The more I learn about ancient and medieval biblical interpretation, the more I feel the power of Qoheleth’s observation that “there is nothing new under the sun”—or in this case, over the waters. If you’ve ever heard someone scoff at the translation “a wind from God” instead of “the spirit of God” for רוח אלחים in Genesis 1:2, you might appreciate the following quotation:

Which spirit “moved over the water”?

Some commentators believe it was the most Holy Spirit vivifying the nature of the waters and foreshadowing the grace of baptism. But I think it more likely that by “spirit” he is here referring to the air. After declaring that God made heaven and earth and mentioning the waters by reference to “the deep,” he logically goes on to mention as well the air, which extends from the water’s surface to heaven, for air naturally moves over bodies lying under it. Now, it was very apposite for him to say “moved over” and not “lying on”: “moved” implying the kinetic character of the air.

That was Theodoret of Cyrus (AD 393–460), from his Questions on the Octateuch, question 8 (Greek text edited by John F. Petruccione; English translation by Robert C. Hill; published in Theodoret of Cyrus: The Questions on the Octateuch, vol. 1, On Genesis and Exodus [Washington: Catholic University of America Press, 2007]). I don’t mean to use Theodoret as an authority in favor of the translation “a wind from God” or “a mighty wind,” but rather as evidence that variance in opinion about the translation of רוח אלהים is very longstanding indeed, not a product of modernity.