Word study · Greek
emphysaō
to breathe on
Say it: em-foo-SAH-oh (approximate)
ἐμφυσάω
What it means
To breathe into or on. John says Jesus "breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" (20:22). It is the verb used in the Greek Old Testament for God breathing the breath of life into Adam (Genesis 2:7) and in Ezekiel 37:9. It appears only here in the New Testament.
Open question Debated
How John 20:22 relates to Pentecost in Acts 2, and what it means to forgive or retain sins in 20:23, are debated.
Range of meaning
- Breathe onBlow breath onto.
- Breathe intoImpart life.
In John
- Chapter 20
"He breathed on them" (20:22).
Every verse (1)
Verses where G1720 is tagged in the Hebrew text: STEPBible Data (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. About our sources