1720. emphusaó

Lexical Summary

emphusaó: To breathe into, to blow upon

Original Word: ἐμφυσάω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: emphusaó
Pronunciation: em-foo-SAH-oh
Phonetic Spelling: (em-foo-sah'-o)
KJV: breathe on
NASB: breathed
Word Origin: [from G1722 (ἔν - among) and phusao "to puff"]

1. to blow at or on

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

breathe on.

From en and phusao (to puff) (compare phuo); to blow at or on -- breathe on.

see GREEK en

see GREEK phuo

HELPS Word-studies

1720 emphysáō (from 1722 /en, "in" and physaō, "breathe, blow") – properly, breathe (blow) in. 1720 (emphysáō) is only used in Jn 20:22 where Christ breathed into the apostles. By "breathing in Christ's inbreathing," 1720 (emphysáō) prefigures "the promise of the Father," fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Lk 24:49; Ac 1:4; Ac 2:1f).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from en and phusaó (to blow)
Definition
to breathe into or upon
NASB Translation
breathed (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 1720: ἐμφυσάω

ἐμφυσάω, ἐμφύσω (see ἐν, III. 3): 1 aorist ἐνεφύσησα; to blow or breathe on: τινα, John 20:22, where Jesus, after the manner of the Hebrew prophets, expresses by the symbolic act of breathing upon the apostles the communication of the Holy Spirit to them — having in view the primary meaning of the words רוּחַ and πνεῦμα (cf. e. g. Ezekiel 37:5). (the Sept.; Dioscorides (?), Aretaeus (?), Geoponica, others; (to inflate, Aristotle, others).)

Topical Lexicon

Overview

A solitary appearance of the verb ἐνεφύσησεν occurs in John 20:22, where the risen Jesus breathes on His gathered disciples and imparts the Holy Spirit. The act is saturated with Old Testament echoes, creation motifs, and ecclesiological implications that illuminate the nature of new-creation life in Christ and the Spirit-empowered mission of the Church.

Old Testament Background

• Creation: Genesis 2:7 records, “Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.” The Septuagint uses the same verb family, establishing an explicit literary bridge between the first Adam’s physical life and the Last Adam’s bestowal of spiritual life (1 Corinthians 15:45).
• Resurrection imagery: Ezekiel 37:9–10 describes the breath entering the valley of dry bones, previewing a corporate resurrection that mirrors the corporate renewing of the disciples in John 20.
• Prophetic miracles: Incidents such as 1 Kings 17:21 and 2 Kings 4:34, where prophets stretch over dead children and breathe, prefigure divine life-giving intervention and anticipate Christ’s definitive act.

New Testament Occurrence (John 20:22)

“After saying this, He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ ” (John 20:22)
• Timing: Evening of Resurrection Sunday, prior to Pentecost.
• Audience: The gathered disciples, representative of the nascent Church.
• Result: Immediate bestowal of the Spirit’s indwelling presence; empowerment for the forgiveness-proclamation ministry articulated in John 20:23.

Theological Themes

Creation and New Creation
• Just as God’s breath transformed lifeless dust into a living soul, Jesus’ breath transforms fearful followers into Spirit-indwelt witnesses (2 Corinthians 5:17).
• The action proclaims the inauguration of the new covenant era promised in Jeremiah 31:33 and Ezekiel 36:27.

Christology
• The risen Lord exercises divine prerogative, underscoring His identity as Yahweh in the flesh.
• The breath motif reveals Jesus as the agent of both original and renewed creation (Colossians 1:16–18).

Pneumatology
• Provides a Johannine complement to the Pentecost narrative (Acts 2). John highlights the internal, regenerative aspect, whereas Acts emphasizes outward power and proclamation; together they portray a unified work of the Spirit.
• Demonstrates that reception of the Spirit is inseparable from the person and work of Christ (John 7:39; John 14:16–17).

Ecclesiology
• Marks the formal constitution of the Church as a Spirit-breathed community.
• Establishes the disciples as emissaries authorized to declare the gospel and mediate forgiveness (John 20:23; Matthew 28:18–20).

Historical Reception

• Early Church writers (e.g., Irenaeus, Augustine) interpreted the act as the moment the apostles were reborn, paralleling Adam’s animation.
• Reformers emphasized the sufficiency of Christ’s word and breath to grant the Spirit apart from human ritual, reinforcing sola gratia.
• Evangelical scholarship generally views John 20:22 as a real impartation distinct from, yet complementary to, the Pentecostal outpouring.

Ministry Implications

1. Dependence on Christ: Authentic ministry originates in the life Christ breathes, not in human ingenuity (John 15:5).
2. Spirit-empowered witness: The same breath that animated the disciples continues to animate the Church’s mission (Acts 1:8).
3. Assurance of New Life: Believers possess resurrection life now, guaranteeing future bodily resurrection (Romans 8:11).
4. Communal Identity: The Church is fundamentally a Spirit-created family, called to reflect the unity and holiness produced by the indwelling Breath of God (Ephesians 4:3–4).

Key Cross-References for Study

Genesis 2:7; 1 Kings 17:21; 2 Kings 4:34; Job 33:4; Psalm 33:6; Ezekiel 37:9–10; John 3:5–8; John 20:22–23; Acts 2:1–4; Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 15:45; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:1–10.

Doctrinal Affirmations

• The Spirit’s indwelling originates directly from the risen Christ.
• New-creation life is both instantaneous and transformative.
• The authority to proclaim forgiveness rests on Christ’s completed atonement and the Spirit’s present work.

Practical Reflection

In personal devotion and corporate worship, believers are invited to receive afresh the life-giving breath of Christ, walking in holiness, unity, and mission until the final consummation when the Lord “makes all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

Forms and Transliterations

εμφύσησον εμφυσήσω εμφυσών ενεφύσησε ενεφυσησεν ενεφύσησεν ἐνεφύσησεν enephusesen enephusēsen enephysesen enephysēsen enephýsesen enephýsēsen

Englishman's Concordance

John 20:22 V-AIA-3S
GRK: τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐνεφύσησεν καὶ λέγει
NAS: this, He breathed on them and said
KJV: this, he breathed on [them], and
INT: this having said he breathed into [them] and says

Strong's Greek 1720
1 Occurrence

ἐνεφύσησεν — 1 Occ.