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)
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.
In this verse there is a play on words which comes through in Greek or in Hebrew but is difficult to bring out in English. In Greek, as in Hebrew, the same word may mean either wind or “spirit.” In this context wind is the primary comparison, and so Good News Translation and most other translations render it in that way. Some translations add a footnote, indicating that the word for wind may also mean “spirit” (Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, New American Bible, Zürcher Bibel).
Here, as in verse 6, Jesus is speaking in parables. He is drawing an analogy between something that happens in this world (the freedom of the wind to blow where it will), and what happens in the realm where God’s Spirit operates (the freedom of the Spirit to give spiritual birth to whomever he will).
In some languages it may be impossible to speak of an inanimate force (“wind”) as “wishing.” The closest equivalent may be “The wind blows in any and all directions” or “The wind blows now in one direction and then in another direction.” In some receptor languages an equivalent phrase would be “You never know from what direction the wind will be blowing.”
Some languages have no noun for “wind” but only a verb “to blow,” which refers to the movement of air through the atmosphere. The equivalent expression in such instances would be “There is blowing in any and all directions.”
It is not even possible in some languages to speak of “the wind making a sound.” The wind moves objects or comes in contact with objects and the objects make a noise. Note also that it is the wind that “comes” and “blows” and not the sound; but it may not be possible to speak of a wind coming or going, if such verbs are restricted to the movement of animate objects. An equivalent may be “You do not know from where it is blowing or to where it is blowing.”
It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit may be rendered “This is just what happens with everyone to whom the Spirit gives birth,” but it may be important to use a verb meaning “rebirth” or “gives new life to.” Otherwise, the reference might be understood to be to some malevolent spirit giving supernatural birth to a person. The use of the fuller phrase “Holy Spirit” may remove this possible misinterpretation.
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
The wind blows where it wishes…So it is with everyone born of the Spirit: This is a comparison. The action of the Holy Spirit is first described in a metaphor as The wind blowing. Then the metaphor is explained. Here are ways that the Spirit can be compared to The wind :
(a) Both come and go freely.
(b) No one knows where they will come from or where they will go.
(c) However, there is evidence that they are active and change or affect things or people.
Here are other ways to translate this comparison:
⌊Even though people cannot understand how someone is born again, it still happens.⌋ It is like the wind. We do not know where it comes from and where it goes, because it decides where it goes, but we hear it anyway. It’s the same with all who are born by the Holy Spirit. -or-
The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit. (New Living Translation (2004))
In some languages you may want to reverse these parts of the verse. See the General Comment after 3:8d.
wind…Spirit: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wind here refers to the movement of air. In Greek (and Hebrew) the words for wind and Spirit /“spirit” are the same. So in the original Greek this comparison involved a play on words (using a word with more than one meaning). In most languages it will not be possible to translate this play on words. However, a footnote may help by saying that in Greek the words for wind and Spirit are the same.
3:8a
The wind blows where it wishes: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wishes is more literally “wants.” In some languages, people cannot say that the wind wants or chooses something. So it may be necessary to translate this clause a different way. For example:
The wind blows anywhere/freely. -or-
No one tells the wind where to blow.
3:8b
You hear its sound: This is part of the metaphor or comparison. People hear the noise the wind makes when it blows, as it affects things in the world. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
you can hear the wind (New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
You can hear its sound (New Jerusalem Bible) -or-
you hear the sound it makes (NET Bible)
You: The singular pronoun You here is indefinite and does not refer to any particular person. In some languages it may be more natural to say:
One hears its sound -or-
People hear its sound
3:8c
but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going: In your translation, you should probably use the same subject (in the Berean Standard Bibleyou) that you used in 3:8b. So if you followed one of the last examples in 3:8b, here are ways to translate this clause:
but no one can tell where it comes from or where it is going -or-
but people do not know where it came from or where it goes
or: People do not know either the source or the destination (place it goes to) of the wind. Both are unknown. So in some languages it may be natural to translate or as “and.” For example:
but do not know where it comes from and where it is going (NET Bible)
General Comment on 3:8b–c
The verbs “you hear” and “you do not know” are both active. However, the subject is indefinite. So in some languages it may be more natural to use a passive verb for one or both of these verbs. For example:
Its sound is heard, but its source and destination are unknown.
3:8d
So it is with everyone born of the Spirit: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So it is means “in the same way.” This sentence compares the way the wind blows to the way God changes people. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
It is like that with people to whom God’s Spirit gives new life. -or-
The same is also true with a person who is born from/by ⌊the power of⌋ the Spirit of God.
everyone born of the Spirit: This is a passive expression. There are at least two ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
everyone who is born from the Spirit (Revised English Bible)
• Use an active verb. For example:
everyone to whom the ⌊Holy⌋ Spirit gives new birth/life
the Spirit: As in 3:5c, this refers to God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit.
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