Sound of a Gentle Breeze
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(1 Kings 19:12)—the quiet manifestation that followed wind, earthquake, and fire when the LORD met Elijah at Horeb. The Hebrew phrase is famously difficult and may be rendered “a sound of sheer silence,” “a gentle whisper,” or “a still small voice.” The source’s “breathing of a gentle wind” preserves the traditional sense but should not conceal the ambiguity. Christian interpretation has often seen in the quiet voice an image of the gracious, peace-giving work of God in the heart.