H7308 H7308
Spirit or wind (Aramaic); the animating divine or human spirit, or meteorological wind, in Daniel
The Aramaic noun רוּחַ appears exclusively in the book of Daniel, mirroring its Hebrew cognate but within the distinctive theological and visionary context of the Aramaic court narratives and apocalyptic visions. As 'spirit,' it describes both the divine spirit dwelling in Daniel — 'the spirit of the holy gods' (Dan 4:8-9, 5:11-14) — and the troubled inner spirit of the seer himself (Dan 7:15). As 'wind,' it appears in two dramatic visionary scenes: the wind that scatters Nebuchadnezzar's shattered statue (Dan 2:35) and the four winds of heaven churning the great sea (Dan 7:2).
Senses
1. spirit (divine or human, Aramaic) — Spirit — whether divine or human — as the animating, knowing principle within a person. In Daniel's court setting, the Babylonian and Persian kings recognize that Daniel possesses 'the spirit of the holy gods' (רוּחַ אֱלָהִין קַדִּישִׁין, Dan 4:8-9, 5:11), an exceptional spirit (רוּחַ יַתִּירָא, Dan 5:12, 6:4) that gives him surpassing wisdom. In Dan 5:20 the king's spirit grows hardened, and in Dan 7:15 Daniel's own spirit is troubled within him (רוּחִי). Multilingual glosses consistently render it 'espiritu,' 'esprit,' 'Geist' — all personal-spiritual vocabulary rather than meteorological, confirming the interior, immaterial sense. 9×
AR["رُوحٌ","رُوحَ","رُوحَ-","رُوحُ","رُوحُ-","رُوحِي","وَ-رُوحُهُ"]·ben["আত্মা","আত্মা-","আমার-আত্মা","এবং-তাঁর-আত্মা"]·DE["Geist","mein-Geist","und-Geist"]·EN["and-his-spirit","my-spirit","spirit","spirit-of","spirit-of-"]·FR["esprit","et-esprit","mon-esprit"]·heb["ו-רוחו","רוח","רוחי"]·HI["आत्मा","आत्मा-मेरी","और-उसकी-आत्मा"]·ID["dan-rohnya","roh","rohku"]·IT["e-spirito","il-mio-spirito","spirito"]·jav["lan-rohipun","roh","roh-","roh-kula"]·KO["그리고-그-의-영-이","나의-영이","영-"]·PT["e-seu-espírito","meu-espírito","o-espírito-de","um-espírito"]·RU["дух","дух-","дух-мой","и-дух-его"]·ES["espíritu","espíritu-de","espíritu-de-mí","y-su-espíritu"]·SW["na-roho-yake","roho","roho-ya","roho-ya-","roho-yangu"]·TR["ruh","ruhu","ruhu-","ruhum","ve-ruhu"]·urd["اور-اُس-کی-روح","روح","روح-","روح-میری","رُوح"]
2. wind (meteorological, Aramaic) — Wind as a natural meteorological force, appearing only in Daniel's two great visions. In Dan 2:35, after the stone strikes the statue, the wind (רוּחָא) carries the fragments away like chaff, leaving no trace — a vivid image of total obliteration. In Dan 7:2, the four winds of heaven (רוּחֵי שְׁמַיָּא) stir the great sea from which the four beasts emerge. The Spanish 'el viento' / 'vientos de,' English 'the wind' / 'winds of,' and German 'Wind' all shift to meteorological vocabulary, clearly demarcating this from the spirit sense. 2×
AR["الـ-رِّيحُ","رِيَاحِ"]·ben["বাতাস","বায়ু"]·DE["Geist","mein-Geist"]·EN["the-wind","winds-of"]·FR["esprit","mon-esprit"]·heb["רוח","רוחות"]·HI["पवनें","हवा"]·ID["angin"]·IT["il-mio-spirito","spirito"]·jav["angin","angin-angin"]·KO["바람들이","바람이"]·PT["o-vento","ventos-dos"]·RU["ветер","ветра"]·ES["el-viento","vientos-de"]·SW["pepo-za","upepo"]·TR["rüzgar","rüzgarı"]·urd["ہوا-نے","ہوائیں"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רוּחַ n.f. Dn 5:12 wind, spirit;—ר׳ abs. Dn 5:12; 6:4, cstr. 4:5 +, emph. רוּחָא 2:35; sf. רוּחִי 7:15, הּ—ֵ 5:20; pl. cstr. רוּחֵי 7:2;— 1. wind Dn 2:35; 7:2. 2. spirit: a. of man, 5:20; 7:15; as faculty of knowledge, ר׳ יַתִּירָא 5:12; 6:4. b. ר׳ אֱלָהִין קַדִּישִׁין 4:5, 6, 15; 5:11, ר׳ א׳ v 14.