"If any of you lack wisdom [Sophia], let him ask of Elohim, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5).

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Ruach haQodesh to them that ask Him?" (Luke 11:13)

Perhaps the first argument which can be offered in support of the feminine gender of the Ruach haQodesh is Her association with "the spirit of wisdom" (Exodus 28:3; Ephesians 1:17). In both the Old and New Testaments, Wisdom is often personified in the feminine gender:

"Say that Wisdom is thy sister" (Proverbs 7:4)

"Wisdom has built a house for herself, and set up seven pillars" (Proverbs 9:1)

Proverbs chapters 8 and 9 are in fact an extended allegory of Wisdom depicted as a woman.

"Wisdom is known by her children" (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:35)

"Therefore also said the Wisdom of Elohim, I will also send them prophets and apostles . . ." (Luke 11:49). In this text Yah'shua is equating the "Wisdom of Elohim" with the Ruach haQodesh who provided Divine inspiration to those who wrote the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:21). He refers to Wisdom in the feminine gender.

The Old Testament word for "wisdom" is chokmah which has the feminine ending.

The New Testament word - in the Greek - is sophia - also feminine. In fact "Sophia" is the name for a goddess of wisdom in the Greek pantheon. It should be obvious that the Early Church, when reading the Greek Septuagint - the translation of the Old Testament for the Greek-speaking Jew - would have made the connection between that goddess and the Ruach haQodesh. Of course, a Gentile Christian would have known that the Ruach haQodesh was not a Greek goddess. Rather, he would have confessed that the Ruach haQodesh was the true Sophia in contrast to the pagan imitation.

The connection between the Ruach haQodesh and Sophia is more pronounced in the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha are writings from the Intertestamental Period which was contained in the Septuagint but are not included in our modern Bibles. (They are regarded as deutero-canonical by the Anglican Church).

"For Sophia is a loving spirit. . . For the Ruach of Yahweh filleth the world" (Wisdom of Solomon 1:5,7).

"For Sophia, which is the worker of all things, taught me: for in her is an understanding spirit, holy, one only. . . For she is the breath of the power of Elohim, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty . . . And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself, she maketh all things new: and in all ages entering into holy souls, she maketh them friends of Elohim and prophets. For Elohim loveth none but him that dwelleth with Sophia" (Wisdom chapter 7, excerpts)

"And thy counsel who hath known, except thou give Sophia, and send thy Ruach haQodesh from above? (9:7)

In the writings of the Early Church, Wisdom (Sophia) is preserved as feminine (e.g. the Shepherd of Hermas)

Yah'shua associates the "spirit of truth" with the Ruach haQodesh(John 16:13). Sophia and the Ruach haQodesh share identical roles (1 Corinthians 2:7-11; Romans 5:5; 1 John 5:6-7 KJV). Were it not for the masculine bias of later theologians, the Church would likely have acknowledged the allegorical associations in the Old Testament as literal theophanies of the Ruach haQodesh.

The second argument which can be offered in support for the feminine gender of the Ruach haQodesh is found in the very names ascribed to Elohim and the Ruach haQodesh. Most scholars acknowledge that this word, Elohim, has a plural ending, which some use to suggest an Old Testament anticipation of the Trinity. What most scholars either do not know or care not to inform their constituents is that "Elohim" is not the plural of "El" the masculine form of the name. It is plural of the feminine, "Eloah". Strictly speaking, we can translate the Old Testament name for Elohim as "goddesses".

Such a fact is naturally shocking to traditionalists who are largely ignorant of the origins of their faith. We do not favour, however, a translation of the name for Elohim into the feminine because masculine pronouns are used in association with "Elohim". But we do argue that the use of the feminine ending by Divine Revelation ought to settle unequivocally that Elohim's being encompasses both the masculine and feminine genders. Indeed, when describing man as made in Elohim's image, the Scriptures say,

"So Elohim created man in his own image, in the image of Elohim created he him; male and female created he them" (Genesis 1:27)

Thus indicating that both genders exist in the Godhead.

That the Ruach haQodesh is the designated representation of the feminine principle is further supported by the Hebrew word for ruach (spirit). I quote now Jerome, the author of the Latin Vulgate:

"In the Gospel of the Hebrews that the Nazarenes read it says, "Just now my mother, the Ruach haQodesh, took me." Now no one should be offended by this, because "spirit" in Hebrew is feminine, while in our language [Latin] it is masculine and in Greek it is neuter. In divinity, however, there is no gender" (Jerome's Commentary on Isaiah 11)

This explanation contains an astonishing admission. First, it tells us that there was a tradition among a sect of Early Christians which believed that the Ruach haQodesh was Yah'shua's spiritual mother. Second, Jerome - a more orthodox figure cannot be imagined - admits that the Hebrew word for "spirit" (ruach) is feminine, meaning that for the 1st Century Christians - who were largely operating in the Aramaic world (Paul's churches were tiny in comparison) - the Ruach haQodesh was a feminine figure. It was lost in the translation from the Hebrew into the Greek, and then it was changed to a masculine gender when it was translated from the Greek into the Latin.

Finally, Jerome's theological bias leads him to believe the distinction of gender is unimportant. He believes there is no gender in Elohim, therefore, it does not matter whether Elohim is referred to as a "he" or a "she" or an "it", presumably. With many centuries of misogynist behavior by Christian leaders behind us, I think it does matter. We are not allowed to change one "jot or tittle" of the Torah, and if Elohim is represented as a being encompassing both the masculine and feminine genders, then we are foolish to hide that fact in our translations of the Sacred Text.

The third argument which can be offered is the example of early Christian leaders in how they handled this doctrine. In his Homily on Jeremiah 15, the learned Origen argued the case that the Ruach haQodesh was Yah'shua's mother. In a more practical application, Methodius - also a leader with an impeccably orthodox reputation - states directly that the family is meant to reflect analogously the blessed Trinity:

"[T]he innocent and unbegotten Adam being the type and resemblance of God (Elohim) the Father Almighty, who is uncaused, and the cause of all; his begotten son [Seth] shadowing forth the image of the begotten Son and Word of God (Elohim); whilst Eve, that proceedeth forth from Adam, signifies the person and procession of the Holy Spirit (Ruach haQodesh)" (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 6, p. 402).

The Didascalia, a 3rd Century clergy manual, commanded the churches that, "the deaconess should be honoured by you as the Holy Spirit (Ruach haQodesh) is honoured". Thus, officially confirming that the role of the Ruach haQodesh is of a feminine nature.

In conclusion, we affirm that it is not impious, nor does it in any way diminish the deity of the 3rd Person, to address the Ruach haQodesh as a "She" rather than as a "He". While we do not favour the call for a gender neutral Bible, we do believe that a new translation of the Scriptures is in order which will correct the Latin biases which have been carried over from the Vulgate.

Adapted from:
http://www.grailchurch.org/sophia.htm