The Passion Translation New Testament Masterpiece Edition (2020 edition) : with Psalms, Proverbs and Song of Songs (The Illustrated Passion Translation) (The Passion Translation (TPT))

by Brian Simmons

7 A common poetic form of Hebraic teaching is to use a play on words, which Jesus utilizes in this poetic masterpiece with multiple words containing dual meanings. The word for “reborn” can also be translated “born from above.” f3:8 The word for “blow” can also be translated “breathe.” The word for “sound” can be translated “voice.” And the same word for “Spirit” can also mean “wind.” If our new birth is so mysterious, how much more will be the ways of living each moment by the movement of the Holy Spirit? One can understand how confused Nicodemus was, for he took everything at face value and couldn’t see a deeper meaning. g3:8 Or “The Spirit moves you as he chooses, and you hear his voice, but you don’t know where he came from or where he goes.” The Aramaic is so rich and multilayered in this passage. Perhaps it could be paraphrased as “The wind, the breath, and the Spirit are moved by mysterious moods and in their own wonderful ways. When you feel their touch and hear their voices, you know they are real, but you don’t understand how they flow and move over the earth. The same mysterious way is the way of everyone born by wind, breath, and Spirit.”