4154. pneó

Lexical Summary

pneó: To blow, to breathe

Original Word: πνέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: pneó
Pronunciation: pneh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (pneh'-o)
KJV: blow
NASB: blew, blowing, blow, blows, wind
Word Origin: [a primary word]

1. to breathe hard, i.e. breeze

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

blow.

A primary word; to breathe hard, i.e. Breeze -- blow. Compare psucho.

see GREEK psucho

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. verb
Definition
to blow
NASB Translation
blew (2), blow (1), blowing (2), blows (1), wind (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4154: πνέω

πνέω; 1 aorist ἔπνευσα; from Homer down; to breathe, to blow: of the wind, Matthew 7:25, 27; Luke 12:55; John 3:8; John 6:18; Revelation 7:1; τῇ πνεούσῃ namely, αὔρα (cf. Winers Grammar, 591 (550); (Buttmann, 82 (72))), Acts 27:40. (Compare: ἐκπνέω, ἐνπνέω, ὑποπνέω.)

Topical Lexicon

Overview of the Verb’s Imagery

Strong’s Greek 4154 portrays the dynamic action of wind that can range from a gentle breeze to a driving storm. Scripture uses the verb to evoke power, unpredictability, and the sovereignty of God who both sends and restrains the winds (Job 37:9-13; compare Revelation 7:1). Because breath and wind are closely linked ideas in biblical thought, the term naturally becomes a vehicle for teaching about the Holy Spirit, divine judgment, and the believer’s endurance.

Occurrences in Gospel Narratives

1. Matthew 7:25, 27. When Jesus warns about the storms that test the wise and foolish builders, “the winds blew” (ἔπνευσαν) functions as a vivid symbol of life’s adversities and of eschatological judgment. Only a life founded on obedience to Christ withstands such God-permitted forces.
2. John 3:8. Jesus tells Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it wishes… So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” The verb underscores the Spirit’s sovereign, invisible initiative in regeneration, reminding readers that new birth is entirely God-wrought.
3. John 6:18. A “strong wind was blowing” while the disciples struggled at sea until Jesus came to them. The episode illustrates how threatening circumstances are under Christ’s control and provide occasions for greater faith.
4. Luke 12:55. Jesus notes the wind “blowing from the south” as an example of people’s ability to read natural signs while remaining spiritually undiscerning. The verb supports His call to interpret the present redemptive moment.

Eschatological Restraint and Judgment

Revelation 7:1 presents four angels “holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing.” Here the verb pictures the temporary suspension of divine judgments until the servants of God are sealed. God’s mastery over the forces of nature highlights His precise timing in redemptive history and assures believers that wrath never falls indiscriminately on His people.

Pneumatological Resonance

Because Scripture frequently associates wind with God’s Spirit (Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 37:9-14; Acts 2:2), every usage of 4154 invites theological reflection on the Spirit’s activity. John 3:8 explicitly links the unseen wind with the regenerating work of the Spirit, teaching that spiritual life cannot be engineered by human effort. Pastoral ministry therefore points seekers to sovereign grace rather than self-improvement.

Historical and Cultural Background

First-century Mediterranean life was keenly aware of prevailing winds that governed agriculture, navigation, and daily comfort. Sailors on the routes Paul traveled knew that a favorable wind could mean safe passage, while a sudden gale could spell disaster. Acts 27:40 records that after casting off anchors, the sailors “let the ship run before the wind” (πνεούσῃ). The narrative embodies the precarious dependence of human plans on natural forces—and ultimately on God, who delivered Paul for gospel purposes.

Theological and Pastoral Applications

• Trials: Like the house that stood amid the winds, believers withstand adversity by building on Christ’s words.
• Sovereignty: Winds blow “where they wish,” yet never outside God’s decree; this comforts the church in chaotic times.
• Evangelism: John 3:8 shapes a humble evangelistic posture—sowing faithfully while trusting the Spirit to give life.
• Discernment: Luke 12:55 challenges congregations to read spiritual signs with at least the same diligence given to weather forecasts.
• Hope: Revelation 7:1 assures persecuted saints that divine restraint operates until every elect person is sealed.

Summary of Key Themes

Strong’s Greek 4154 weaves together the biblical motifs of divine power, judgment, and new creation. Whether illustrating storms that test foundations, the Spirit’s regenerative work, or eschatological restraint, the verb consistently directs attention to God’s active governance of both nature and salvation history. The believer responds with trust, obedience, and expectation, knowing that every wind that blows ultimately serves the purposes of the Lord of heaven and earth.

Forms and Transliterations

επνευσαν έπνευσαν ἔπνευσαν έπνευσεν πνεη πνέη πνέῃ πνει πνεί πνεῖ πνεοντα πνέοντα πνεοντος πνέοντος πνεουση πνεούση πνεούσῃ πνεύσει epneusan épneusan pnee pneē pnéei pnéēi pnei pneî pneonta pnéonta pneontos pnéontos pneouse pneousē pneoúsei pneoúsēi

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 7:25 V-AIA-3P
GRK: ποταμοὶ καὶ ἔπνευσαν οἱ ἄνεμοι
NAS: and the winds blew and slammed against
KJV: and the winds blew, and beat upon
INT: streams and blew the winds

Matthew 7:27 V-AIA-3P
GRK: ποταμοὶ καὶ ἔπνευσαν οἱ ἄνεμοι
NAS: and the winds blew and slammed against
KJV: and the winds blew, and beat upon
INT: streams and blew the winds

Luke 12:55 V-PPA-AMS
GRK: ὅταν νότον πνέοντα λέγετε ὅτι
NAS: [you see] a south wind blowing, you say,
KJV: [ye see] the south wind blow, ye say,
INT: when a south wind [is] blowing you say

John 3:8 V-PIA-3S
GRK: ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ καὶ τὴν
NAS: The wind blows where it wishes
KJV: The wind bloweth where it listeth,
INT: where it wills blows and the

John 6:18 V-PPA-GMS
GRK: ἀνέμου μεγάλου πνέοντος διεγείρετο
NAS: up because a strong wind was blowing.
KJV: by reason of a great wind that blew.
INT: by a wind strong blowing was agitated

Acts 27:40 V-PPA-DFS
GRK: ἀρτέμωνα τῇ πνεούσῃ κατεῖχον εἰς
NAS: the foresail to the wind, they were heading
KJV: the mainsail to the wind, and made
INT: foresail to the wind they made for

Revelation 7:1 V-PSA-3S
GRK: ἵνα μὴ πνέῃ ἄνεμος ἐπὶ
NAS: wind would blow on the earth
KJV: should not blow on the earth,
INT: that not might blow wind on

Strong's Greek 4154
7 Occurrences

ἔπνευσαν — 2 Occ.
πνέῃ — 1 Occ.
πνεῖ — 1 Occ.
πνέοντα — 1 Occ.
πνέοντος — 1 Occ.
πνεούσῃ — 1 Occ.