What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "God breathed the breath of life into Adam through his nose. The creation of the animals did not involve such an act by God. In Scripture there is no statement that God also breathed his breath into the animals. It can be said that the breath is also spirit, breath, and thus the animal, like Adam, was created from dust and the breath was breathed into it."
Answer
Holy Scripture distinguishes between the creation of humans and animals primarily by the manner of divine action: Only for humans is it explicitly mentioned that God personally breathed the “breath of life” into his nose. Nevertheless, biblical terminology clarifies that animals are also “living souls” and possess the same life‑breath (Hebrew: ruach or neshamah) that sustains them.
The decisive difference does not lie in the substance of the life‑breath itself, but in the special dignity and higher spiritual capacities that God granted to humanity through this act. While human and animal share the same physical breath, Adam was thereby elevated to a divine image with the capacity for communion with his Creator.
The Breath of Life in Man and Animal
»The term “living soul” as used in Genesis is often understood as a reference to a mode of existence superior to that of livestock... The inaccuracy of this assumption can be easily seen by looking at [the Scripture], where the words translated as “living soul” are also applied to the entire lower creation. They are used indiscriminately for both human and animal to express animal life in general... The only superiority attributed to humanity in the creation narrative is found in the fact that “God breathed the breath of life into him,” and this implies that man, in the act of becoming a living soul, was simultaneously endowed with higher abilities that brought him into a relationship with God.«
A Breath for All Creatures
»This principle of immortality is not contained in the “breath of life” that was breathed into humans. It was strictly what the words imply – the breath of life; its effect was to make a person a living human... This term is also indiscriminately applied to all living, breathing creatures; and Solomon explicitly states about humans and animals that “they all have a breath [or spirit].”«
God’s Personal Action in the Creation of Adam
»In the creation of humanity the work of a personal God became evident. When God had created man in His image, the human form in all its arrangements was perfect, but it was without life. Then a personal, self‑existent God breathed the breath of life into this form, and man became a living, breathing, intelligent being. All parts of the human organism were set into action.«
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Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
