AISBT Reader"Spirit of holiness": רוּחַ קָדְשׁוֹ behind Rom 1:4
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"Spirit of holiness": רוּחַ קָדְשׁוֹ behind Rom 1:4

Says Ps 51:11 (MT 51:13; LXX 50:13) prays וְרוּחַ קָדְשְׁךָ (veruakh qodshekha, "and your Holy Spirit") אַל־תִּקַּח מִמֶּנִּי (al-tiqqakh mimmenni, "do not take from me"). Isa 63:10 says Israel grieved רוּחַ קָדְשׁוֹ (ruakh qodsho, "his Holy Spirit"), whom God set among them (63:11, הַשָּׂם בְּקִרְבּוֹ אֶת־רוּחַ קָדְשׁוֹ, hassam beqirbo et-ruakh qodsho). OSHB: construct noun + noun with 3ms suffix. The suffix belongs to the whole chain, and the second noun works as an attributive genitive: "the spirit of his holiness" means "his holy Spirit." Ps 2:6 הַר־קָדְשִׁי (har-qodshi, "my holy mountain") is the same idiom.

Says Swete's LXX uses the adjective: τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν σου (Ps 50:13), τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ (Isa 63:10, where A omits αὐτοῦ), and ὁ θεὶς ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον (63:11). Swete has ἁγιωσύνη five times, Pss 29:5; 95:6; 96:12; 144:5 (ENG 30:4; 96:6; 97:12; 145:5) and 2 Macc 3:12 (non-canonical), never with πνεῦμα. Rom 1:4 κατὰ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης is Paul's wording, closer to the Hebrew genitive. Charles renders T. Levi 18:11 (non-canonical) "the spirit of holiness shall be on them."

Implies In all three uses the phrase names God's own Spirit, so the idiom favors a reference to the Holy Spirit in Rom 1:4 (cf. 8:11).

Uncertain Interpreters differ: is it (1) the Holy Spirit, by whom the Son was declared at the resurrection; (2) Christ's divine nature, set against κατὰ σάρκα; or (3) Christ's own spirit, marked by holiness? The Hebrew background favors (1); all three affirm the Son's deity.

Claims

  • SaysPs 51:11 (MT 51:13) and Isa 63:10–11: רוּחַ + קָדְשׁוֹ + suffix, an attributive genitive meaning 'his holy Spirit'.
  • SaysLXX uses τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον; Swete's ἁγιωσύνη (5x: four Psalms and 2 Macc 3:12) never goes with πνεῦμα; Rom 1:4 πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης is Paul's form.
  • ImpliesThe OT idiom names God's own Spirit, favoring the Holy Spirit in Rom 1:4.
  • UncertainHoly Spirit, Christ's divine nature, or Christ's holy spirit; Hebrew background favors the Holy Spirit; all affirm the Son's deity.

Citations

  • OSHB CC BY 4.0 Ps 51:13 (MT; ENG 51:11); Isa 63:10–11; Ps 2:6 (morph HNcbsc + HNcmsc/Sp3ms)
  • LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Ps 50:13. LXX checked against Swete scan, vol. 2 (1891), p. 279.
  • LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Isa 63:10–11, text and apparatus. LXX checked against Swete scan, vol. 3 (1912), pp. 215, 216.
  • LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 ἁγιωσύνη: Pss 29:5; 95:6; 96:12; 144:5 (word search of the digital text, overlay applied; not quoted); 2 Macc 3:12 τῇ τοῦ τόπου ἁγιωσύνῃ (raw 24.Machabaeorum_ii.txt, outside tools/swete.py's canon set). LXX checked against Swete scan, vol. 3 (1912), p. 668.
  • SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Rom 1:3–4; 8:11
  • TVTMS CC BY 4.0 Ps 51:11 = MT 51:13 = LXX 50:13
  • APOT public domain vol. 2, p. 315 (T. Levi 18:11), checked on the page image — And the spirit of holiness shall be on them.
Sources OSHB CC BY 4.0 LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 APOT public domain TVTMS CC BY 4.0 Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0

Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits

2026-10-28

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