Blood and Breath

We always have to remember that the Bible was written by and for a very archaic people that had no inkling of human physiology.

When an animal or human lost all of its blood it lost its life. So a natural conclusion would be that there was life in the blood. There was also a distinction in the value of blood… animal blood, human blood and the blood of deity (Jesus Christ).

So when humans tried to appease pagan Gods they might start with animal blood and if that didn’t seem to be working they might offer the blood of those who were most precious to them… their sons and daughters. All to appease Gods who might be withholding rain or any other necessary thing. Pagan God’s apparently would not give something unless they received something.

The other thing that archaic people associated with life was their breath. When an animal or human was no longer breathing they were dead. They might have all their blood but if they weren’t moving air they were dead.

In the New Testament the word “Pneuma” can either be translated as breath, wind or spirit and how it is translated depends on the context. You might see how archaic people would note the similarities between the movement of air when a person breathed and when the wind blew.

Enter the Pneuma (wind/breath/spirit) of God. If human Pneuma (wind/breath/spirit) could give and sustain life imagine what the promised Pneuma (wind/breath/spirit) of God could do! God’s blood could not only give us life but eternal life and his Spirit could make us like God in the sense of being able to do and understand things no other human could do (miracles, wisdom, divine insight, etc.)

Of course today we understand how blood and how breath (Pneuma) give life from a physiologic standpoint. That understanding does not invalidate what God has supplied for us.

For the Bible student I think it helps viewing the elements of life (blood and breath) and God’s use of those elements from the standpoint of the people who it was originally written to.