96. It says that Jehovah God blew in through the person's nostrils. In ancient times and in the Word, nostrils meant anything that was pleasing, from the idea of fragrance, which symbolizes perception. In many places, therefore, we read that Jehovah smelled a restful smell from the burnt offerings and from other offerings representing himself and his kingdom. 1 Since he finds the various aspects of love and faith most pleasing, the text says that he blew the breath of lives in through the nostrils.
For this reason Jehovah's anointed — the Lord — is called the breath [or spirit] of the nostrils (Lamentations 4:20). 2
The Lord conveyed the same idea by breathing on the disciples, as John reports:
He breathed on them and said, "Receive the holy spirit." (John 20:22)
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. On Jehovah's smelling a restful smell, see the passages cited in §925:1. [LHC]
2. The Latin word here translated "breath [or spirit]" is spiritus, a single word that means both breath and spirit, as does the Hebrew word in Lamentations (רוּחַ [rûaḥ]). The bracketed material is inserted here because English lacks a word that simultaneously implies both. See also note 2 in §97. [LHC]
