You asked

where else in the bible does god impart life through breath or spirit, and how is it similar or different?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Genesis 2:7

“Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

This passage describes a pivotal moment in the creation narrative from the book of Genesis, specifically detailing the formation of humanity. After creating the heavens and the earth, God focuses on the unique act of creating the first human, Adam, by forming him from the earth and then directly imparting life.

What does this passage suggest about the source and nature of human life?

Then — the setting

The book of Genesis, attributed to Moses, was likely compiled or written down in its current form between the 15th and 13th centuries BCE, though it recounts much older traditions. The audience would have been the people of Israel, perhaps recently freed from slavery in Egypt or in the process of forming their identity as a nation. This account provided a foundational understanding of their origins, God's nature, and humanity's special place within creation, distinguishing their monotheistic worldview from the polytheistic cosmologies of surrounding cultures, which often depicted humans as accidental or subservient to warring deities.

Across the Testaments

This Old Testament passage presents breath (nephesh/ruach) as the animating principle directly from God. The New Testament picks up and expands on this theme, particularly with the Greek word 'pneuma', which means both 'breath' and 'spirit'. While Genesis 2:7 describes the origin of physical life, the New Testament often speaks of spiritual rebirth or new life imparted through the Holy Spirit (e.g., John 3:5-8). Both testaments emphasize divine agency in giving life, but the New Testament focuses more on a spiritual, transformative life rather than solely the initial physical animation.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Ezekiel 37:5-10
God breathes life into dry bones, symbolizing national restoration and new life.
Job 33:4
Elihu states that the Spirit of God made him, and the breath of the Almighty gives him life.
John 20:22
Jesus breathes on his disciples, imparting the Holy Spirit and commissioning them.

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