The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The analogy isn't just about the wind's unpredictability, but about its invisible power being known by its effects. We can't see the Spirit at work, but like the wind moving leaves or filling sails, His presence is evident in the transformed life of the person born anew.
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that spiritual rebirth is a mysterious work of God's Spirit, not something that can be understood or controlled by human logic. Just as the wind's origin and destination are unseen, though its effects are felt, so too is the work of the Spirit in a person's life. This teaching follows Jesus' declaration that one must be born again to see the kingdom of God, a concept Nicodemus struggles to grasp.
Have you ever felt a powerful influence you couldn't quite explain? Jesus uses a familiar force of nature to reveal something profound about God's Spirit.
Jesus compares being born of the Spirit to the wind. We hear its sound, feel its power, and see its effects – like leaves rustling or a sail filling – but we can't pinpoint its exact origin or destination.
This mystery isn't a flaw in God's plan; it's a feature.
Why does the Spirit seem to touch some lives and not others? Jesus' analogy of the wind points to a divine choice that humbles us.
The phrase 'where it wishes' (or 'where it willeth') is crucial here. It speaks to the sovereign will of God expressed through the Holy Spirit.
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Understand the original words
pneuma · Greek Noun
In this context, the Greek word (pneuma) refers to the movement of the Holy Spirit, illustrating the sovereign, mysterious, and free nature of God's regenerating work, which is observed by its effects rather than predicted or controlled by humans.
thelō · Greek Verb
Refers to the sovereign right and active decision-making of the Holy Spirit in applying the grace of regeneration to whom He wills, emphasizing the independence of God's saving activity from human effort.
This passage vividly describes God's Spirit breathing life into dry bones, mirroring how the Spirit brings new spiritual life to those who are spiritually dead, unseen yet powerful in its work.
1 Corinthians 2:14It highlights the natural person's inability to understand or receive the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned, much like not knowing the origin or destination of the wind.
Acts 2:1-4The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is described with the sound of a rushing wind, showing a tangible effect of the Spirit's presence, even if the Spirit itself is not directly seen.
Romans 8:5-9This passage contrasts the mindset of the flesh with the mindset of the Spirit, illustrating the profound internal shift that occurs when one is indwelt by the Spirit, a change initiated by the Spirit's sovereign work.
Ecclesiastes 11:5The verse mentions not knowing 'the way of the Spirit' in nature, drawing a parallel to our limited understanding of the Spirit's work in bringing about new birth.
ellicottJohn 3:8: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."
(8) The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof. —Better (see Note below), the Spirit breatheth where He willeth, and thou hearest His voice. These words are an explanation of the spiritual birth, the necessity of which has been asserted in the previous verses. They must have come to Ni…
calvinJohn 3:7-12: "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
- Wonder not that I said to thee, You must be born again. 8. The wind bloweth where it pleaseth, and thou hearest its voice; but knowest not whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9. Nicodemus answered, and said to him, How can these things be? 10. Jesus answered, and said to him, Thou art a teacher of Israel, and knowest you not these things? 11. Verily, verily, I say to thee,…
The analogy isn't just about the wind's unpredictability, but about its invisible power being known by its effects. We can't see the Spirit at work, but like the wind moving leaves or filling sails, His presence is evident in the transformed life of the person born anew.
Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that spiritual rebirth is a mysterious work of God's Spirit, not something that can be understood or controlled by human logic. Just as the wind's origin and destination are unseen, though its effects are felt, so too is the work of the Spirit in a person's life. This teaching follows Jesus' declaration that one must be born again to see the kingdom of God, a concept Nicodemus struggles to grasp.
Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that spiritual rebirth is a mysterious work of God's Spirit, not something that can be understood or controlled by human logic. Just as the wind's origin and destination are unseen, though its effects are felt, so too is the work of the Spirit in a person's life. This teaching follows Jesus' declaration that one must be born again to see the kingdom of God, a concept Nicodemus struggles to grasp.
"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”" — The analogy isn't just about the wind's unpredictability, but about its invisible power being known by its effects. We can't see the Spirit at work, but like the wind moving leaves or filling sai…
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Last reviewed October 2026