H5301 H5301
To breathe, blow; blow upon coals or into something; also to sniff contemptuously, expire, or cause to breathe out.
At its heart this verb captures the act of directed breath — air propelled with purpose. Its most theologically momentous occurrence is Genesis 2:7, where God 'breathed into' Adam's nostrils the breath of life. The same root blows bellows to heat furnaces (Ezek 22:20-21), describes a pot 'blown upon' until boiling (Jer 1:13), and in a haunting image portrays a bereaved mother who 'breathes out her soul' as the sun sets (Jer 15:9). It can even express contempt: the priests of Malachi 1:13 'sniff at' the LORD's table dismissively. Spanish translations track the range well — 'soplar' for blowing, 'echar' for breathing out one's life, and 'soplar sobre' for the contemptuous sniff.
Senses
1. blow, breathe upon — To blow or breathe upon with purpose and directed force. This is the primary active sense, covering God breathing the breath of life into Adam (Gen 2:7), the command to the four winds to breathe upon the slain in the valley of dry bones (Ezek 37:9), and blowing upon metal in a furnace to heat it (Ezek 22:20-21; Isa 54:16). Spanish 'soplar' and French 'souffler' both capture the forceful exhalation at the core of this sense. 6×
AR["النَّافِخَ", "لِيَنْفُخَ", "وَ-نَفَخَ", "وَأَنْفُخُ", "وَنَفَخْتُ", "وَٱنْفُخِي"]·ben["-যে-ফুঁ-দেয়", "আর-ফুঁ-দিলেন", "আর-ফুঁক", "এবং-ফুঁ-দেব-আমি", "ও-ফুঁ-দিয়েছি", "ফুঁ-দিতে"]·DE["[ונפחתי]", "[ופחי]", "[לפחת]", "[נפח]", "und-blies"]·EN["and-I-blew-on", "and-I-will-blow", "and-breathe", "and-breathed", "blowing", "to-blow-"]·FR["[נפח]", "et-respira", "et-souffler", "souffler"]·heb["ו-יפח", "ו-נפחתי", "ו-פחי", "ל-נפח", "נופח"]·HI["और-फूँकूँगा-मैं", "और-फूंका", "और-मैंने-फूंका", "फूँकने-", "फूँकनेवाला", "ये"]·ID["dan-Aku-akan-meniupkan", "dan-menghembuskan", "dan-tiuplah", "maka-meniup", "untuk-meniupkan", "yang-meniup"]·IT["[נפח]", "a-governatore", "e-breathed", "e-soffiare"]·jav["ingkang-nyebul", "lan-Kawula-badhe-niupaken", "lan-Kawula-tiup", "lan-ndamu", "lan-tiupa", "supados-niupaken-"]·KO["그리고-불어-넣으셨다", "그리고-불어넣으리라", "그리고-불어라", "그리고-불었다", "불어-넘기는", "불어넣기-위한-"]·PT["e-sopra", "e-soprarei", "e-soprei", "e-soprou", "para-soprar", "soprando"]·RU["и-вдохнул", "и-дунь", "и-развеял-Я", "и-раздую", "на-неё", "раздувающего"]·ES["para-soplar", "que-sopla", "y-sopla", "y-soplaré", "y-soplé-en", "y-sopló"]·SW["anayepuliza", "kupuliza", "na-akapuliza", "na-niliipuliza", "na-nitapuliza", "uvumie"]·TR["ufleyen-", "ve-üfle", "ve-üfledi", "ve-üfledim", "ve-üfleyeceğim", "üflemek-için"]·urd["اور-میں-نے-پھونک-ماری", "اور-پھونک", "اور-پھونکا", "اور-پھونکوں-گا", "دھونکنے-کو", "پھونکنے-والا"]
2. blown upon, heated — The passive participial sense of something having been blown upon — heated, boiling, or stoked. A pot 'blown upon' (naphuach) faces north in Jeremiah 1:13, and Leviathan's breath is like a 'blown' caldron in Job 41:20. The imagery is of sustained bellows-work producing intense, dangerous heat. Spanish 'que-hierve' (that boils) and 'soplada' (blown upon) confirm the resultative state — not the act of blowing but its fiery aftermath. 3×
AR["مَنْفُوخٍ", "مَنْفُوخَةً", "مَنْفُوخَةٌ"]·ben["টগবগে", "প্রজ্বলিত", "ফুঁকানো"]·DE["[נפוח]", "[נפח]"]·EN["blown", "boiling"]·FR["[נפוח]", "נפוח", "נפח"]·heb["נופח", "נפוח"]·HI["उबलती", "उबलती-हुई", "फूंकी-गई"]·ID["dinyalakan", "mendidih", "yang didihkan"]·IT["[נפוח]", "blown"]·jav["dipuntiup", "ingkang-nggodhog", "mumbul"]·KO["끓는", "불지른", "불타는"]·PT["fervente", "soprada", "soprado"]·RU["кипящего", "кипящий", "раздутый"]·ES["que-hierve", "soplada", "soplado;"]·SW["inayochemka", "kinachochemka", "waka"]·TR["kaynayan", "üflemiş", "üflenen"]·urd["اُبلتی-ہوئی", "بھڑکائی گئی", "جلتی-ہوئی"]
3. sniff at contemptuously — A Hifil usage meaning to sniff at contemptuously — to blow dismissively at something that deserves honor. In Malachi 1:13, the priests treat the LORD's offering table with disdain, 'sniffing at it' as though it were beneath them. Spanish 'y-soplaréis-sobre' (and you will blow upon) preserves the physical act while the context supplies the contempt. A vivid image of irreverence expressed through the body. 1×
AR["وَنَفَخْتُمْ"]·ben["এবং-তোমরা-ফুঁ-দিয়েছ"]·DE["[והפחתם]"]·EN["and-you-sniff-at"]·FR["et-souffler"]·heb["ו-הפחתם"]·HI["और-तुम-फूँकते-हो"]·ID["dan-kamu-mendengus"]·IT["e-soffiare"]·jav["lan-panjenengan-nggepok"]·KO["그리고-콧바람-불었다"]·PT["e-bufastes"]·RU["и-пренебрегаете-вы"]·ES["y-soplaréis-sobre"]·SW["na-mnampuuza"]·TR["ve-küçümsediniz"]·urd["اور-تم-نے-پھونکا"]
4. breathe out, expire — To breathe out one's last breath — to expire, to die. In Jeremiah 15:9, the mother of seven 'breathed out her soul' (naphchah nafshah) as the sun went down, a poignant depiction of life departing like breath leaving the body. Spanish 'echó' (cast forth, released) captures the finality of that last exhalation. 1×
AR["لَفَظَتْ"]·ben["শেষ-হল"]·DE["[נפחה]"]·EN["she-breathed-out"]·FR["[נפחה]"]·heb["נפחה"]·HI["हांफी-है"]·ID["dia-menghembuskan-nafas-terakhir"]·IT["[נפחה]"]·jav["Ambegan"]·KO["풍어졌다"]·PT["expirou"]·RU["испустила"]·ES["echó"]·SW["Amepumua"]·TR["son-verdi"]·urd["نکلی"]
5. cause to expire, drive out by breath — The Hifil causative sense: to cause someone's life to expire or to drive out by breath. In Job 31:39, Job protests his innocence, denying that he has 'caused the life of its owners to breathe out' — that is, he has not worked anyone to death or dispossessed them fatally. Spanish 'exhalé' (I exhaled) and the causative morphology together point to an agent who forces another's breath to cease. 1×
AR["أَفقَدتُ"]·ben["বের-করেছি"]·DE["[הפחתי]"]·EN["I-have-caused-to-expire"]·FR["הפחתי"]·heb["הפחתי"]·HI["निकाला-मैंने"]·ID["aku hancurkan"]·IT["Io-have-caused-a-expire"]·jav["kula-damel-medal"]·KO["내가-내보내었다"]·PT["fiz-expirar"]·RU["губил-я"]·ES["exhalé"]·SW["nilifanya-ipumue"]·TR["çıkardım"]·urd["میں نے نکلوا دی"]
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
† [נָפַח] vb. breathe, blow (כור נפוח Ecclus 43:4 a furnace blown upon (heated hot); NH נָפַח, id., 𝔗 נְפַח, Syriac ܢܦܰܚ; Assyrian napâḫu, inflame, nappaḫu, smith DlHWB 474; Arabic (نَفَحَ and) نَفَخ�� blow; Ethiopic ነፍኀ: or ነፍሐ: Di712);— Qal Pf. 3 fs. נָֽפְחָה Je 15:9; וְנָפַ֫חְתִּי Hg 1:9; וְנָפַחְתִּ֫י Ez 22:21; Impf. וַיִּפַּח Gn 2:7; Imv. fs. פְּחִי Ez 37:9; Inf. (לָ)פַ֫חַת Ez 22:20; Pt.…