ἀήρ G0109
Air, the atmosphere; the lower region surrounding the earth, sometimes with spiritual connotations.
Denotes the air or atmosphere — the invisible medium surrounding earthly life. In classical Greek it originally meant mist or haze (distinguished from the bright upper 'aither'), but by the NT period it had broadened to mean simply 'air.' Paul uses it both literally and with theological weight: in Eph 2:2 Satan is 'the ruler of the authority of the air,' investing the atmosphere with spiritual menace, while in 1 Thess 4:17 believers meet the Lord 'in the air.' In 1 Cor 9:26 and 14:9, it appears in idioms — 'beating the air' and 'speaking into the air' — for futile action.
Senses
1. air — The air or atmosphere as the physical medium surrounding earth-bound life. Spanish 'aire,' French 'air,' and German 'Luft' all confirm a single basic sense. Yet the NT invests this everyday word with remarkable range: in Eph 2:2 it becomes the realm of demonic authority ('the prince of the power of the air'); in 1 Thess 4:17 it is the meeting place of the eschatological rapture; in 1 Cor 9:26 'beating the air' is a metaphor for purposeless exertion; and in Acts 22:23 the crowd throws dust 'into the air' in fury. Despite these varied contexts, the underlying referent — the atmospheric space — remains constant. 7×
AR["الهَواءِ", "الهَوَاءُ", "الْهَوَاءِ", "هَواءً", "هَواءٍ", "هَواءِ"]·ben["আকাশে", "বাতাসকে", "বাতাসে", "বায়ু", "বায়ু-র", "বায়ুতে"]·DE["Luft", "ἀέρα"]·EN["air"]·FR["air"]·heb["אֲוִיר", "הָאֲוִיר"]·HI["वअयु", "वअयुमन्दल", "वायु", "हवा"]·ID["udara", "udara,", "udara."]·IT["aera", "aeros", "aria", "aēr"]·jav["awang-awang.", "awang-awang;", "hawa", "hawa,"]·KO["공기", "공기가", "공기의,", "공중에서", "공중으로", "허공", "허공을"]·PT["ar", "ar,", "os-ares"]·RU["воздух", "воздух;", "воздуха,"]·ES["aire"]·SW["hewa", "hewa;", "na"]·TR["hava", "havanin", "havaya", "havayı dövüyorum", "konuşanlar"]·urd["ہوا"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀήρ, ἀέρος, Refs 8th c.BC+; Ionic dialect nominative ἠήρ Refs 5th c.BC+; Aeolic dialect αὐήρ Refs 5th c.BC+; Doric dialect ἀβήρ (i.e. ἀϜήρ) Refs 8th c.BC+ always mist, haze, not (as Refs 3rd c.BC+ lower air (opposed to αἰθήρ, which see); [ἐλάτη] μακροτάτη πεφυυῖα δι᾽ ἠέρος αἰθέρ᾽ ἵκανενRefs 8th c.BC+; rare in Prose, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 later, generally, air, Anaxim.1, Refs 5th c.BC+; πρὸς τὸν ἀέρα…