The Godhead tri-unity consists of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (HS)…the Godkind. Before reading this, you might read “Godhead in Prehistory” and “Tri-unity of God”. Much of the background material and scriptures referenced in those topics about the Godhead won’t be repeated or re-quoted here.
The Holy Spirit is God! There are several verses in the Bible which attest to this. e.g. 1Co.3:16, 2:10-11, Ac.5:3-4, 2Sm.23:2-3. (ref “Tri-unity of God”.) Lk.3:21-22 reflects three ‘Persons’ or entities!
Male and female characteristics of humans embody the image and likeness of God (Ge.1:26-27). Male and female are both necessary to represent God. Humans are given God’s attributes in miniature. Jesus said in Jn.14:9, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”.
Jesus was a man, an image of His heavenly Father. Ezk.1:26-28 “Above the expanse was a figure with the likeness of a man. Such was the appearance of…YHVH.” The Lord Christ appeared in the likeness of a human to Ezekiel and others. (also see the topic, “Jesus Was The Old Testament God”.)
Personification is giving something human characteristics, or anthropomórphism. In divinity, there may not be gender as we know it. But the three ‘Persons’ do have characteristic functions. Within the God Family of Father, HS, and Son…exists both masculine and feminine characteristics.
God reflects masculine roles: Ps.103:13 Father. Ho.2:16 husband. Ps.98:6 king. Ex.15:3 warrior.
God reflects feminine roles: Is.66:13 Mother. Is.42:14 pregnant. Ps.123:2 mistress. Ps.22:9 midwife.
Jesus the Son of God came as a man, and revealed His Father. Fathers and sons are masculine. We refer to God/Deity customarily or conveniently as ‘He’, using masculine (masc) pronouns.
Yet the Godhead has feminine traits too! Ro.8:20-23, 26 “The whole creation groans and suffers pains of childbirth. We having the Spirit groan, waiting for the redemption of our body.” The Jewish apostle Paul portrayed the HS as a midwife, helping creation and humanity towards re-creation.
Pastor Mahesh Chavda wrote in The Hidden Power of a Woman, “In Judaism, unlike Christianity, God has never been viewed as exclusively male or masculine”. Many Jewish scholars think Adam was created with dual gender. (see “Godhead in Prehistory”.)
Our use of non-personal imagery for God doesn’t carry the risk of falling into polytheism as much as Father-Mother language does. Non-personal imagery for the HS: wind, cloud, fire, living water, dove.
Yet personal imagery for the HS/Wisdom is seen too…in Proverbs, Ecclesiásticus or Wisdom of Sirach (WSir), Wisdom of Solomon (WSol). Pr.1:20 “Wisdom lifts her voice.” “Her” is a feminine pronoun.
Wisdom’s quotes in 1st Person, where Wisdom speaks, are found in: Pr.1:22-33 “I will pour out My Spirit on you [v.23].” Pr.8:4-36 “When there was no depths I was brought forth [v.24].” “I was at His [YHVH’s] side forming all things; daily His delight [v.30].” Also ref Pr.9:4-6, 16-17. WSir.24:3-22 “I [Wisdom] came forth from the mouth of the Most High and covered the earth like a mist. My throne was in the pillar of cloud [v.3-4].” cf. the HS in Ge.1:2b, 2:6, and Ex.13:21 the shekínah glory cloud.
Wisdom is the Holy Spirit. WSol.1:4-5 “Wisdom won’t enter the soul that plots evil. For a holy spirit of discipline flees from deceit.” WSol.9:4 “Give me the wisdom that sits by Your throne.” v.10 “Send Her forth from Your holy heavens, from Your glorious throne.” v.17 “Unless You have given him wisdom and sent Your Holy Spirit from on high.” Nu.27:18 “Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit.” De.34:9 “Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the Spirit of wisdom.” Omnipresent at God’s throne in heaven, and within Joshua, is the HS Wisdom…“Her”.
Jesus was conceived in the virgin Mary by the HS (Lk.1:35 the HS came upon Mary). And John the Baptizer was filled with the HS in his mother’s womb (Lk.1:15). Speaking of Himself and John, Jesus said in Lk.7:33-35, “Wisdom is justified by her children”. Jesus, the Child conceived by Wisdom the HS, speaks of Wisdom as “her”! (As did Proverbs, etc.) Jesus’ words are authoritative and truth!
Wisdom is a personified entity or hypostásis (a Greek term used in early Christian writings) of God’s divine essence.
The Hebrew grammatical gender of Bible nouns has significance. But this doesn’t mean God the HS is literally a woman! Yet the HS grammatically and figuratively is a ‘she/her’.
In Old Testament (OT) scripture, the ancient Hebrew (Heb) language attached gender to Spirit essence. The Heb term for spirit (rúach Strongs h7307, and Aramaic rúach h7308) is feminine (fem). The Heb term for wisdom (chokmáh h2451) is fem. In the OT Septúagint/LXX and New Testament (NT), the Greek (Gr) term for wisdom is sophía g4678. Pr.7:4 “Call wisdom your sister.” Sisters are of course feminine, not masculine. In Pr.9:1-3, wisdom is “she/her”. WSir.4:11 “Wisdom exalts her children.” WSir.24:18 of Wisdom, “I AM the mother of love that is beautiful. I therefore, being eternal, am given to all My children who are picked by Him”. (Father God picks His elect; Ep.1:3-5, 17, Jn.6:44.) And Jesus knew Himself to be a Child of Wisdom/Sophia/”her” in Lk.7:35.
The dove is the most frequent symbol for the HS in early Christian art. The Heb term for dove (yonáw h3123) is fem (e.g. Ge.8:11, SS.6:9). The Heb term for breath (neshamáh h5397) is fem. (e.g. Ge.2:7; Jb.32:8 “The breath of the Almighty gives man understanding.”) Ex.25:31-37 the seven–branched holy lampstand with its oil was a symbol of the HS and tree of life. Wisdom is symbolically the central branch. Pr.4:7 “Wisdom is supreme.” The Heb term for lampstand (menoráh h4501) is also fem. Pr.3:18 “She [Wisdom] is a tree of life.” Pulpit Commentary “Wisdom becomes equally life giving.”
Elóah h433 is a Heb term for God, occurring 55 times in the OT (mostly in Job and poetic passages). Jb.27:3 “The spirit of God [Eloah h433] is in my nostrils.” The -ah ending is indicative of fem singular. The most common OT Heb term for God is Elohím h430. Elohim is a masc plural ending -im (Father and Son), combined with the fem singular root Eloah (HS/Wisdom) or possibly El. Also the modern Heb fem term ‘shekinah’ represents the Divine Presence, the fire-cloud of glory in the OT.
Heb grammar too uses masc pronouns for God. Heb & Aramaic has no neuter (no ‘it’); all nouns are masc or fem. Again, the Heb term for spirit (ruach) is fem. But unlike Heb, the Greek term for spirit (pneúma) is neuter. The Latin term for spirit (spirítus) is masc. Noun gender varies in languages. In translated languages, gender doesn’t have the significance as in the earlier inspired Hebrew scripture.
In English, translators render pronouns with the Gr pneuma/spirit (neuter) as he masc, e.g. Jn.14:26. (or it neuter, Ro.8:26 KJV.) Some of this is revisionism. This practice subconsciously makes men seem more like God than do women. Yet in 2Co.6:18, Paul wrote that God said, “You shall be sons and daughters to Me”. In Jn.14:26, the Gr masc term páraclete is translated Comforter/Helper, and refers to the Gr neuter term Spirit. Here translators chose to use the pronoun He. But since God has both masc and fem characteristics (Is.42:13-14, Ps.123:2), Heb personal noun gender is more meaningful. Later languages such as Greek, Latin, English didn’t maintain the earlier Heb gender in translations.
The most ancient of the rare Old Syriac copies, the Siniatic Pálimpsest (300s–400s AD), was found in the Covenant of St. Catherine and transcribed by Syriac Professor R.L. Bensly of Cambridge University in 1892. Jesus’ words in Jn.14:26 read: “But She—the Spirit-the Paraclete whom He will send to you-my Father in my name—She will teach you everything; She will remind you of that which I told you.” The Spirit is feminine to the Syriac church (as the ancient Aramaic ruach/spirit was fem), unlike Greek and Latin grammar.
J.J. Hurtak: “The Spirit is not called ‘it’ despite the fact that pneuma in Greek is a neuter noun. Church doctrine regards the Holy Spirit as a person, not a force like magnetism. In the Eastern Church, Spirit was always considered to have a feminine nature. She was the life-bearer of the faith.”
The Westminster Leningrad Codex (1008 AD) is the oldest complete Heb manuscript. In its ultra-literal interlinear English translation online: Is.11:2 “And she rests on him, spirit of YHVH.” Ps.143:10 “Good spirit of you Elohim, she shall guide me.” Nu.11:26 “The spirit, she is resting on them.” Ezk.37:1 “She becomes hand of YHVH on me in spirit of YHVH.” Jb.33:4 “Spirit of El, she made me; breath of Who-Suffices, she is keeping me alive.” (Ec.12:1 “Remember Ones creating you.”…“Us” in Ge.1:26.)
Pronouns in this ultra-literal translation do grammatically reflect the ancient Heb language gender. The “she” pronoun agrees with our translations of Prov, WSol, WSir…where Wisdom is “she”. Also, in this online Codex Jb.28:12-ff, Wisdom is “she”. However, most of our translations attach the pronoun “it” to wisdom in Job 28. This inconsistency may be a translational bias in Job 28…especially when we consider that wisdom is fem to Jesus in Lk.7:35 & Mt.11:19 (as well as “she” in Provs, WSol, WSir)!
From our Is.11:2, “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on Him [Messiah], the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord”. The LXX adds “godliness”. Seven attributes! And they’re all fem nouns! Wisdom is primary (Pr.4:7).
In Pr.8:12-14, Wisdom speaks in 1st Person. “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, I find knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord. Counsel is Mine. I AM understanding, strength is mine.” These attributes are all fem! Philo AI1 p.29…On Flight and Finding, p.325 “He called that Divine and heavenly Wisdom by many names….Indeed all the virtues bear the names of women.” It’s not just coincidence.
Pr.9:1-2 “Wisdom has built her house. She has hewn her seven pillars.” As wisdom was the principal branch of the seven-branched menorah (fem) in God’s tabernacle Holy Place. cf. Re.5:6 “The seven Spirits/sevenfold Spirit of God, sent into all the earth.” Barnes Notes “The seven Spirits of God, the manifold operations of the one Divine Spirit.” Pulpit Commentary Re.5:6 “The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son.” The HS is sent, Jn.14:26 & 15:26. Zec.4:10 “These seven are the eyes of the Lord which range throughout the earth.” (also the Zec.3:9 prophecy.) Ps.139:7-10 rhetorically, “Where can I go from Your Spirit [ruach fem]”. God’s (sevenfold) HS is omnipresent.
Following are the various Names/Titles of the HS in the OT. The Spirit of: Wisdom/Understanding etc. (the seven in Is.11:2 & Pr.8:12-14), Life, Truth, YHVH, Elohim, Eloah, El. (But not the Spirit of: adonaí/lord h136 or adówn/master h113.) Also in the OT God calls the HS, “My Spirit”. In the NT the HS is called the Spirit of God (Théos g2316), the Spirit of the Lord (Kúrios g2962), “The Spirit”, and the Comforter/Helper.
The Father is Lord, e.g. Mt.11:25. Jesus is Lord, e.g. Jn.13:13. But I don’t know of any Bible verse which specifically says the HS herself is Lord/master/ruler. Jesus didn’t refer to the HS as “Father”.
In the NT the HS is submissive, subservient, faceless, humble…not worshiped or prayed to directly. She’s identified by titles (e.g. “God”) from the Father, not of herself. The HS testifies of and glorifies Jesus, not herself (Jn.15:26, 16:13-14). HS Presence may arrive noticeably, but silently departs.
The dove is a symbol of the HS. The dove is said to be a very affectionate bird, harmless, very gentle. A dove doesn’t retaliate against enemies, but will retreat. Solomon wrote of his beloved in SS.5:2, “My love, my dove, my undefiled”. Ro.15:30 speaks of “the love of the Spirit”. WSol.1:6-7 “Wisdom is a Spirit that loves mankind. The Spirit of the Lord fills the world.” Philo Who is the Heir of Divine Things, 25:127 “Divine wisdom, God’s possession she is, symbolically called a turtledove.”
More verses together showing the HS Wisdom is God: Jesus says in Jn.14:21, “He who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him”. Likewise the HS Wisdom says in Pr.8:17a, “I love those who love Me”. Jesus and Wisdom (and the Father) love those who love Jesus and Wisdom. Analogous.
The Lord says in Je.29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart”. Likewise the HS Wisdom says in Pr.8:17b, “Those who diligently seek Me will find Me”. We humans will find the Lord and Wisdom when we wholeheartedly seek the Lord and Wisdom…again analogous.
Jesus says in Jn.15:16, “You should bear fruit and your fruit should remain”. The HS Wisdom says in Pr.8:19, “My fruit is better than gold”. And in Ga.5:22 Paul wrote of “the fruit of the Spirit”. The fruit & attributes of the HS (within humans) are better than gold!
The Word Jesus says in Jn.14:6, “I AM the life [zoáy g2222]”. 1Jn.1:1-2 “Concerning the Word of Life [g2222]. The eternal life [g2222] that was with the Father.” Likewise the HS Wisdom says in Pr.8:35 LXX, “Those who find Me find life [g2222]”. The HS too is eternal life/zoay! In Ga.6:8, Paul wrote of those who “from the Spirit reap eternal life [g2222]”. Re.2:7 the Paradise “tree of life” (g2222).
In Ex.34, Moses’ face shined from being in the presence of God on the mountain. Ex.34:30 “So when the Israelites saw Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him.” 1Ki.3:28 “Israel feared the king [Solomon], for they saw the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.” Solomon wrote in Ec.8:1, “A man’s wisdom makes his face to shine”. The HS Wisdom enlightens the countenance of man.
Oswald Chambers’ Christian devotional, My Utmost For His Highest, is one of the most popular religious books ever written. In it he wrote, “I am the Almighty God’ – El-Shaddái, the Father-Mother God. The one thing for which we are all being disciplined is to know that God is real.” God is both Father and Mother. El Shaddai (h7706) has been described or defined as the ‘mighty breasted One’.
Again, Jesus indicated His Mother is Wisdom, the HS. Connecting in order the following seven verses will identify the feminine HS: Jl.2:28a, Pr.1:20, 23, De.34:9a, Nu.27:18, Mt.1:18b, Lk.7:35.
Yet the church in general for much of its history has wrongly suppressed females or considered them inferior. (Having gone beyond the apostle Paul’s instructions regarding women in church assembly.)
Jewish physicist Albert Einstein said that “Israel wouldn’t experience salvation until it returned to feminine divinity”. (quoted in Patricia Taylor’s The Holy Spirit: The Feminine Nature of God.) In Jewish thought, the fem Shekinah is the Divine Presence which can be sensed within human souls. Jewish wisdom theology/sophiálogy in BC times (also in Philo) saw God’s Presence dwelling with Israel via the Shekinah. ref Ex.40:34-35 the Shekinah glory cloud!
Wisdom/Sophía/Chokmáh wasn’t a fertility goddess, like Inánna in Mesopotamia or Deméter in Greece. Mariólatry is a later Roman Catholic Church counterfeit as a substitute for Wisdom or Shekinah…the RCC’s Mary is near to goddess status, such as Ísis. (see “Holy Spirit versus Mariolatry”.)
The Jewish concept of Shekinah, along with Philo’s writings (re the Lógos/Word and Wisdom), pose continuing problems for strict Jewish monotheism! There are three ‘Persons’ within the one Godkind.
We may say the Father is the Source, Possessor, Director or Planner. The Son is the Spokesman, the Executor, Mediator, Ruler. The HS is Wisdom, the Omnipresence, the Comforter…and the Glory!
Bible Topic Exposition 