πνέω G4154
To blow (of wind); describes the movement of air or wind, sometimes with symbolic overtones.
The basic Greek verb for the blowing of wind, used throughout the NT of natural atmospheric phenomena with occasional theological depth. In the parable of the two builders, it is the wind that 'blew' against each house (Matt 7:25, 27). Most memorably, Jesus tells Nicodemus that the wind 'blows where it wishes' (John 3:8), using the physical reality of wind as an analogy for the Spirit's sovereign movement — a wordplay made possible by the double meaning of pneuma. Spanish 'sopla,' French 'souffler,' and German 'wehen' all denote wind-blowing, confirming a single concrete sense.
Senses
1. blow (of wind) — To blow, of wind or air in motion — describes the natural phenomenon of wind blowing, applied both to storm narratives and to theological metaphor. In Matt 7:25 and 7:27, destructive winds 'blow' against houses in Jesus' parable. In John 3:8, the verb carries rich double meaning: the wind 'blows where it wishes,' paralleling the Spirit's unseen sovereign movement (exploiting the pneuma/pneo cognate relationship). In John 6:18 and Acts 27:40 it describes dangerous nautical winds. The cross-linguistic uniformity — Spanish 'sopla,' French 'souffler,' German 'wehen' — confirms a single meteorological sense. 7×
AR["الهَابَّةِ", "تَهُبَّ", "تَهُبُّ", "هَابَّةٍ", "هَبَّتْ"]·ben["বইতে", "বয়", "বয়ে-যায়", "বয়েছিল", "বহতে", "বহিতেছে"]·DE["wehen", "πνέοντα", "πνεούσῃ", "ἔπνευσαν"]·EN["blew", "blowing", "blows", "might-blow"]·FR["souffler"]·heb["נָשְׁבוּ", "נוֹשֶׁבֶת", "תִּשַּׁב"]·HI["चलती-हुई", "चलती-है,", "चलतेहुई", "चलने-से", "चली", "चले"]·ID["bertiup", "bertiup,", "bertiuplah", "yang-bertiup,"]·IT["pneē", "soffiare"]·jav["niyup", "semilir", "sumilir", "sumilir,"]·KO["부는", "분다", "불는-바람에", "불도록", "불었다"]·PT["que-soprava,", "sopra,", "sopraram", "soprasse"]·RU["дует", "дул", "дующего", "дующему", "дующий", "подули"]·ES["que-soplaba", "sopla", "soplando", "soplaron", "sople"]·SW["inavuma", "isipige", "ukivuma", "unavuma", "upepo-uvumavyo", "zika-vuma"]·TR["esene", "eser", "eserken", "essin", "estiler", "estiği"]·urd["آندھی-سے", "چلتی", "چلتی-ہے", "چلیں", "چلے"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πνέω, poetry πνείω as always in Refs 8th c.BC+future πνεύσομαι (ἐκ-) Refs 5th c.BC+; also πνευσοῦμαι LXX+5th c.BC+ is falsa lectio in Refs 4th c.BC+: aorist 1 ἔπνευσα Refs 8th c.BC+perfect πέπνευκα (ἐπι-) Refs 5th c.BC+ —passive, future πνευσθήσομαι (δια-) Refs 2nd c.AD+aorist ἐπνεύσθην (δι-) Refs 8th c.BC+present and imperfect, to which Trag. add future and aorist 1 active —For the form ἄμπνυε,…