STRONGS H5315:
Abbreviations
נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 noun feminineGenesis 49:6 (so even
Genesis 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 (
Ecclesiasticus 3:18;
4:1 (twice in verse);
Ecclesiasticus 4:2 (twice in verse);
Ecclesiasticus 13:12;
Ecclesiasticus 14:11); —
נ׳ Genesis 1:20 +;
נָ֑פֶשׁ Genesis 37:21 +; suffix
נַפְשִׁי Genesis 12:13 +; plural
נְפָשׁוֺת Ezekiel 13:18 +
13 times;
נְפָשֹׁת Exodus 12:4;
Leviticus 27:2;
construct נַפְשׁוֺת Genesis 36:6 +
4 times;
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:
b. both the inner
נפשׁ and the outer
בשׂר are conceived as resting on a common substratum:
אַךְ בְּשָׂרוֺ עָלָיו יִכְאָ֑ב וְנַפְשׁוֺ עָלָיו תֶּאֱבָֽל׃ Job 14:22 only his flesh upon him is in pain, and his soul upon him mourneth; compare
Psalm 42:5;
Psalm 42:7;
Psalm 131:2;
Job 30:16;
Lamentations 3:20 [see
עַל 1d], all poetical (compare
6 c).
2. The
נפשׁ becomes a living being: by God's breathing
נשׁמת חיים into the nostrils of its
בשׂר; of man
Genesis 2:7 (J); by implication of animals also
Genesis 2:19 (J); so
Psalm 104:29;
Psalm 104:30; compare
Psalm 66:9; man is
נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, a living, breathing being
Genesis 2:7 (J); elsewhere
נפשׁ חיּה always of animals
Genesis 1:20, 24, 30;
Genesis 9:12, 15, 16 (all P),
Ezekiel 47:9; so
נפשׁ החיּה Genesis 1:21;
Genesis 9:10 (both P),
Leviticus 11:10, 46 (H);
נפשׁ השׁרצת Leviticus 11:46 (H);
נפשׁ כל חי Job 12:10.
נפשׁ is frequently used with the verb
׃חיה וחיתה נפשׁ Genesis 12:13;
Genesis 19:20 (both J),
1 Kings 20:32 (E),
Psalm 119:175;
Jeremiah 38:17, 20;
חֵי נַפְשְׁךָ 1 Samuel 1:26;
1 Samuel 17:55;
1 Samuel 20:3;
1 Samuel 25:26;
2 Samuel 11:11;
2 Samuel 14:9;
2 Kings 2:2, 4, 6;
2 Kings 4:30 (all J E); compare †
יְחַיֶּה נ׳ 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 prohibition 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 (
הַדָּם הוּא הַנֶּפֶשׁ);
and thou shalt not eat the living being with the flesh (
הַנֶּפֶשׁ עִם הַבָּשָׂר);
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.
c. נפשׁ is used for life itself +
171 times, 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;
נפשׁנו תחתיכם Joshua 2:14 (J);
נפשׁ בנפשׁ Deuteronomy 19:21;
בנפשׁ for the life of 2 Samuel 14:7;
Jonah 1:14;
שׂם נפשׁ בכף put life in one's own hand Judges 12:3;
1 Samuel 19:5;
1 Samuel 28:21;
Job 13:14;
חרף נפשׁו למות 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; †
בקּשׁ נפשׁ Exodus 4:19 (J),
1 Samuel 20:21;
1 Samuel 22:23 (twice in verse);
1 Samuel 23:15;
1 Samuel 25:29;
2 Samuel 4:8;
2 Samuel 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; †
שׁאל נ׳ 1 Kings 3:11 2 Chronicles 1:11;
1 Kings 19:4 =
Jonah 4:8; †
הִכָּה נפשׁ smite mortally Genesis 37:21 (J),
Deuteronomy 19:6, 11;
Jeremiah 40:14, 15; †
לקח נ׳ 1 Kings 19:4;
Jonah 4:3;
Psalm 31:14;
Proverbs 1:19; †
הִצִּיל נֶפֶשׁ מִמָּוֶת deliver life from death Joshua 2:13;
Psalm 33:19;
Psalm 56:14; †
מלּט נפשׁ 1 Samuel 19:11;
2 Samuel 19:6 (
4 times in verse);
1 Kings 1:12 (twice in verse);
Jeremiah 48:6;
Jeremiah 51:6, 45;
Ezekiel 33:5;
Amos 2:14, 15;
Psalm 89:49;
Psalm 116:4; †
פדה נ׳ 2 Samuel 4:9;
1 Kings 1:29;
Psalm 34:23;
Psalm 49:16;
Psalm 55:19;
Psalm 71:23; †
שׁמר נ׳ Psalm 25:20;
Psalm 97:10;
Job 2:6;
Proverbs 13:3;
Proverbs 16:17;
Proverbs 19:16;
Proverbs 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 times;
(2) נַפְשְׁךָ =
thee: לְאֻמִּים תַּחַת נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ Isaiah 43:4 peoples instead of thee;
אָֽמְרוּ לְנַפְשֵׁךְ Isaiah 51:23.
(3) נַפְשׁוֺ = he: נפשׁו בטוב תלין Psalms he will not dwell in good circumstances.
(4) נַפְשֵׁנוּ =
we: נִמְלְטָה כְּצפּוֹר נַפְשֵׁנוּ יוֺקְשִׁים מִפַּח Psalm 124:7.
(5) נַפְשָׁם =
they, them: נַפְשָׁם בַּשְּׁבִי הָלָ֑כָה Isaiah 46:2 they are gone into captivity;
אוי לנפשׁם Isaiah 3:9.
b. = reflexive,
self, +
53 times:
אסר על נפשׁ bind oneself Numbers 30:3; 30:5 (twice in verse); 30:6; 30:7; 30:8; 30:9; 30:10; 30:11; 30:12;
לְעַנֹּת נ׳ Numbers 30:14 to afflict oneself.
(1) נַפְשִׁי =
myself: לא אדע נפשׁי Job 9:21 I know not myself.
(4) נַפְשָׁהּ =
herself: צדּקה נ׳ Jeremiah 3:11 justified herself.
(7) נַפְשׁוֺתֵינוּ =
ourselves: על נ׳ Jeremiah 26:19 against ourselves.
c. = person of man, individual, + 144 times, first in D2; especially in H, P, and kindred writers:
(1) with
אָדָם:
אדם נ׳ Leviticus 24:17 opposed to
בהמה נ׳ Leviticus 24:18 (both H), and so
אדם נ׳ human persons Numbers 31:35, 40, 46 (P)
1 Chronicles 5:21;
Ezekiel 27:13. Elsewhere without
אדם :
ברכה נ׳ Proverbs 11:25 one who blesses;
רְמִיָּה נ׳ Proverbs 19:15 idle person;
תחת נ׳ נ׳ person in place of person,
Job 16:4;
כפּר על נ׳ Exodus 30:15, 16;
Numbers 15:28;
Numbers 31:50 (all P)
Leviticus 17:11 (H).
(2) נפשׁ =
person, any one: Deuteronomy 24:7;
Deuteronomy 27:25;
Proverbs 28:17;
Ezekiel 18:4 (
3 times in verse);
Ezekiel 33:6; elsewhere only H P:
Leviticus 2:1;
Leviticus 4:2, 27; 5:1, 2, 4, 15, 17; 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);
נכרתה הנ׳ הַהִוא מן 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;
Leviticus 22:3 (both H).
† (3) נפשׁ collective for
persons, in enumerations:
Deuteronomy 10:22;
Joshua 10:28, 30, 32, 35, 37 (twice in verse);
Joshua 10:39;
Joshua 11:11 (all D
2)
Jeremiah 43:6;
Jeremiah 52:29, 30 (twice in verse);
Ezekiel 22:25; elsewhere only
Genesis 12:5;
Genesis 46:15, 18, 22, 25, 26 (twice in verse);
Genesis 46:27 (twice in verse);
Exodus 1:5 (twice in verse);
Exodus 12:16;
Numbers 31:35, 40 (all P).
5. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 times) —
6. = נ׳ seat of emotions and passions (151 times) —
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:
נפשׁי ידעת מאד Psalm 139:14 my soul knoweth well (or
I know well; compare
4 a);
בלא לא טוב דעת נ׳ Proverbs 19:2 that the soul be without knowledge is not good (but RV
m desire without knowledge, compare
6 a);
דעה חכמה לנ׳ Proverbs 24:14 know wisdom for thy soul (or
according to thy desire, compare
6a);
אל תדמי בנ׳ Esther 4:13 think not in thy soul (or
in thyself, compare
4b);
כמו שׁער בג׳ Proverbs 23:7 as he reckoneth in his soul (but RV
in himself, compare
4 b);
מה תאמר נ׳ 1 Samuel 20:4 (but AV RV following
ἐπιθυμεῖ =
תְּאַוֶּה; see
6 a).
9. נפשׁ = character is still more dubious:
בּוֹ נ'לא־יָֽשְׁרָה Habakkuk 2:4 his soul is not right in him (but
οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ [
εὐδοκεῖ =
רצתה], see
6);
נַפְשִׁי לאֹ מְטֻמָּאָה Ezekiel 4:14 my soul hath not (or
I have not,
4a)
been polluted.
a. שׁמן וקטרת ישׂמח לב ומתק רעהו מעצת נפשׁ Proverbs 27:9. Ges (after Döderlein) renders
מעצת נ׳ more than odorous trees, so later edds., even Buhl; but
De SS transpose)
מֵעֲצַת רֵעֵהוּ וּמֶתֶק נ׳.
Hi Bi
ומתקרעה =
the soul is rent asunder by cares. In any case
נפשׁ is ||
לב, compare
10.
b. נַפְשׁוֺ גֶּחָלִים תְּלַהֵט 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. בָּתֵּי הַנֶּפֶשׁ Isaiah 3:20 perfume boxes; meaning evident from context; but not necessarily
scent (breath)-boxes; may be
6 a,
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.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Unabridged, Electronic Database.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc.
All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com
BLB Scripture Index of Brown-Driver-Briggs
Genesis
1:20; 1:20; 1:21; 1:24; 1:30; 2:7; 2:7; 2:19; 2:19; 9:4; 9:5; 9:10; 9:12; 9:15; 9:16; 12:5; 12:13; 12:13; 17:14; 19:19; 19:20; 23:8; 34:3; 34:8; 35:18; 36:6; 36:6; 37:21; 37:21; 42:21; 44:30; 46:15; 46:18; 46:22; 46:25; 46:26; 46:27; 49:6; 49:6
Exodus
1:5; 4:19; 12:4; 12:4; 12:15; 12:16; 12:19; 16:16; 21:23; 23:9; 30:15; 30:16; 31:14
Leviticus
2:1; 4:2; 4:27; 5:1; 5:2; 5:4; 5:15; 5:17; 7:18; 7:20; 7:20; 7:21; 7:21; 7:25; 7:27; 7:27; 11:10; 11:46; 11:46; 16:29; 16:31; 17:10; 17:10; 17:11; 17:11; 17:12; 17:12; 17:14; 17:15; 18:29; 19:8; 19:28; 20:6; 20:25; 21:1; 21:11; 21:11; 22:3; 22:4; 22:6; 22:11; 23:27; 23:29; 23:30; 23:32; 24:17; 24:18; 24:18; 26:11; 26:15; 26:30; 26:43; 27:2; 27:2
Numbers
5:2; 5:6; 6:6; 6:11; 9:6; 9:7; 9:10; 9:13; 15:27; 15:28; 15:30; 15:30; 15:31; 17:3; 17:3; 19:11; 19:13; 19:13; 19:18; 19:20; 19:22; 21:4; 23:10; 29:7; 30:3; 30:5; 30:6; 30:7; 30:8; 30:9; 30:10; 30:11; 30:12; 30:14; 31:19; 31:28; 31:28; 31:35; 31:35; 31:40; 31:40; 31:46; 31:50; 35:11; 35:15; 35:30
Deuteronomy
4:9; 4:15; 4:29; 6:5; 10:12; 10:22; 11:13; 11:18; 12:15; 12:20; 12:20; 12:21; 12:23; 12:23; 12:24; 13:4; 14:26; 18:6; 19:6; 19:11; 19:21; 21:14; 23:25; 24:7; 24:15; 26:16; 27:25; 30:2; 30:6; 30:10
Joshua
2:13; 2:14; 10:28; 10:30; 10:32; 10:35; 10:37; 10:39; 11:11; 20:3; 20:9; 22:5; 23:11; 23:14
Judges
5:18; 10:16; 12:3; 16:16; 16:30; 18:25
Ruth
4:15
1 Samuel
1:26; 2:16; 2:35; 17:55; 18:1; 18:3; 19:5; 19:11; 20:3; 20:4; 20:17; 20:21; 22:2; 22:23; 23:15; 23:20; 25:26; 25:29; 28:21
2 Samuel
1:9; 3:21; 4:8; 4:9; 5:8; 11:11; 14:7; 14:9; 14:14; 16:11; 17:8; 19:6; 23:17; 23:17
1 Kings
1:12; 1:29; 2:4; 2:23; 3:11; 8:48; 11:37; 17:16; 17:21; 17:21; 17:22; 19:2; 19:4; 19:4; 19:10; 19:14; 20:31; 20:32; 20:39; 20:42
2 Kings
2:2; 2:4; 2:6; 4:30; 9:15; 10:24; 12:5; 23:3; 23:25
1 Chronicles
5:21; 11:19; 22:19; 28:9
2 Chronicles
1:11; 6:38; 15:12; 34:31
Esther
4:13
Job
2:6; 3:20; 6:7; 6:11; 7:11; 7:15; 9:21; 10:1; 11:20; 12:10; 13:14; 14:22; 16:4; 23:13; 27:3; 30:16; 31:39; 33:18; 33:22; 33:28; 33:30; 41:13
Psalms
10:3; 11:5; 13:2; 16:10; 17:9; 19:8; 22:30; 23:3; 24:4; 25:1; 25:20; 30:4; 31:10; 31:14; 33:19; 35:4; 35:9; 35:25; 38:13; 40:15; 42:3; 42:5; 42:7; 49:16; 49:16; 54:5; 55:19; 63:2; 63:6; 63:9; 63:10; 66:9; 69:2; 70:3; 71:23; 77:3; 78:18; 86:4; 86:4; 86:13; 86:14; 89:49; 89:49; 94:19; 97:10; 104:29; 104:30; 105:22; 107:9; 107:9; 116:4; 119:175; 124:4; 124:5; 124:7; 131:2; 138:3; 139:14; 143:6; 143:8
Proverbs
1:19; 2:10; 3:22; 7:23; 11:17; 11:25; 11:30; 12:10; 13:3; 13:4; 13:25; 14:25; 16:17; 16:24; 19:2; 19:8; 19:15; 19:16; 21:10; 22:5; 23:2; 23:7; 23:14; 24:12; 24:14; 25:14; 25:25; 27:7; 27:7; 27:9; 28:17; 29:10; 29:17; 31:6
Ecclesiastes
2:24; 4:8; 6:2; 6:3; 6:7; 6:9; 7:28
Song of Songs
1:7; 3:1; 3:2; 3:3; 3:4; 5:6
Isaiah
1:14; 3:9; 3:20; 5:14; 10:18; 15:4; 19:10; 26:8; 38:15; 38:17; 42:1; 43:4; 46:2; 47:14; 51:23; 55:3; 56:11; 58:10; 61:10; 66:3
Jeremiah
2:24; 2:34; 3:11; 4:10; 4:30; 6:8; 11:21; 12:7; 13:17; 14:19; 15:9; 19:7; 19:9; 21:7; 22:25; 22:27; 26:19; 31:25; 32:41; 34:16; 34:20; 34:21; 37:9; 38:16; 38:17; 38:20; 40:14; 40:15; 42:20; 43:6; 44:7; 44:14; 44:30; 46:26; 48:6; 49:37; 50:19; 51:6; 51:45; 52:29; 52:30
Lamentations
1:11; 1:19; 3:20; 3:24; 5:9
Ezekiel
4:14; 7:19; 13:18; 13:18; 13:19; 13:20; 13:20; 13:20; 14:14; 14:20; 16:27; 17:17; 18:4; 18:4; 18:27; 22:25; 22:27; 23:17; 23:18; 23:18; 23:22; 23:28; 24:21; 27:1; 27:13; 33:5; 33:6; 47:9
Hosea
4:8
Amos
2:14; 2:15
Jonah
1:14; 2:6; 4:3; 4:8
Micah
7:1
Habakkuk
2:4; 2:5
Haggai
2:13
Zechariah
11:8; 11:8
