"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." -Exodus 20:12
Welcome back to our blog!
Happy Mother's Day!
Today, I want to explore a very interesting theory that I heard long ago:
that The Holy Spirit is female.
What do you think about this theory? Have you heard it before? Does it make you suspicious or skeptical?
I'll admit that I was a little skeptical of it at first. The idea of GOD being a woman does sometimes have occult roots after all.
After some Bible study, however, I am now convinced that this theory makes perfect sense in light of scripture and GOD's creation. In this blog post, I want to explore this theory in-depth using GOD's Holy Word.
We will consider three different arguments in favor of The Holy Spirit being female:
GOD's design for marriage, sex, and family (the Holy Triangle)
Mankind being created in GOD's image (the Holy Triangle)
Gender in the Hebrew language and the Holy Spirit's original Hebrew name
Finally, we will look at a couple of interesting implications of The Holy Spirit being female:
Christ's conception
The intrinsic value of women
By the end of the article, I hope to convince you through scripture and a bit of word study that the Holy Spirit is female. That said, if you still disagree with me at the end of this post, it's A-okay.
The gender of the Holy Spirit is not an issue of salvation, and it is not my intention to cause division or stumbling. So let us continue to show love for one another even if we respectfully disagree.
Now, because of the controversy surrounding sex, marriage, and family planning, I feel the need to state that this post is concerned specifically with the Biblical view of sex, marriage, and family. If you do not personally believe in the Bible, then of course no one expects you to live according to Biblical principles. That said, those who are interested in living this way should have the freedom and the right to pursue the lifestyle of their choice.The Holy Triangle and The Family Unit
We serve and believe in the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Holy Spirit being female does not contradict this belief.
We also believe in the Holy Trinity, which is made up of:
God the Father
God the Son
The Holy Spirit
As I listed out the members of the Holy Trinity, you may have noticed something quite odd.
We have a Father. We have a Son.
But the Mother is missing.
This is the first argument in favor of the Holy Spirit being female. Having a Father, a Son, and a Mother makes perfect sense in light of GOD's creation. Furthermore, not considering that The Holy Spirit is female makes it difficult for us to understand GOD's design for marriage and reproduction.
When GOD made mankind and the family unit, He created them to reflect the Godhead.
Each member of the human family can find themselves within the Holy Trinity:
note: YAHOASHUA is Christ's Hebrew name. RUAK HA'KODESH is the Holy Spirit's Hebrew name, as we will discuss in detail later.
When we compare the family unit with the Holy Trinity, we gain a few insights:
Every single individual is a complete person, made in GOD's image: whether they are male or female, adult or child.
Marriage - a man and a woman choosing to become one- reflects GOD's image: YAHWEH + RUAK HA'KODESH = Man + Woman
Reproduction, a man and a woman having or adopting a child, also reflects GOD's image: YAHWEH + RUAK HA'KODESH = YAHOASHUA: Man + Woman = Child.
Since we are created beings, I would like to talk about the concept of design and a maker's intent. Let's take a step back and consider a seemingly unrelated topic: cars and gasoline.
Cars are designed by their makers to run on gasoline.
You are free to put orange juice in your tank if you want to, but this is not good for your car. The car's maker will have told you so via the user manual.
Well, the user manual may not warn of orange juice specifically, but it will specify gasoline as the only suitable fuel source.
This is not because the car's maker wants to control you, or has some strange prejudice against other liquids. That goes without saying though, doesn't it?
We would never assume that the maker of a vehicle has negative intent, nor would we assume that the maker is prejudiced or uptight because they won't let us put orange juice in our gas tank.
Unfortunately, society tends to leverage these kinds of accusations against GOD, our Maker.
Even believers can make the mistake of assuming that GOD doesn't have our well-being in mind where sex and marriage are concerned.
I have heard people accuse GOD of being controlling, tyrannical, or prudish...
Nothing could be further from the truth.
GOD created sex.
GOD wanted the best for mankind relationally; He brought Eve to Adam so that Adam might have a wife and Eve might have a husband.
Also, It was GOD Who commanded mankind to be fruitful and to multiply.
How quick we are to forget this.
GOD loves mankind and GOD is not anti-sex.
This said we must remember that GOD designed mankind with certain specifications, and GOD designed sex to take place within specific parameters.
Sex is designed to take place within the confines of monogamous, lifelong marriage.
We are designed to reflect GOD's image. This is how GOD made us.
Ergo, the more like GOD we are, the more human we are.
And the image of GOD that we are given is that of a
Man (YAHWEH)-
Woman (RUAK HA'KODESH, The Holy Spirit) and
Child (YAHOASHUA, Christ).
The Godhead is the great example that we are to follow in our romantic and familial relationships.
Obviously, GOD has made it so that couples are capable of being fruitful and producing more than one child. So within the human family unit, we may see Man - Woman - Child(ren). Even so, the pattern still holds:
One man and One woman, producing a Child (or children).
Within this model, there is no indication of multiple husbands or multiple wives.
Scripture says that our tendency to step outside of this model is a result of the fall, not GOD's design.
It wasn't until generations after the fall of man that we see our first polygamist, Lamech, who was no one to emulate. After all, he sings about his penchant for violence and revenge.
Scripture also says that we fail our own bodies when we step outside of this man-woman- child(ren) model.
Similar to how we fail our car when we put liquids other than gasoline in its tank. Putting orange juice in your gas tank doesn't merely damage your car; it puts your life at risk and jeopardizes the safety of all other drivers on the road with you.
I would like to postulate that our sexual decisions should not be selfish as they never affect us alone; they affect our partner(s), our children, and society at large in the form of STDs, STIs, poorly raised or abandoned children, broken hearts, and damaged psyches.
GOD has given us these guidelines for marriage, sex, and family planning, for the same reason that He has given us any other set of guidelines: to keep us well and happy.
The Holy Triangle, Sex, and Marriage
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24
We've discussed the family unit and the Holy Triangle. Let's explore the subjects of sex and marriage in greater detail, keeping in mind that humans bear GOD's image.
The Godhead is made up of three distinct Individuals, yet the GOD of Israel is ONE.
Humans mirror this reality when they marry and form families. Man cleaves to Woman and they become One.
Remember that men reflect YAHWEH and women reflect RUAK HA'KODESH.
Since the femininity of the Holy Spirit is the focus of this post, let's compare the Holy Spirit and wives:
"Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." -Genesis 2:18
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever" -John 14:16.
A wife's role is that of a helper, just like the Holy Spirit's. I don't believe that this similarity is a mere coincidence, considering all of the other evidence outlined in this blog post.
Another thing to address here is the topic of monogamy; man was given a helper, one helper. We can see GOD's original design for sex and marriage in Genesis, before the fall of man:
"And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." -Genesis 2:22-25
GOD did not give Adam multiple wives, nor did He give Eve multiple husbands.
The two of them were given to one another and they became one flesh.
This principle of monogamy carries through to the New Testament as well:
"But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband." -1 Corinthians 7:2
Believers are also given instructions on how to conduct themselves once the marriage has taken place. Both the wife and the husband are to put GOD first, obeying the Lord in all things.
Wives are to submit to their own husbands as to the Lord. This means that women are to respect their husbands and honor them; the husband gets the final word on what decisions are made for the family.
Submission is another controversial issue because it has been used by abusers to justify their abuse of and or control over their wives and children.
Abuse is a perversion of Godly submission.
Submission is not tolerating or turning a blind eye to abusive behavior.
Submission is not tolerating sinful behavior (i.e. cheating, selfishness, lying, neglect of one's family).
Submission is not allowing the other person to exercise power and control over the rest of the family members.
The husband is not a boss, but a leader in his home and family (second to GOD). Let's explore the definition of a leader. A leader does not abuse or exploit his followers for personal gain. Nor does a leader make decisions that are in his best interests alone. When a leader makes a decision, he will have done so with the best interests of the whole group in mind. This may require self-sacrifice on his part from time to time.
This brings us to the second point: the husband's role in marriage. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Christ's love is self-sacrificial. Husbands should also keep in mind that though they are the head of their family, they still answer to GOD. Therefore they should strive to obey GOD in all things, just as their wives should.
If both the husband and the wife work to be obedient to GOD, then love, respect, trust, and joy in one another's company should be the result.
If a woman disrespects, abuses, or fails to love her husband, then she is not being obedient to GOD. If a man disrespects, abuses, or fails to love his wife, then he is not being obedient to GOD.
To summarize, let's look at an excerpt from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians:
"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." -Ephesians 5:22-33
Apostle Paul reiterates that two are to become one.
Male cleaves to female and they become one flesh; out of their union, a child is born.
The Holy Triangle and The Creation of Mankind
"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" -Genesis 1:26-27
Let's consider the creation of mankind, whom GOD made in His image:
Note the use of the words 'us' and 'our' in the scripture above. These words reference the triune nature of the Godhead. GOD is not a single individual, but rather a unit made up of three distinct Persons: two male and one female. Humanity reflects the two genders present within the Godhead; "male and female he created them."
Each individual person, male and female, is made in the image of GOD.
Women specifically are a reflection of the Holy Spirit. Men are a reflection of God the Father, and children are a reflection of the Son of GOD.
As previously stated, we have a Father (YAHWEH) and a Son (YAHOASHUA).
But then, where is God the Mother in scripture?
Reading the English translation, you might conclude that there isn't one;
rather, there is a mysterious male Holy Spirit.
We contest this and firmly believe that GOD has shown us otherwise.
Gender in the Hebrew Language:
The Holy Spirit's Feminine Hebrew Name
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters," Genesis 1:1-2
This brings us to our next point: the Hebrew language and The Holy Spirit's name.
I would like to discuss the significance of the Holy Spirit's original Hebrew name, RUAK HA'KODESH, in terms of the Holy Spirit's gender.
RUAK is a feminine Hebrew name which translates to Breath or Spirit.
KODESH is a gerund (a noun derived from a verb) meaning "[the] Holy;" it has been modified in the ancient Hebrew to reflect the feminine gender of the Person (The Spirit).
To better explain my point, I will analyze the word Kodesh, as it is used to name The Holy Spirit.
My reference is Isaiah 63:11 in both the English KJV and the Hebrew Masoretic text. I will post the scripture both in English and in Hebrew.
English:
Hebrew:
RUAK HA'KODESH is boxed in red above.
The Hebrew word that we are focused on is the word KODESH, which means [the] Holy:
Kodesh is a Hebrew noun which is derived from the Hebrew verb Qadash (to be holy). Qadash is written like so:
You don't have to learn the Hebrew alphabet to understand what I would like to share with you.
All that you have to pay attention to are the circled accent marks below.
Compare them:
Qadash is the root word from which Kodesh is derived. It is a masculine verb.
Kodesh can be written as either a masculine noun or a feminine noun; the accents tell you whether it is masculine or feminine. In the case of the Holy Spirit (RUAK HA'KODESH), the feminine variation is always used.
How I know that this is the feminine variation:
The answer is simple- Hebrew grammar.
In Hebrew, verbs are conjugated in the simple perfect tense (Qal perfect tense) in order to reflect the masculine or feminine gender of the Person, place, or thing.
Check out the Qal (simple) perfect tense verbs using this resource.
As you can see, the feminine conjugation uses the accent marks circled above (the komatz and shva).
The key thing to understand here is that Kodesh is a gerund (a noun derived from a verb). Therefore, the Qal grammar rules apply even though Kodesh is technically a noun. It is modified as a Hebrew verb (in the simple perfect tense). Note that the Biblical author(s) took care repetitively to conjugate Kodesh as feminine- not masculine.
This strongly indicates that the Holy Spirit is female.
You see, the Hebrew language makes sharp distinctions between masculine persons and feminine persons. Therefore, it is unlikely that a feminine noun and a feminine gerund would have been used to name a male person- let alone a Male member of the Hebrew Godhead.
Of course, there are always exceptions; the noun used for mother is technically a masculine noun. However, these exceptions are often seen when the sex (gender) of the person is absolutely known; a mother can only be female, for example.
In the case of the Holy Spirit, feminine nouns are always used to dispel confusion.
Though the Holy Spirit's female gender has been lost in the English translation of the Bible, it is plain to see in the ancient Hebrew translation of the Old Testament.
I would like to point out some of the differences between Ancient Hebrew and English.
In English, it is often impossible to deduce the subject's gender by looking at the nouns, adjectives, articles, verbs, or other parts of speech.
Consider the following English sentence:
1. A tall individual jumped.
Is the tall individual a man or a woman?
There is no way to tell.
The article (A) says nothing about the person's gender,
nor does the adjective (tall),
the verb (jumped)
or the noun (individual) itself.
Compared to other languages, English is relatively gender-neutral. In many cases, you have to explicitly state the gender of a person or imply it through your word choice (handsome vs. beautiful, for example).
In many other languages, ancient Hebrew especially, nearly every part of speech is modified to reflect the gender of the person. You can think about Latin-based languages like Spanish or French for the sake of comparison. Take a look at our English sentence in French and notice the obvious differences.
1. Un individu grand a sauté (man).
2. Une individuelle grande a sautée (woman).
You don't have to speak French to see that 'elle' and 'e' have been added to the ends of certain words. A French speaker would know immediately that the individual in the first sentence is a man and the individual in the second is a woman. There is no need to explicitly state this.
Ancient Hebrew is very similar to French in this way. In ancient Hebrew, all nouns are classified according to their gender (masculine or feminine). RUAK, for example, is a feminine noun, as we mentioned previously. In this case, this is because the Holy Spirit Herself is female.
Furthermore, adjectives, active and passive participles, pronouns, and pronominal suffixes change their endings in order to agree with the gender of the term they refer to.
KODESH, a gerund, has been modified with the komatz and shva Hebrew accents to reflect the female gender of The Holy Spirit.
Finally, in Hebrew, the presence of a verb with feminine gender indicates a female Person. Review the French sentences above to get a clearer sense of what I mean:
if a female person jumped (sautée), then the verb 'jump' will be written to reflect her gender. If a male person jumped (sauté), then the verb 'jump' will be written to reflect his masculine gender. Hebrew is the same way, including where the Qal (simple) perfect tense is concerned.
Simply put, in ancient Hebrew, every part of speech will be modified to reflect a Female's feminine gender, or a Male's masculine gender- unless modification is not needed to communicate gender (as in the case of the Hebrew word 'mother').
It goes without saying that this includes The Holy Spirit: The Most High GOD of the Hebrew people.
Just like a French speaker would not need to be told which jumping individual is male and which is female, an ancient Hebrew speaker would not need to be explicitly told which members of the Godhead are Male and which is Female. The accents and the pronunciation of the words would have let them know.
Unfortunately, this linguistic distinction between male and female is largely lost in the English translation. This is a shame for multiple reasons: most of them having to do with the aforementioned topics- like sex, marriage, family life, and healthy gender dynamics.
The Implications of a Female Holy Spirit
While we're on the subject of sex and reproduction, I want to point out the implications of a Female Holy Spirit coming upon the virgin Mary.
Some have speculated that the Holy Spirit coming upon Mary was sexual:
a male GOD coupling with a virgin human Mary.
If the Holy Spirit is female, which we believe She is, then this theory falls short of the truth.
If the Holy Spirit is female, then Mary was essentially a surrogate;
in other words, all of YAHOASHUA's DNA came directly from YAHWEH and RUAK HA'KODESH.
Mary was His mother in the sense that she was pregnant with Him and had a part in raising Him. Genetically speaking though, Christ was not Mary's son. His DNA would have been that of His Mother (RUAK HA'KODESH) and His Father (YAHWEH).
This contradicts the notion that YAHOASHUA was somehow a demigod, like the Greek god Hercules who was born of a human woman and Zeus.
On the contrary, YAHOASHUA (Christ) is fully GOD.
Another possibility here is that the embryo placed in Mary was a new Creation entirely- with neither the egg nor the sperm coming from a human line. This makes sense, as YAHOASHUA is called the second Adam.
In either case, Mary's egg was not used.
The embryo (YAHOASHUA) was an entirely new creation and His DNA reflects YAHWEH (sperm) + RUAK HA'KODESH (egg).
It's so fascinating to consider that even on a biological level, Christ was GOD made flesh. We could discuss this topic at length if there weren't other important implications to consider:
The Innate Value of Women
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered." 1 Peter 3:7
Women were made in GOD's image and they are heirs of GOD's grace (with men).
Therefore, women were not created to be abused, stepped on, used for sex or breeding, collected like trinkets, or ruled over like the beasts of the field.
One consequence of not understanding that the Holy Spirit is female is an inability to see women as fully human and to treat them as such.
Women themselves have lost the ability to see the feminine within the Godhead. Moreover, men too have lost the ability to see women within the Godhead.
This loss of perspective may negatively impact how some men see and treat the women in their lives, and how some women view and treat themselves.
We would do well to understand and remember that women are made in GOD's image, just as men are. Women should be held in honor like men are, as both have intrinsic value in GOD's eyes.
What do you think about this topic?
Share your thoughts with us down below (even if you respectfully disagree).
Thank you for reading and GOD bless!
-Twelve Brothers