Ghost
Summary
An old English word meaning spirit or soul, preserved in Scripture primarily in the phrases 'Holy Ghost' and 'give up the ghost.'
☩Terminology
The word 'ghost' is of Saxon origin (German 'Geist') and was equivalent to 'spirit' or 'soul' in earlier English. It translates the Hebrew 'nephesh' (breath, soul) and Greek 'pneuma' (spirit). The American Standard Version consistently changed 'Holy Ghost' to 'Holy Spirit' to reflect modern usage.
☩Give Up the Ghost
The phrase 'to give up the ghost' means simply to die, to breathe out one's last breath. Several Hebrew and Greek words convey this idea: 'gawa' (to expire), 'ekpneo' (to breathe out), and 'ekpsycho' (to breathe out one's last). When Scripture says Jesus 'gave up his spirit,' some see volition in His death as a self-offering, though the Greek phrases were common expressions for death generally.
Related Verses108 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Ghost," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. III (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Ghost," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.James Hastings (ed.), "Ghost," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).
- 4.George Morrish, "Ghost," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).