SPIRIT (spIr'It), (Heb. roo'akh, breath, wind; Gr. ruciwy, tnyoo'mah, wind, breath, the vital principle, etc.). The leading significations of the original words thus rendered may be classi fied as follows : 1. The primary sense of the term is wind. 'He that formeth the mountains and createth the wind,' roo'akh (Amos iv :13 ; Is. xxvii :8). 'The wind (rvaya, pneuma) bloweth where it listeth' ( John iii :8). This is the ground idea of the term 'spirit'—air—ether ; air refined, sublimated or vi talized; hence it denotes 2. Breath, as of the mouth. 'At the blast of the hreath of his nostrils are they consumed' ( Job iv :9). 'The Lord shall consume that wicked one with the breath of his mouth' (to pneumati ton stomatos, 2 Thess. ii :8).
3. The vital principle which resides in and ani mates the body. In the Hebrew, , neh-fesh is the main specific term for this. In the Greek it is psoo-khay% and in the Latin, anima. 'No man bath power over the spirit to retain the spirit' (Eccles. viii :8; Gen. vi :17; vii :15).
4. In close connection with the uses of the word last explained is another, in which it has the sense of apparition—specter. They supposed that they had seen a spirit,' i. e., specter (Luke xxiv : 37). 'A spirit bath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have' (verse 39; Matt. xiv:26).
5. The soul—the rational immortal principle, by which man is distinguished from the brute creation (Luke xxiii :46 ; Acts vii :59; i Cor. v :5 ; vi :20 ; vii :34 ; Heb. xii :9)• 6. The race of superhuman created intelli gences. Such beings are denominated spiritual beings because they have no bodies like ours. To both the holy and the sinning angels the term is applied. In their original constitution their na tures were alike pure spirit. The apostasy occa sioned no change in the nature of the fallen angels as spiritual beings.
In the New Testament demonology. diamon, diamonion, pneuma akatliarton, pneuma ponaron, are the distinctive epithets for a fallen spirit. Christ gave to his disciples power over unclean spirits. pncuma akatharon (Matt. x :1 : Mark
i :23; Luke iv :36; Acts v :16). The holy angels are termed spirits—'Are they not all ministering spirits' (Heb. i :14) ? 'And from the seven spirits which are before his throne' (Rev. i :4). • 7. The term spirit is applied to the various z mo tions and dispositions of the soul, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit' (Tc) irvei3pci you), (Luke xxiii : 46: Acts V11:59 : i Cor. V :5 . vi :20 ; 1•11 :34 ; Heb. xii :9 `. 'My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Sa vior' (Luke i :47). 'Poor in spirit' denotes ity (Matt. v :3). 'Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of (Luke ix :55), where piicurna de notes disposition or temper. 'He that bath no rule over his own spirit' (Prov. xxv :28 ; xvi :32; Ec cles. vii :9). The moral affections are denominated 'the spirit of meekness' (Gal. vi :11 : 'of bondage' (Rom. viii :15) ; 'of jealousy' (Num. v :i4) ; 'of fear' (2 Tim. i :7) ; 'of slumber' (Rom. xi:8). In the same way also the intellectual qualities of the soul are denominated 'the spirit of counsel' (Is. xi:2); the spirit of knowledge' (Is. xi:2) ; 'the spirit of wisdom' (Eph. i :17) ; 'the spirit of truth and of error' (i John iv :6).
8. "The spirit is something higher than the soul. In the spirit is the unity of our being, our true Ego. The soul is but an element in its serv ice. At death the soul passes away, the spirit ripens to a new existence." (Lotze.) 9. Spirit, Mind and Soul. "The first denotes the animating faculty, the breath of intelligence, the inspiring principle, the spring of energy and the prompter of exertion ; the second is the re cording power, the preserver of impressions, the storer of deductions, the nurse of knowledge, and the parent of thought ; the last is the disembodied, ethereal, self-conscious being, concentrating in it self all the purest and most refined of human excellences, every generous affection, every benev olent disposition, every intellectual attainment, every ennobling virtue, and every exalting aspira tion." Dr. Reid.