Does the Holy Spirit have a gender?

Quick answer

The Holy Spirit is referred to with masculine pronouns in Scripture, emphasizing His personhood, not human gender. While God transcends male and female, it is accurate to speak of the Spirit as “He,” rather than “it” or “she.”

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Holy Spirit is consistently referred to with masculine pronouns in Scripture, emphasizing His personhood, rather than describing an impersonal force. While the Hebrew word ruach is grammatically feminine, and the Greek word pneuma is neuter, these linguistic forms for "spirit" do not indicate the Spirit’s gender. The Spirit performs actions that only a person can do, such as guiding, convicting, interceding, and performing miracles. Jesus specifically calls the Spirit “He” and describes Him as a Helper, who teaches and leads into truth. Ultimately, God transcends human gender, so while it is appropriate to refer to the Holy Spirit in masculine terms, He is fully Spirit and not male or female in a human sense.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Hebrew word for “spirit,” ruach, is grammatically feminine in some passages (e.g., Genesis 1:2), but this does not indicate a female identity. The Spirit’s actions and personhood, consistent throughout Scripture, show that God transcends human gender categories.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

The Holy Spirit is referred to as a person, not an impersonal force. The Holy Spirit has insight (1 Corinthians 2:10–11), knowledge (Romans 8:27), and a will (1 Corinthians 12:11). The Holy Spirit also performs many actions only a person could accomplish, including convicting people of sin (John 16:8), doing miracles (Acts 8:39), and guiding humans (John 16:13).
Actions can also be directed toward the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can be lied to (Acts 5:3), resisted (Acts 7:51), grieved (Ephesians 4:30), blasphemed (Matthew 12:31), and insulted (Hebrews 10:29).
Jesus calls the Spirit “He” (parakletos), saying, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper… he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:16, 26).
In John 16:8 and 13, the Spirit is described with masculine pronouns, guiding believers into truth and convicting the world of sin: “When he comes, he will convict… he will guide you into all the truth.”
The Spirit intercedes with groanings, emphasizing personhood: “The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

In the Bible, God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ, are both addressed as male. What about the Holy Spirit? Often, people refer to the Holy Spirit as "it," yet Scripture refers to the Holy Spirit as a male, just as it does for the Father and the Son. Some critics point out that the Greek word for "spirit," pneuma, is neuter (not gender specific) or that the Hebrew Old Testament word for "spirit," ruach, is used as feminine in Genesis 1:2. However, the gender of a word in Hebrew or Greek does not specifically indicate the gender of what the word identifies. As an example, in English, we often refer to a boat or a nice car as "she" (as in, "Ain't she a beauty?"). However, the boat itself is not female.

But is the Holy Spirit male, female, or neither? From a grammatical standpoint, the words used to refer to the Holy Spirit are consistently masculine. Theologically speaking, we must remember that God is not human, and therefore, does not fit within our definitions of male or female. It is appropriate to speak of the Holy Spirit in male terms, as Scripture does, but we must understand that God is wholly other and does not exist in the same form as we do (with the exception of Jesus as God in human form).

There is no justification for belief in a female member of the Trinity. However, God is Spirit and exists in a form that defies male/female categories. The Bible uses masculine terms to refer to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is a "He," not an "it" or a "she."

UNDERSTAND

The Holy Spirit is called “He” in Scripture.
The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity.
Hebrew and Greek word genders don’t define the Spirit’s gender, and God transcends human male/female categories.

REFLECT

How does understanding the Holy Spirit as a personal “He,” rather than an impersonal “it,” affect the way you relate to Him in prayer and daily life?
How does recognizing that God transcends human gender help you trust His guidance beyond human limitations?
How might your view of the Holy Spirit change if you focus on His actions and personhood, rather than trying to assign human characteristics like male or female?

ENGAGE

How can we explain to others that the masculine pronouns for the Holy Spirit emphasize personhood, not literal gender?
How does seeing the Holy Spirit as a Helper, who guides, convicts, and intercedes, deepen our understanding of His role in our lives?
What do we learn about God in the fact that He transcends male and female categories yet is still referred to using male pronouns?