“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” NAS
1. πνεῦμα – wind, breath, or spirit. The noun πνεῦμα appears in one form or another some 386 times in the New Testament and it is translated as spirit in every instance except here in John 3:8. This begs the question, why? The word that is usually translated as “wind” in the Greek New Testament is ἄνεμος which is used some 31 times in its various forms.
2. The word πνεῖ means wind, blow, or breath and occurs only here.
3. αὐτοῦ – can be either masculine or neuter in gender – He, him, or it, so this is of little help in determining whether πνεῦμα should be translated as wind or Spirit.
4. English translations that translate it as “The Spirit breathes:"
a. Aramaic Bible in Plain English – “The Spirit breathes where he will, and you hear his voice, but you do not know from where he comes and where he goes; thus is everyone who is born from The Spirit.”
b. Douay-Rheims Bible – “The Spirit breatheth where he will; and thou hearest his voice, but thou knowest not whence he cometh, and whither he goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
c. Young's Literal Translation – “The Spirit where he willeth doth blow, and his voice thou dost hear, but thou hast not known whence he cometh, and whither he goeth; thus is every one who hath been born of the Spirit.”
5. I offer two interpretation of this verse based on the different uses of the words πνεῦμα, πνεῖ, and αὐτοῦ.
a. If it can be considered proper to translate πνεῦμα as 'wind' in this one verse when it is never so translated anywhere else in scripture, and if πνεῖ is also properly translated as 'blow' then it may be that Jesus is using the natural phenomenon of wind to explain the inexplicable working of the Holy Spirit. In other words, this rendering of the text would offer such an explanation as that given by Clark's Commentary on the Bible, “The wind blows in a variety of directions - we hear its sound, perceive its operation in the motion of the trees, etc., and feel it on ourselves - but we cannot discern the air itself; we only know that it exists by the effects which it produces: so is every one who is born of the Spirit: the effects are as discernible and as sensible as those of the wind; but itself we cannot see. But he who is born of God knows that he is thus born: the Spirit itself, the grand agent in this new birth, beareth witness with his spirit, that he is born of God, Romans 8:16; for, he that believeth hath the witness in himself.” Is there justification for this rendering; perhaps.
b. However, if we apply the same translation to πνεῦμα that it is given through the rest of scripture (including its later appearance in this same verse) and translate πνεῖ as 'breaths', and render αὐτοῦ as 'he' rather than 'it' then this creates an entirely different understand of this text. “The Spirit breaths where he wishes and you hear the sound of him, but do not know where he comes from and where he is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
* Jesus is talking about detection and discernment – we hear but are unable to discern its origin or its destination. This is talking about perception.
* How would this relate to those who are born of the Spirit? The force of “even so” draws a comparison between the characteristics of the Spirit and the one who is born of the Spirit. The context is explaining how the Holy Spirit operates in the new birth. In this passage the Lord is suggesting that the Spirit breathes where He wills; His voice is heard (i.e., His inspired words are perceived); “even so,” is one begotten of the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit’s operation through the word of God that initiates the new birth experience 1 Pet. 1:23. The new birth is a passive experience. It is something that is done to us and is linked to two connecting elements – water and Spirit.
