STRONGS NUMBER H5315

H5315. nephesh

נֶ֫פֶשׁ‎₇₅₆ noun feminine^{Genesis 49:6} (so even 2:19; Numbers 31:28; 1 Kings 19:2 see Albr^{ZAW xvi (1896), 42} SS) soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion (Ecclus 3:18; 4:1 (twice in verse); Ecclesiastes 4:2(twice in verse); Ecclesiasticus 13:12; Ecclesiasticus 14:11); — ׳נ‎ Genesis 1:20 +; נָ֑פֶשׁ‎ 37:21 +; suffix נַפְשִׁי‎ 12:13 +; plural נְפָשׁוֺת‎ Ezekiel 13:18 13t.; נְפָשֹׁת‎ Exodus 12:4; Leviticus 27:2; construct נַפְשׁוֺת‎ Genesis 36:6 4t.; נַפְשֹׁת‎ Leviticus 21:11; נְפָשִׁים‎ Ezekiel 13:20 (but read חָפְשִׁים‎, see Co Berthol Toy); suffix נַפְשׁוֺתָם‎ 2 Samuel 23:17 +; נַפְשֹׁתָם‎ Numbers 17:3 +: —

1 = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being = ψυχή, anima, the soul, the inner being of man:

a. distinguished from בָּשָׂר וְעַד מִנֶּפֶשׁ ׃בָּשָׂר‎ Isaiah 10:18; הַבָּשָׂר עִם הַנֶּפֶשׁ‎ Deuteronomy 12:23; from שְׁאֵר‎ Proverbs 11:17; from בֶּטֶן‎ body Psalm 31:10.

b. both the inner נפשׁ‎ and the outer בשׂר‎ are conceived as resting on a common substratum: תֶּאֱבָֽל׃ עָלָיו וְנַפְשׁוֺ יִכְאָ֑ב עָלָיו בְּשָׂרוֺ אַךְ‎ Job 14:22 only his flesh upon him is in pain, and his soul upon him mourneth; compare Psalm 42:5; 42:7; 131:2; Job 30:16; Lamentations 3:20 [see עַל‎

1d], all poetical (compare 6c).

c. ׳נ‎ departs at death and returns with life: מֵתָה כִּי נַפְשָׁהּ בְּצֵאת וַיְתִי‎ Genesis 35:18 (E) and it came to pass when her soul was going forth (for she died); נַפְשָׁהּ נָָֽפְחָה‎ Jeremiah 15:9 she breathed out her soul, compare 1 Kings 17:21-22, Job 11:20; 31:39.

d. often desired that the נפשׁ‎ may be delivered: from Sh®°ôl Psalm 16:10; 30:4; 49:16; 86:13; 89:49; Proverbs 23:14; from שַׁחַת‎, the pit of Sh®°ôl, Isaiah 38:17; Job 33:18, 22, 28, 30.

2 The נפשׁ‎ becomes a living being: by God's breathing חיים נשׁמת‎ into the nostrils of its בשׂר‎; of man Genesis 2:7 (J); by implication of animals also 2:19 (J); so Psalm 104:29; 104:30; compare 66:9; man is חַיָּה נֶפֶשׁ‎, a living, breathing being Genesis 2:7 (J); elsewhere חיּה נפשׁ‎ always of animals 1:20, 24, 30; 9:12, 15, 16 (all P), Ezekiel 47:9; so החיּה נפשׁ‎ Genesis 1:21; 9:10 (both P), Leviticus 11:10, 46 (H); השׁרצת נפשׁ‎ 11:46 (H); חי כל נפשׁ‎ Job 12:10. נפשׁ‎ is frequently used with the verb ׃חיה‎ נפשׁ וחיתה‎ Genesis 12:13; 19:20 (both J), 1 Kings 20:32 (E), Psalm 119:175; Jeremiah 38:17, 20; נַפְשְׁךָ חֵי‎ 1 Samuel 1:26; 17:55; 20:3; 25:26; 2 Samuel 11:11; 14:9; 2 Kings 2:2, 4, 6; 4:30 (all J E); compare נ ׳יְחַיֶּה‎ 1 Kings 20:31 (E), Ezekiel 18:27; Psalm 22:30; also Genesis 19:19; Isaiah 55:3; Proverbs 3:22.

3 The נפשׁ‎ (without חיה‎ noun or verb) is specified:

a. a living being whose life resides in the blood [so in Arabic We^{Skizzen iii. 217 G.} Jacob^{Arab. Dicht. iv. 9 f.}] (hence sacrificial use of blood, and its prohib. in other uses; first in D), Deuteronomy 12:23-24, only be sure that thou eat not the blood, for the blood is the living being (הַנֶּפֶשׁ הוּא הַדָּם‎); and thou shalt not eat the living being with the flesh (הַבָּשָׂר עִם הַנֶּפֶשׁ‎); thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water; this is enlarged in H, Leviticus 17:10-11, 12, 14 and in P Genesis 9:4-5, compare Jeremiah 2:34.

b. a serious attack upon the life is an attack upon this inner living being 2 Samuel 1:9; Jeremiah 4:10; Jonah 2:6; Psalm 69:2; 124:4; 124:5; Job 27:3.

c. נפשׁ‎ is used for life itself 171 t., of animals Proverbs 12:10, and of man Genesis 44:30 (J); נפשׁ תחת נפשׁ‎ life for life Exodus 21:23 (E), Leviticus 24:18 (H), 1 Kings 20:39, 42; 2 Kings 10:24; תחתיכם נפשׁנו‎ Joshua 2:14 (J); בנפשׁ נפשׁ‎ Deuteronomy 19:21; בנפשׁ‎ for the life of 2 Samuel 14:7; Jonah 1:14; בכף נפשׁ שׂם‎ put life in one's own hand Judges 12:3; 1 Samuel 19:5; 28:21; Job 13:14; למות נפשׁו חרף‎ Judges 5:18 risked his life to die; בנפשׁ‎ at the risk of life Numbers 17:3 (P), 2 Samuel 23:17 = 1 Chronicles 11:19 (twice in verse), 1 Kings 2:23; Proverbs 7:23; Lamentations 5:9; נפשׁ בקּשׁ‎ Exodus 4:19 (J), 1 Samuel 20:21; 22:23 (twice in verse); 23:15; 25:29; 2 Samuel 4:8; 16:11; 1 Kings 19:10, 14; Jeremiah 4:30; 11:21; 19:7, 9; 21:7; 22:25; 34:20-21, 38:16; 44:30 (twice in verse); 46:26; 49:37; Psalm 35:4; 38:13; 40:15; 54:5; 63:10; 70:3; 86:14; Proverbs 29:10; נ ׳שׁאל‎ 1 Kings 3:11 2 Chronicles 1:11; 1 Kings 19:4 = Jonah 4:8; נפשׁ הִכָּה‎ smite mortally Genesis 37:21 (J), Deuteronomy 19:6, 11; Jeremiah 40:14-15, נ ׳לקח‎ 1 Kings 19:4; Jonah 4:3; Psalm 31:14; Proverbs 1:19; מִמָּוֶת נֶפֶשׁ הִצִּיל‎ deliver life from death Joshua 2:13; Psalm 33:19; Psalm 56:14; נפשׁ מלּט‎1 Samuel 19:11; 2 Samuel 19:6 (4 t. in verse); 1 Kings 1:12 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 48:6; 51:6, 45; Ezekiel 33:5; Amos 2:14-15, Psalm 89:49; 116:4; ׳נ פדה‎ 2 Samuel 4:9; 1 Kings 1:29; Psalm 34:23; Psalm 49:16; 55:19; 71:23; נ ׳שׁמר‎ 25:20; 97:10; Job 2:6; Proverbs 13:3; 16:17; 19:16; 22:5.

4 The נפשׁ‎ as the essential of man stands for the man himself:

a. paraphrase for personal pronoun especially in poetry and ornate discourse, 70 t.; (1) נַפְשִׁי‎ = me: נפשׁי תבא אל‎ Genesis 49:6 let me not enter (poem in J); נ ׳תָּמֹת ישׁרים מות‎ Numbers 23:10 let me die, etc. (poem); נַפְשְׁי תָּמוֺת‎ Judges 16:30 (J); נפשׁי אמרה‎ Lamentations 3:24 I say. (2) נַפְשְׁךָ‎ = thee: נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ תַּחַת לְאֻמִּים‎ Isaiah 43:4 peoples instead of thee; לְנַפְשֵׁךְ אָֽמְרוּ‎ 51:23. (3) נַפְשׁוֺ‎ = he: תלין בטוב נפשׁו‎ Psalms he will not dwell in good circumstances. (4) נַפְשֵׁנוּ‎ = we: יוֺקְשִׁים מִמַּח נִמְלְטָה כְּצִמּוֺר נַפְשֵׁנוּ‎ Psalm 124:7. (5) נַפְשָׁם‎ = they, them: הָלָ֑כָה בַּשְּׁבִי נַפְשָׁם‎ Isaiah 46:2 they are gone into captivity; לנפשׁם אוי‎ 3:9.

b. = reflexive, self, 53 t.: נפשׁ על אסר‎ bind oneself Numbers 30:3; 30:5 (twice in verse); 30:6; 30:7; 30:8; 30:9; 30:10; 30:11; 30:12; נ ׳לְעַנֹּת‎ 30:14 to afflict oneself . (1) נַפְשִׁי‎ = myself: נפשׁי אדע לא‎ Job 9:21 I know not myself. (2) נַפְשְׁךָ‎ = thyself: נ ׳שׁמר‎ Deuteronomy 4:9 keep thyself. (3) נַפְשׁוֺ‎ = himself: כנ ׳אהב‎ 1 Samuel 18:1, 3; 20:17 loved as himself. (4) נַפְשָׁהּ‎ = herself: נ ׳צדּקה‎ Jeremiah 3:11 justified herself. (5) נַפְשָׁם‎ = themselves: נ ׳הציל‎ deliver themselves Isaiah 47:14; Ezekiel 14:14, 20. (6) נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם נַפְשְׁכֶם,‎ = yourselves: נ ׳אַלתַּֿשִּׁאוּ‎ Jeremiah 37:9 deceive not yourselves, also 42:20; 44:7; נ ׳ענּה‎ Leviticus 16:29, 31; 23:27, 32; Numbers 29:7 (P); לנ ׳נשׁמרתם‎ Deuteronomy 4:15; Joshua 23:11 (D). (7) נַפְשׁוֺתֵינוּ‎ = ourselves: נ ׳על‎ Jeremiah 26:19 against ourselves.

c. = person of man, individual, 144 t., first in D²; especially in H, P, and kindred writers: (1) with אָדָם‎: ׳נ אדם‎ Leviticus 24:17 opposed to ׳נ בהמה‎ 24:18 (both H), and so ׳נ אדם‎ human persons Numbers 31:35, 40, 46 (P) 1 Chronicles 5:21; Ezekiel 27:13. Elsewhere without אדם‎: ׳נ ברכה‎ Proverbs 11:25 one who blesses; ׳נ רְמִיָּה‎ 19:15 idle person; ׳נ נ ׳תחת‎ person in place of person, Job 16:4; נ ׳על כמּר‎ Exodus 30:15-16, Numbers 15:28; 31:50 (all P) Leviticus 17:11 (H). (2) נפשׁ‎ = person, any one: Deuteronomy 24:7; 27:25; Proverbs 28:17; Ezekiel 18:4 (3 t. in verse); 33:6; elsewhere only H P: Leviticus 2:1; 4:2, 27; 5:1-2, 4, 15, 17; Leviticus 5:21; 7:18, 20, 21, 25, 27; 23:29-30, (twice in verse); Numbers 5:6; 15:27, 30; 19:22; 31:19, 28; 35:11, 15, 30 (twice in verse); Joshua 20:3, 9 (all P), Leviticus 17:10, 12, 15; 20:6 (twice in verse); 22:6, 11 (all H); מן הַהִוא הנ ׳נכרתה‎ that person shall be cut off from: only in Genesis 17:14; Exodus 12:15, 19; 31:14; Leviticus 7:20-21, 27; Numbers 9:13; 15:30-31, 19:13, 20 (all P), Leviticus 19:8; 22:3 (both H). (3) נפשׁ‎ collective for persons, in enumerations: Deuteronomy 10:22; Joshua 10:28, 30, 32, 35, 37 (twice in verse); 10:39; 11:11 (all D²) Jeremiah 43:6; 52:29-30, (twice in verse); Ezekiel 22:25; elsewhere only Genesis 12:5; 46:15, 18, 22, 25, 26 (twice in verse); 46:27 (twice in verse); Exodus 1:5 (twice in verse); 12:16; Numbers 31:35, 40 (all P). (4) נְפָשׁוֺת‎ persons Genesis 36:6; Exodus 12:4; 16:16; Numbers 19:18 (all P), Leviticus 18:29; 20:25; 27:2 (all H), 2 Kings 12:5; Proverbs 11:30; 14:25; Ezekiel 13:18 (3 t. in verse); 13:19 (twice in verse); 13:20 (twice in verse); 17:17; 18:4; 22:27 (נפשׁים‎ 13:20 see above). (5) נפשׁ‎ = deceased person, sometimes with מֵת נֶפֶשׁ מֵת,‎ Numbers 6:6 (P), מֵת נַפְשֹׁת‎ (נֶפֶשׁ ᵑ6 ᵐ5‎) Leviticus 21:11 (H); usually without (ה)אדם נפשׁ מֵת,‎ Numbers 9:6-7, 19:11, 13 (P); or simply נפשׁ‎, Leviticus 19:28; 21:1; 22:4 (all H) Numbers 5:2; 6:11; 9:10 (all P); elsewhere only Haggai 2:13.

5 נפשׁ‎ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.) —

a. hunger: ׳נ רְעֵבָה‎ hungry soul Psalm 107:9; Proverbs 27:7; with noun or verb of שׂבע‎ satisfy Isaiah 56:11; 58:10; Jeremiah 50:19; Ezekiel 7:19; Psalm 63:6; 107:9; Proverbs 13:25; 27:7; לנ ׳מתוק‎ 16:24 sweet to the taste.

b. thirst: ׳נ עֲיֵפָה‎ weary soul Proverbs 25:25; Jeremiah 31:25; ׳נ עיפה כארץ‎ Psalm 143:6; נ ׳צמאה‎ 42:3; 63:2.

c. appetite in General: בנ ׳אֹיְבַי עָלָיו יַקִּיפוּ‎ Psalm 17:9 my enemies compass me about with greed; פִיהָ וּפָֽעֲרָה נַפְשָׁהּ שְׁאוֺל הִרְחִיבָה‎ Isaiah 5:14 Sh®°ôl enlarged her appetite, etc., compare Habakkuk 2:5; Proverbs 23:2 נֶפֶשׁ בַּעַל‎; Ecclesiastes uses נפשׁ‎ only in the sense of a, b, c; the נפשׁ‎ craves, lacks, and is filled with good things: Ecclesiastes 2:24; 4:8; 6:2-3, 7, 9; 7:28.

6 = ׳נ‎ seat of emotions and passions (151 t.) —

a. desire: נ ׳אִוְּתָה‎ soul desires Deuteronomy 12:20; 14:26; 1 Samuel 2:16; 2 Samuel 3:21; 1 Kings 11:37; Job 23:13; Proverbs 13:4; 21:10; Micah 7:1; נ ׳תַּאֲוַת‎ Psalm 10:3; Isaiah 26:8; נ ׳אַוַּת‎ Deuteronomy 12:15, 20, 21; 18:6; 1 Samuel 23:20; Jeremiah 2:24; so also לנפשׁ‎ according to one's desire Deuteronomy 21:14; Psalm 78:18; Jeremiah 34:16; כנפשׁ‎ Deuteronomy 23:25; נפשׁנו האח‎ ah, our desire Psalm 35:25; בנפשׁ‎ at one's desire 105:22; Ezekiel 16:27; בְדַבְּרוֺ ׳נ יָָֽצְאָה‎ Song of Solomon 5:6; נ ׳נשׂא‎ lift up the soul, desire Deuteronomy 24:15; 2 Samuel 14:14 (read אליהם‎, not אלהים‎), Psalm 24:4; 25:1; 86:4; 143:8; Proverbs 19:8; Jeremiah 22:27; 44:14; Hosea 4:8.

b. abhorrence, loathing: נ ׳געלה‎ soul abhorreth Leviticus 26:11, 15, 30, 43 (H) Jeremiah 14:19; נ ׳וגם בי בחלה‎ Zechariah 11:8 and their soul also fell a loathing against me.

c. sorrow and distress: נ ׳מרי‎ bitter, gloomy, discontented of soul Judges 18:25 (E) 2 Samuel 17:8; Job 3:20; Proverbs 31:6; נ ׳מר‎ 1 Samuel 22:2 compare Job 7:11; 10:1; Isaiah 38:15; Ezekiel 27:1; נ ׳עָֽגְמָה‎ Job 30:35 grieved; נ ׳אגמי‎ sad of soul Isaiah 19:10; נ ׳תבכה‎ my soul shall weep Jeremiah 13:17; ׳נ ירעה‎ his soul trembleth Isaiah 15:4; נ ׳צרת‎ distress of soul Genesis 42:21 (E).

d. joy: ׳נ תגיל‎ my soul rejoiceth Psalm 35:9; Isaiah 61:10; נ ׳שׂמּח‎ rejoice the soul Psalm 86:4; also 94:19; 138:3; Proverbs 29:17.

e. love: נ ׳אהבה‎ my soul loveth Song of Solomon 1:7; 3:1-2, 3, 4; נ ׳יְדִדוּת‎ darling of my soul Jeremiah 12:7; נ ׳דבקה ׳ב‎ his soul clave unto Genesis 34:3 (J), with אחרי‎ Psalm 63:9; ׳נ ׳ב חשׁקה‎ soul is attached to Genesis 34:8 (P).

f. alienation, hatred, revenge: נ ׳תֵּקַע מן‎ the soul is alienated from Jeremiah 6:8; Ezekiel 23:17-18, נ ׳נקעה מן‎ 23:18, 22, 28; נ ׳שְׂנֻאי‎ hated of soul 2 Samuel 5:8 (Qr); נ ׳שׂנאה‎ Psalm 11:5; Isaiah 1:14.

g. other emotions and feelings: נ ׳השׁיב‎ bring back soul Lamentations 1:11, 19 (i.e. revive, compare with שׁוּב‎ 1 Kings 17:21f.), hence figurative refresh, cheer, 17:16; Psalm 19:8; Proverbs 25:14; Ruth 4:15; נ ׳שׁובב‎ Psalm 23:3; נ ׳מַחְמַל‎ your souls' compassion Ezekiel 24:21; נ ׳קצרה‎ soul was impatient Numbers 21:4 (E), Judges 10:16; 16:16; Zechariah 11:8; נ ׳אאריך כי‎ that I should prolong my patience Job 6:11 אתנֿ ׳ידעתם הגר‎ ye know the feeling of the stranger Exodus 23:9 (R^D).

7 נפשׁ‎ is used occasionally for mental acts + לבב‎ (see

10); possibly also alone, owing to unconscious assimilation by late writers; but most, if not all, examples may be otherwise explained: מאד ידעת נפשׁי‎ Psalm 139:14 my soul knoweth well (or I know well; compare 4a); נ ׳דעת טוב לא בלא‎ Proverbs 19:2 that the soul be without knowledge is not good (but RVm desire without knowledge, compare 6a); לנ חכמה ׳דעה‎ 24:14 know wisdom for thy soul (or according to thy desire, compare6a); בנ תדמי ׳אל‎ Esther 4:13 think not in thy soul (or in thyself, compare 4b); ׳בג שׁער כמו‎ Proverbs 23:7 as he reckoneth in his soul (but RV in himself, compare 4b); נ תאמר ׳מה‎ 1 Samuel 20:4 (but AV RV following ᵐ5‎ ἐπιθυμεῖ = תְּאַוֶּה‎; see 6a).

8 נפשׁ‎ for acts of the will is dubious: נפשׁכם ישׁ אם‎ (את‎) if it is your purpose Genesis 23:8 (P) 2 Kings 9:15 (or if it is your desire, 6a); נ ׳בחרה‎ my soul chooseth Job 7:15; נ ׳מאנה‎ my soul, refuseth 6:7; Psalm 77:3; ׳נ חפצה‎ their soul delighteth in Isaiah 66:3; ׳נ רצתה‎ my soul delighteth in 42:1; (all perhaps emotional, 6b, d, g).

9 נפשׁ‎ = character is still more dubious: נ ׳לאֹיָָֽֿשְׁרָה בּוֺ‎ Habakkuk 2:4 his soul is not right in him (but ᵐ5‎ οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ [εὐδοκεῖ = רצתה‎], see

6); מְטֻמָּאָה לאֹ נַפְשִׁי‎ Ezekiel 4:14 my soul hath not (or I have not,

4a) been polluted.

10 ׳נ‎in D, when used with לבב‎, is assimilated to it, and shares with it the meanings of

7, 8, 9; and so in later writers influenced by D (unless we may think that ׳ל‎ is used of intellect, while ׳נ‎ is used of the feelings): thus, נפשׁ ובכל לבב בכל‎ (see לבב‎): with דרשׁ‎ Deuteronomy 4:29; 2 Chronicles 15:12; עשׂה‎ Deuteronomy 26:16; אהב‎ 6:5; 13:4; 30:6; ידע‎ Joshua 23:14; עבד‎ Deuteronomy 10:12; 11:13; Joshua 22:5; בקלו שׁמע‎ Deuteronomy 30:2; אל שׁוב‎ 30:10; 1 Kings 8:48 2 Chronicles 6:38; 2 Kings 23:25; מצות שׁמר‎ 23:3 2 Chronicles 34:31; לפני הלך‎1 Kings 2:4; and Deuteronomy 11:18; 1 Samuel 2:35; 1 Chronicles 22:19; 28:9; Jeremiah 32:41; Psalm 13:8; Proverbs 2:10; 24:12. Note. — In three cases is Generally found closer approach to supposed radical meaning breath: —

a. נפשׁ מעצת רעהו ומתק לב ישׂמח וקטרת שׁמן‎ Proverbs 27:9. Ges (after Döderlein) renders a. נ ׳מעצת‎ more than odorous trees, so later edds., even Buhl; but ᵑ9‎ De SS transpose) נ ׳וּמֶתֶק רֵעֵהוּ מֵעֲצַת‎. ᵐ5‎ Hi Bi ומתקרעה‎ = the soul is rent asunder by cares. In any case נפשׁ‎is "" לב‎, compare

10. b. תְּלַהֵט גֶּחָלִים נַפְשׁוֺ‎ Job 41:13 his breath kindleth coals (of the crocodile).The piece is one of the latest in the book; primitive meaning hardly in such a passage; context favours reference to passion or fury; perhaps below

6f, his passion or fury kindleth coals.

c. הַנֶּפֶשׁ בָּתֵּי‎ Isaiah 3:20 perfume boxes; meaning evident from context; but not necessarily scent (breath)-boxes; may be

6a, boxes of desire, or

5, boxes exciting the sense of smell; = smelling boxes or bottles. No sufficient evidence in Biblical Hebrew, therefore, for meaning breath, odour. — See, for complete study of נֶפֶשׁ‎ (all passages), Br^{JBL 1897, 17 ff}.