strictly agree with their nouns in gender, number, and caseGRFA 17.1+1.

• In the Greek of the New Testament, the word for spirit is pneuma, which is a neuter nounGRFA 7.2+1.

• However, when referring to the Comforter (Parakletos), the gender shifts to masculine, and the pronoun "he" is used to represent this specific role and personality John 14:26NWAD HE.2.

• Linguistic precision is so vital that a feminine adjective like mian (first) cannot agree with a neuter noun like sabbaton (Sabbath); it must agree with the latent feminine noun hemeran (day)SUGR 6.2+1.

Spiritual Agency and Personality

The Holy Spirit is Christ's representative, divested of the personality of humanity but acting as a distinct, independent agencyRH November 19, 1908, par. 3.

• The use of "he" emphasizes that the Spirit is not a "clod" or a "lump of earth," but a living entity that speaks, teaches, and makes intercessionGCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.2+2.

• Just as God made man "male and female" and called their name "Adam," the second Adam—Christ—includes all who are in Him, regardless of sex Genesis 5:1GCDB February 17, 1899, page 14.14.

• In the plan of salvation, the Spirit works in cooperation with humanity, and the pronouns "he" and "him" are often used in Scripture to refer to both the Father and the Son to preserve the sense of their shared Spirit and unityCHR 23.1+2.

The Meaning of "He" in Context

• A Functional Choice: In grammar, gender often serves as a distinction in words rather than a literal statement of biological sexNWAD GENDER.4.

• The Breath of Life: The Spirit is the "breath of the Almighty" that gives life to both men and women Job 33:4GCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.2.

• Reflecting the Source: Because the Spirit is both the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, masculine pronouns are used to maintain the relationship to the Father and the Son, from whom the Spirit proceedsCHR 23.1+1.

Ultimately, we are sanctified and justified by the Spirit of our God, who is near enough for us to feel His breath fanning our cheeksGCDB February 23, 1899, page 72.2+1. While human languages like Hebrew, Greek, and English use different gendered forms, the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, and peace—is the same for all who walk in that Spirit Galatians 5:22-25ARSH August 27, 1857, page 134.4.