Behind the Word: Spirit

Strong’s Concordance #7307 (OT)

Genesis 1:2 (CSB) Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

There is a movement in Scripture that begins from above and moves downward — initiated not by man, but by God. From the very beginning of creation, God revealed this pattern that is repeated throughout Scripture. Before the earth was formed and filled with life, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters”. His presence from above prepared what was below for God’s creative work. When the Lord formed man from the dust of the ground, He breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living being. As Job declared, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4). The Holy Spirit is revealed as the source of life or ‘life force‘, sustaining all that God has thought and spoke.

“For as the heaven is higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”
Isaiah 55:9-11 (CSB)

The Spirit of God, properly referred to as the Holy Spirit, is the third Person of the triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Throughout Scripture, He is revealed as active, producing, life-giving, and transforming. The Bible often uses the imagery of wind and breath to describe His presence because, though invisible, His work is unmistakable.

“The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
John 3:8 (CSB)

At times, God reveals His presence through a whirlwind (Job 38:1), a powerful reminder that His authority originates from Him and then manifests in the world. This notion is particularly evident during the crucifixion, where His power is profoundly displayed, drawing us upward to a deeper understanding of His divine action as seen in Matthew 27:50.

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom…”
Matthew 27:50-51 (CSB)

The curtain was torn, not from the ground upward, but from top to bottom—signifying that access to God was opened by Him, not achieved by man. This climactic moment beautifully reflects the same top-down pattern woven throughout Scripture. Long before the cross, the Holy Spirit inspired the prophets to proclaim God’s Word, preparing the way for the coming Messiah.

Now, through the finished work of that Messiah, the way was prepared for the promised indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus declared this promise in John 15:26: “When the Counselor comes—the one I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.” By willingly giving up His spirit, Jesus completed the work the Father had sent Him to accomplish, paving the way for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the birth of the Church.

The New Testament Greek word for spirit is pneuma. Like many biblical words, pneuma forms its own unique Vertiwords, while sharing several descriptive themes with the Hebrew word previously explored. This next Vertiwords also incorporates the topical descriptions Jesus gives in John 16, revealing the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers after Pentecost.

Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
John 16:7-11 (CSB)

Strong’s Concordance #4151 (NT)

The Holy Spirit continues God’s top-down work of transforming the human heart. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God promised, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26–27). Jesus later identified this promised Spirit as the Counselor, assuring His disciples, “He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever” (John 14:16). In John 16, Jesus further explained the Counselor’s ministry: He would guide believers into all truth, glorify Christ, convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment, and declare what is to come. The Holy Spirit renews our minds, reshapes our motives, and empowers us to walk in God’s ways. Just as the Spirit hovered over creation before bringing forth life, He now dwells within believers, producing spiritual life and forming the character of Christ from the inside out.

While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
Acts 1:4-5 (CSB)

This biblical pattern forms the foundation of Vertiwords. The vertical movement from top to bottom is more than a unique way of studying words—it serves as a visual reminder of God’s recurring pattern throughout Scripture. As each Vertiwords unfolds, may it draw your heart upward to the One from whom every good and perfect gift comes.

Explore more words: Hover | Image | Reflect