8The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
The Greek word that mean both “wind” and “spirit” (pneuma) in English allows for a number of word plays in the text of the New Testament, such as in John 3:8 and Acts 2:2 vs. Acts 2:4 (note that in the case of the example in Acts 2, two different words are used in Greek — pnoé and pneuma — but both come from the same root word).
Languages that have been able to maintain the word play — and, in the case of Acts 2 — strengthen it:
Another meaning of pnoé and pneuma in Acts 2 is “breath.” Which leads Iver Larsen to explain another translation solution: “I have been wondering why English versions translate the Greek word for breath pnoé with wind in Acts 2:2. The only other instance is in Acts 17:25: “Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath” (here and below New International Version). The verb pnéó means ‘blow’ and can be used for both a wind blowing and a puff of air from a person breathing on something or someone. Acts 2:2 is related to John 20:22: ‘And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.” A different verb is used, but semantically similar. I consider this as a foreshadowing or promise of Acts 2:2, so a connection would be nice to have. In Acts 2:2 I take the one breathing mightily on the disciples to be the resurrected Christ. Only after his resurrection could Jesus release the full power of the Spirit to the disciples. These verses are also connected to Genesis 2:7: ‘God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath (Septuagint: pnoé) of life.’ In Danish there is a close connection between “spirit” (ånd) and breath/breathe (ånde). So, in Acts 2:2 we [in The Bible in Everyday Danish, 2022] use the word ‘åndepust‘ which I cannot translate properly into English, but something like ‘puff of breath/spirit.'”
The 1985 French translation by Chouraqui, which uses souffle sacré or “sacred breath” for Holy Spirit, likewise uses souffle or “breath” in Acts 2:2 (source: Laurence Belling).
The Greek in John 3:8 that is translated as “the wind blows where it wills” or similar in English is translated in Umiray Dumaget Agta as “the wind goes where it naturally goes.” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125)
“It is unusual for anyone to seek out another at night unless it is desired to be kept secret. Betel nut and condiments are laid out to welcome the guest even at the late hour. Nicodemus’s robe and bared shoulder show he is a religious devotee.”
For more images by Sawai Chinnawong in TIPs see here.
The following 1973 painting “Nicodemus” of the JESUS MAFA project is a response to New Testament readings from the Lectionary by a Christian community in Cameroon, Africa. Each of the readings was selected and adapted to dramatic interpretation by the community members. Photographs of their interpretations were made, and these were then transcribed to paintings:
Here we see Jesus patiently teaching about the kingdom of God to a perplexed Nicodemus, whose hands are in a gesture of questioning. Nicodemus has, like so many before and since, gotten caught up in the literal and limited understanding of the scriptures. Jesus attempted to explain the nature of reality in different terms that thereby he (and we) might be transformed. The boundaries we place on ourselves can be escaped if only we are brave enough to venture beyond them. Shall we remain in the cover of night with Nicodemus or step into the light that Jesus offers?
From Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. Image retrieved March 23, 2026. Original source: librairie-emmanuel.fr.
Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:8:
Lalana Chinantec: “‘The wind blows just wherever it wants to. We hear the sound but we do not know where it comes from. We do not know where it is going. And that is what the person whom the great Spirit of God has caused to be alive is like. It is evident that he is alive, even though we do not know how it is that that has happened.’ That’s what Jesus said to Nicodemus.” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “For example wind, it blows wherever it goes. We just hear its rustling, we do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So also with a person who is born from/by the power of the Spirit of God.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “‘An example/a figure is the wind. The wind blows wherever it wants to. It is not known where the wind comes from or where it goes to but you hear it’s sound. Like that is also a person when he is born from the Spirit of God, it is not known as to how (it happens) but (that it is) true.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for the wind, it goes just any old where, and we can tell because we can hear its noise. But we cannot tell where it comes from or where it’s going. It is the same way also with the power of the Holy Spirit in a person who is born by means of his power because this cannot be understood by a mere person.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because even though the way it happens can not be understood, it happens nonetheless. It’s like the wind. We don’t know where-it-comes-from and where-it-goes, because what it does is up-to-it, but we feel-it nevertheless. It’s the same with all who are born by the Holy Spirit.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Consider this. The wind blows wherever it wishes. We can hear the rustle and see the movement of things it is blowing, like a sign of its strength. But we can’t see this wind. We don’t know where it is going and where it came from. Well, it’s like that indeed when someone is given birth to by the Espiritu Santo. For the work/activity of the Espiritu Santo, it’s just like the activity of the wind. We can’t control him and we can’t see him. We can only see natures/ways he has made new in people who have been given birth to again.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “You know that the wind goes anywhere it wants to go. You hear it blowing but you don’t know where it comes from or where it goes. In like manner the Holy Spirit who gives new life to people, you do not see.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-tama (御霊) or “Spirit (of God)” in the referenced verses.
Illustration by Horst Lemke (1922-1985) for the GermanGute Nachricht für Sie – NT68, one of the first editions of the Good News Bible in German of 1968. Lemke was a well-known illustrator who illustrated books by Erich Kästner , Astrid Lindgren and many others.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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