Quick Definition
ἐμφυσάω v. I breathe into, breathe upon
Strong's Definition
from 1722 and phusao (to puff) (compare 5453); to blow at or on
KJV Usage: breathe on
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | φυσάω (blow, puff)
23.185 · Physiological Processes and States · Breathe, Breath
to breathe on to breathe upon something The process of breathing on someone may have very important symbolic implications. In some instances this can be related to a blessing, as in JHN 20:22, but in some languages the act of breathing on a person almost inevitably suggests some harmful influence, often connected with the use of black magic. It may therefore be important to select some less specific term so as to avoid a symbolic meaning which would considerably distort the significance of this one passage in which ἐμφυσάω occurs in the NT.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἐμ-φυσάω, -ὦ [see ev, III. 3]: 1 aor. ἐνεφύσησα; to blow 209 ἐν or breathe on: τινά, Jn. xx. 22, where Jesus, after the manner of the Hebrew prophets, expresses by the symbolic act of breathing upon the apostles the communication of the Holy Spirit to them, — having in view the primary meaning of the words M3 and πνεῦμα [cf. 6. g. Ezek. xxxvii. 5]. (Sept.; Diose., Aret., Geop., al.; [to inflate, Aristot., al.].)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἐμφυσάω emphysaō 1x
to blow or breathe into, inflate; in NT to breathe upon, Jn. 20:22*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἐμ-φυσάω, -ῶ
(< φυσάω, to blow), [in LXX for נָפַח, etc. ;]
to breathe into (cf. Ge 2:7, Wi 15:11, a1.), breathe upon: Jo 20:22.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἐμφυσάω. The use of this word in Jn 20" ", the only place where it occurs in the NT, though it is found eleven times in the ἐνφυσήσας πνεῦμα ἀνθρώποις εἰς ζωήν. For a new literary reference see the medical receipt to stop sneezing, P Oxy VIII. 1088*8 (early i/A.D.) ἑλλεβόρου λευκοῦ προσφατώτερον τρίψας ἐμφύσας (/. ἐμφύσα) els τοὺς μυκτῆρας, ‘pound fresh some white hellebore and blow it into the nostrils” (Ed.).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἐμφυσάω (emphusaō) — to breathe into. ἐμφῡσ-άω, blow in, ἐς τὰς ῥῖνας [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; αὐλητρὶς ἐνεφύσησε breathed into the flute, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἴνῳ ἐ. [Refs]
II. breathe upon, τινί, εἴς τινα, [LXX+NT]
III. blow up, inflate, τὸ μὲν [τῆς τροφῆς] ἐμφυσᾶν, τὸ δὲ σαρκοῦν [Refs 4th c.BC+]:—passive, to be inflated or, generally, swollen, [Refs 5th c.BC+]