Matthew Poole and continuators on John 3:8

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 .

The word which is translated Wind, being the same which both here and ordinarily in Scripture is translated Spirit, hath given Interpreters a great liberty to abound in their several senses. Some thinking that it should be translated, The Spirit, that is, the Spirit of a man breatheth where it listeth; and that our Saviours sense wa[illegible: 1 letter], Nicodemus, thou needest not to wonder that thou canst not with thy sences perceive the spiritual new Birth, for thou can'st not understand the natural Birth. Others think it should be translated, The Spirit, that is, the Spirit of God bloweth where it listeth; but that seemeth not probable, because of these words, So is every one that is born of the Spirit; which will hardly be sense if we understand the first part of the verse, concerning the same Spirit, and vers. 12. Our Saviour saith, If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not; they seem therefore best to understand it, who Interpret it of a terrene Spirit particularly. The Wind which is of a spiritual nature; and thus by their Translation it is apparent that our Interpreters understood it. So as, tho our Saviour speaketh of the motions of the blessed Spirit; yet he speaketh of them by way of Comparison, comparing it to the motion of the Wind, of which he said, That it bloweth where it listeth; not that it is its own mover, and under no government of the first cause; for the Psalmist tells us, Psal. 148.8. That the stormy winds fulfil Gods Word; nor is any such thing competible to any Creature; but the Original of its motion is to us imperceptible.

We can speak something philosophically to the cause of it, and can tell whither it bloweth from the East, West, North or South; but we cannot tell the particular place, where, or from whence it riseth.

So every one, who is regenerated from the working of the Holy Spirit of God, is changed and renewed, so as we can give our selves or others no account of it in all points, as to the inward Operation, tho in the effects it be discernable.

Marginal references: Eccl. 11.5. 1 Cor. 2.11.