English · KJV
H5301

נָפַח

nâphach /naw-fakh'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto puff, in various applications (literally, to inflate, blow hard, scatter, kindle, expire; figuratively, to disesteem)
KJV usageblow, breath, give up, cause to lose (life), seething, snuff.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nâphach — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word nâphach, represented by H5301, is a primitive root meaning to puff. It appears 12 times across 12 unique verses in the Bible. Its applications are varied, ranging from the literal acts of inflating or blowing hard to figurative concepts like expiring or showing disesteem. The definitions include to blow, breath, give up, cause to lose (life), seething, and snuff.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H5301 is used to describe powerful actions of both God and man. In the creation account, it is the verb used for God imparting life, as He breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life Genesis 2:7. This same life-giving power is seen in Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones, where the command is to breathe upon the slain that they may live Ezekiel 37:9. The term also denotes divine judgment, as when God blows upon a meager harvest Haggai 1:9 or blows upon the people in the fire of His wrath Ezekiel 22:21. It is also used for the physical act of a smith who bloweth the coals Isaiah 54:16 and to describe a seething pot Jeremiah 1:13.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of breath, life, and divine action:

  • H5397 nᵉshâmâh (a puff, i.e. wind, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect. or (concretely) an animal): This word for breath is directly paired with H5301 in the creation of humanity Genesis 2:7.
  • H5315 nephesh (properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality... soul...): This term describes the result of God's breath, a living soul Genesis 2:7. It is also used when a languishing woman has given up the ghost Jeremiah 15:9.
  • H7307 rûwach (wind; by resemblance breath... spirit...): This word for wind or spirit is commanded to act as the breath that brings life to the slain in Ezekiel's prophecy Ezekiel 37:9.
  • H2416 chay (alive; hence... life...): This term specifies the quality of existence granted by God's breath, making man a living soul Genesis 2:7.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5301 is significant, demonstrating God's direct and powerful involvement with creation.

  • Sovereignty over Life and Death: The act of breathing life into Adam Genesis 2:7 and the command to breathe life into the dead Ezekiel 37:9 establish God as the ultimate source of life. The term is also used to signify the end of life, as in giving up the ghost Jeremiah 15:9 or causing a life to be lost Job 31:39.
  • Instrument of Divine Judgment: God's breath is not only creative but also an agent of His wrath. He blows upon the people in a furnace to melt them Ezekiel 22:20-21 and blows away their insufficient harvest as a rebuke Haggai 1:9.
  • Human Expression and Action: The word is used to describe human labor, such as the smith who bloweth the coals in the fire Isaiah 54:16. It also captures the human emotion of contempt, as when the people snuffed at the Lord's altar Malachi 1:13.

Summary

In summary, H5301 is a dynamic verb that illustrates the power of breath in both literal and figurative senses. It portrays God's intimate power to create life, His forceful execution of judgment, and His sovereignty over human endeavors. From the initial spark of life in humanity to the fires of a blacksmith and the finality of death, nâphach conveys a sense of active, forceful, and consequential action.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 12 occurrences, inflected in 10 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • נָפַחְתִּי
  • נָפוּחַ
  • הִפַּחְתֶּם
  • הִפָּחְתִּי
  • נֻפָּח
  • יִּפַּח
  • פְחִי
  • פַחַת
  • נֹפֵחַ
  • נָפְחָה

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H5397 נְשָׁמָה from נָשַׁם; a puff, i.e. wind, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect. or (concretely) an animal; blast, H5315 נֶפֶשׁ from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accomm H7307 רוּחַ from רוּחַ; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubs H2416 חַי from חָיָה; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine sin

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 12 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job and Ezekiel (3 verses each); never once in the other 32.

1
Genesis
3
Job
1
Isaiah
2
Jeremiah
3
Ezekiel
1
Haggai
1
Malachi

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.