Breath of Life

[micah7:9]

I have been led, for the last forty years, to spend more of the study time I have been given in the first 6 chapters of Genesis.
So, I will ask this question, putting aside what one has been told, and looking at the Book. I mean no offence at all.

What is the "breath of life" in Genesis 2:7? 
I believe it to be the wind or breath of the Creator igniting or kick starting mankinds respiratory system, mankinds  unconscious breathing. That breath of life is in all of the breathing creatures/souls. It is the breath/spirit that returns to the one who gave it when that soul/breathing creature dies.

[redhotmagma]

I believe its the animating principle in the entire universe.  When you cut a dead man it will not heal, because the breath of life has left.  As Christ is the word, and a breath is needed to speak. 
Hebrews:
  1God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.

Also I believe this is a good evidence against ET, since Jesus has to be upholding hell also. 

[micah7:9]

My reasoning is that the "breath" of life has nothing to do with mans spirit. There is breath, wind, spirit, I believe it is discerning between them that is important and vital as we grow in Him and He in us.

And man became a living soul with the same breath of life as, "A chimpanzee breathes the breath of life."

[CHB]

I have been led, for the last forty years, to spend more of the study time I have been given in the first 6 chapters of Genesis.
So, I will ask this question, putting aside what one has been told, and looking at the Book. I mean no offence at all.

What is the "breath of life" in Genesis 2:7? 
I believe it to be the wind or breath of the Creator igniting or kick starting mankinds respiratory system, mankinds  unconscious breathing. That breath of life is in all of the breathing creatures/souls. It is the breath/spirit that returns to the one who gave it when that soul/breathing creature dies.

This is the way I see this as well.

CHB

[micah7:9]

GLORY! :grin:

[micah7:9]

All seems to be lost with what man believes is the breath of the breathing creature. The Lord God in Gen.2:7 began the respiratory and unconscious breathing of the living soul or breathing creature.
All breathing creatures started breathing/living then. The Lord God had no reason to explain after He kicked man/adam/mankind into living  after Gen.2:7..the dust of the ground man/adam/mankind
Gen 2:19  And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air;
After Gen.2:7 the dust of the ground, all of living began to breath.

[WhiteWings]

Just bought another study thingy; and your thread seesm a good starting point for spamming  :happy3:
No quick reading because it's in the details. Even if Strong points to for example H123a it can be usefull to also look at H123b and H123c
I'll post the key words from your favorite verse. Gen 2:7


FORMED
898יָצַר(yāṣar) fashion, form, frame. (RSV and ASV generally similar except that RSV translates "planned" in II Kgs 19:25; Isa 37:26, and ASV has "ordained" in Ps 139:16.)
Derivatives
898aיֵצֶר(yēṣer) form.
898bיְצֻרִים(yĕṣūrı̂m) forms, members, only in Job 17:7, referring to parts of the body as having been fashioned.
The basic meaning of this root is "to form," "to fashion." While the word occurs in synonymous parallelism with bārā' "create" and 'āśâ "make" in a number of passages, its primary emphasis is on the shaping or forming of the object involved.
As with many Hebrew words of theological significance, the root yāṣarmay be used of human as well as divine agency. When used in its secular sense it occurs most frequently in the participial form meaning "potter," i.e. one who fashions (clay). The word is used in this form frequently in the prophets where "the potter" provides an apt vehicle for the communication of the prophetic message (Isa 29:16; Jer 18:2, 4, 6; Zech 11:13).
The concept of "fashioning" is particularly clear in Isa 44:9–10, 12where an idol is pictured as being shaped (yāṣar) by hammers (v.12). See also Hab 2:18. The same concept is evident in the use of the word in Ps 94:20where wicked rulers use the law to devise or frame means of wrongdoing.
When used of divine agency, the root refers most frequently to God's creative activity. It describes the function of the divine Potter forming man and beasts from the dust of the earth (Gen 2:7–8, 19). It occurs in association with bārā' "create" and 'āśâ "make" in passages that refer to the creation of the universe (Isa 45:18), the earth itself (Jer 33:2), and the natural phenomena (Amos 4:13; Ps 95:5). See also Ps 33:15; 74:17; 94:9; Jer 10:16; 51:19; Zech 12:1).
The word also occurs in the sense of God's framing or devising something in his mind. It is used of his preordained purposes (II Kgs 19:25; Isa 37:26; 46:11; Ps 139:16) as well as his current plans (Jer 18:11).
The root is used of God's forming the nation of Israel in the sense of bringing it into existence. It is used in this way only by Isaiah and always connotes God's activity in this regard (Isa 43:1, 7, 21; 44:2, 21, 24).
The participial form meaning "potter" is applied to God in Isa 64:7where mankind is the work of his hand.
When applied to the objects of God's creative work, the emphasis of the word is on the forming or structuring of these phenomena. The word speaks to the mode of creation of these phenomena only insofar as the act of shaping or forming an object may also imply the initiation of that object. In this way the root yāṣaris an appropriate surrogate for bārā'but not an exact synonym.
yēṣer. Form. The noun yēṣer, which connotes the concept of "form," may refer either to the shape of an object or the object itself, i.e. that which has been formed. It refers to the external shape of an idol in Hab 2:18, but to pottery itself in Isa 29:16. Its most frequent usage in the latter sense refers to that which is formed in the mind, e.g. plans and purposes (Gen 6:5; 8:21; Deut 31:21) or even the state of mind (Isa 26:3).
Bibliography:TDNT, II, pp. 1005–28. THAT, I, pp. 761–64.

[WhiteWings]

MAN
אדם
'âdâm
BDB Definition:
1) man, mankind
1a) man, human being
1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT)
1c) Adam, first man
1d) city in Jordan valley
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong's Number: from H119
Same Word by TWOT Number: 25a


25אדם('dm) I. Assumed root of the following.
25aאָדָם('ādām) man, mankind, Adam.
25bאֲדָמָה('ădāmâ) ground, land.
'ādām. Man, mankind; also human (adj.), someone (indef.); Adam (the first man).The ASVand RSVtranslate the same with notable exceptions. In Job 31:33the RSVobscures the reference to Adam. Although the etymology of 'ādāmcannot be explained with certainty (cf.TDOT. I, p. 78). the word probably relates to the original ruddiness of man's complexion (cf.F. Maas, 'ādāmTDOT, I, pp. 78–79). This word for man has to do with man as being in God's image, the crown of creation. It should be distinguished from 'ı̂sh(man as opposite of woman, or as man distinguished in his manliness), 'ĕnôsh(man as weak and vulnerable), geber(man as mighty and noble), and mĕtı̂m. Ugaritic 'admnormally means "people," and is parallel to l'im, or is used in the appellation 'ab'adm, "father of mankind." 'ādāmoccurs exclusively in the singular absolute, 562 times.
'ādāmalso refers to generic man as the image of God and the crown of creation or is a personal name. Hence in Gen 1–3 it is the word usually used for man. (In later passages of Scripture it is difficult to distinguish in meaning from 'ı̂sh.) Here, man is distinct from the rest of creation in that: he was created by special and solemn divine counsel (Gen 1:26); his creation was an immediate act of God; he was created after the divine type; he was created with two distinct elements (Gen 2:7); he was placed in an exalted position (Gen 1:28); he was intended for a still higher (in the sense of a permanent and fulfilled) position. Hence, man (as 'ādām) was the crown of creation. Genesis 1sets forth 'ādāmas the goal and vice-regent of creation, while Gen 2shows how the creation was formed as the scene of man's activity, i.e. it was formed around 'ādām. In the first three chapters of Gen there is a wordplay on man, mankind, and the first man "Adam." 'ādāmconnotes man in the image of God as to: soul or spirit (indicating man's essential simplicity, spirituality, invisibility, immortality), physical powers or faculties (the intellect and will with their functions), intellectual and moral integrity (true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness), body (as a fit organ of the soul sharing its immortality, and as the means through which man exercises his dominion), and dominion over the lower creation.
The image of God in man has been much discussed. Engnell, Wildberger, and von Rad refer it to man's dominion over the non-human world. Humbert and Koehler contend that it indicates man's external form, which seems inappropriate in view of the repeated assertion of God's spirituality. Brunner, Kierkegaard, and Berkhouwer think it refers to man's exceptional relationship with God. F. Horst declares that man is a creature who "hears the word of God, speaks to God in prayer and obeys him in service" (TDOT, I, p. 85). In contrast to these somewhat neo-orthodox approachesthe image of God in the narrow sense refers to man as a rational-moral creature (cf.Deut 4:10–12). Significantly God's first words to man are both a command and a prohibition (Gen 2:16–17); man alone is responsible for his decision, man alone determines his destiny by volitional choice, and only man is judged as righteous or sinful by God's law. An older biblical theology holds that the "divine likeness is rather to be referred to the whole dignity of man in virtue of which human nature is sharply distinguished from that of the beasts; man as a free being is set over nature, and designed to hold communion with God, and to be his representative on earth" (G. F. Oehler, Old Testament Theology). Payne remarks that "the terms 'image' and 'likeness' ... are used interchangeably. ...The image thus connotes 'freedom' and 'blessedness', as it reflects within man the cosmic, ethical and beneficent sovereignty of the Testator himself. ...The divine image thus implies all the various aspects of God's reflected glory and honor. ...It may be defined, in summary, as the totality of man's higher powers that distinguish him from brute creation" (PTOT, p. '227). The apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus says of the creation of man: he "made them according to his image, and put the fear of man upon all flesh, and gave him dominion over beasts and fowls. Counsel and a tongue, and eyes, ears, and a heart, gave he them to understand. Withal he filled them with the knowledge of understanding, and showed them good and evil ... and they shall praise his holy name, that they may search out his marvellous works" (Eccles 17:3-9).
Even after the fall 'ādāmis used of man! The image of God is still the central distinction. Hence, murder is an attack on the image of God (Gen 9:6). However, the fall lowered man's position before God (Gen 6:5–6; 8:21), ruptured his communion with God, and brought the curse of death on him so that he did not fulfill his intended exaltation. That part of the divine image consisting of true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness was destroyed. Only in and by Christ, the new Adam (Rom 5:12–21), can the original divine promise be realized.
'ădāmâ. Ground, land, earth. The ASVand RSVreflect the difficulties in deciding which of the English words to use in translation. Originally this word signified the red arable soil. From this it came to denote any cultivated, plantable ground and/or landed property. At times it approaches the meaning "home country" (see especially Jon 4:2), but probably not in a political sense (however, Isa 14:2; 19:17, and especially Ezekiel's almost exclusive "land of Israel," et al.). One should compare and distinguish 'ereṣ "earth, land," and 'āpār, "dry earth, dust." Also, contrast ḥelqâ "portion, field," yabbāshâ "dry land, dry ground," and śādeh "field, land, open country." 'ădāmâoccurs 224 times.
The Bible makes much of the relationship between man ('ādām) and the ground ('ădāmâ). That this might be vivid in the mind of the reader we will transliterate the words in the following discussion. Initially, God made 'ādāmout of the 'ădāmâto till the 'ădāmâ(Gen 3:23, to bring forth life?). The 'ădāmâwas God's possession and under his care (Gen 2:6). Thus, the first 'ādām(the man, Adam) and his family were to act as God's servants by obeying him in maintaining the divinely created and intended relationships vertically and horizontally. As long as this condition was sustained God caused the 'ădāmâto give its fruitfulness (blessing) to 'ādām.
Then came sin. The unit 'ādām(Adam and Eve; see also Rom 5:12) violated the created structure. The 'ădāmâ, henceforth, brought forth thorns and thistles rather than freely giving fruit (Gen 3:17). Since 'ādāmhad disrupted the paradisiacal life-producing state, he was driven off the paradisiacal 'ădāmâand sentenced to return to the 'ădāmâ(Gen 3:19). He was driven to it rather than it being given to him. He was to go down rather than up. His life moved in and toward death rather than in and toward life. However, the gracious Creator did not completely destroy 'ādām. He promised to bring forth from 'ādāma lifegiver (Gen 3:15). As a token of that promise the Creator caused the 'ădāmâto give of its fruit (blessing) to 'ādām(note the curse on Cain, Gen 4:12,14, whereby the 'ădāmâwas no longer to give its strength to him). Because of disobedience 'ādāmreceived a curse from the 'ădāmârather than life. Thus, we see that 'ādām/'ădāmâare deeply involved in the pattern creation-fall-redemption.
This pattern is repeated throughout the ot. After the flood God said he would never again curse the 'ădāmâbecause of 'ādām(Gen 8:21). He made a new covenant (creation) with Noah (Gen 9:1–17) who became the father of 'ādām(since only Noah and his immediate family were in the ark, Gen 7:7). Noah became a tiller of the 'ădāmâ(Gen 9:20), and God blessed his efforts. However, Noah sinned. In Abraham the promise (redemption) given by God through Noah to Shem emerges in the form of Paradise regained, i.e. the promised land ('ădāmâGen 28:14–15).
In the Mosaic legislation God gives the 'ădāmâor takes it away according to the obedience of his people (Lev 20:24). Its fruitfulness depends upon their obedience (Deut 11:17). Solomon repeats this creation-fall-redemption pattern around 'ādām/'ădāmâ(I Kgs 8:34, 40). This cycle governs the history of Israel (I Kgs 13:34; 14:15; II Kgs 21:8; 25:21). Nehemiah recognizes the same theological pattern (Neh 10:37[H 38]).
In the eschaton God will change the inner constitution of 'ādām(fully restore the divine image) so as to eliminate the possibility of a fall and assure eternal possession of the 'ădāmâwhich yields its fruit freely (Ezk 36:25–30; cf.Jer 31:33–34; II Cor 5:17; Heb 8:8–12)—the return to the garden of Eden (Ezk 36:35).
Bibliography:Asselin, David Tobin, "The Notion of Dominion in Genesis 1–3," CBQ16:277–94. Bloom, Alfred, "Human Rights in Israel's Thought," Interp 8:422–32. DeFraine, J., "Individue et Societe dans la Religion de I'Ancien Testament," Bib33:324–55, 445–75. Koehler, Ludwig, Hebrew Man, Abingdon, 1957. May, Herbert G., "Individual Responsibility and Retribution," HUCA32:107–20. Oehler, G. F., Old Testament Theology, Funk & Wagnall, 1883, pp. 146-47. Payne, J. Barton, Theology of the Older Testament, pp. 221–31. Porter, J. R., "The Legal Aspects of the Concept of 'Corporate Personality' in the Old Testament," VT15:361–80. Richardson, TWB, pp. 14–15. Thomas, D. W., ed., Archaeology and Old Testament Study, Oxford:Clarendon, 1967. Wright, J. Stafford, Man in the Process of' Time, Eerdmans, 1956. TDOT, I, pp. 75–87, 88–98. THAT, I, pp. 41–56, 57–59.
L.J.C.

[WhiteWings]

BREATH
נשׁמה
neshâmâh
BDB Definition:
1) breath, spirit
1a) breath (of God)
1b) breath (of man)
1c) every breathing thing
1d) spirit (of man)
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong's Number: from H5395
Same Word by TWOT Number: 1433a




1433נָשַׁם(nāsham) pant (Isa 42:14, only).
Derivatives
1433aנְשָׁמָה(nĕshāmâ) breath.
1433bתִּנְשֶׁמֶת(tinshemet) an animal.
nĕshāmâ. Breath (ASV, RSVboth employ "breath" for "blast" and "inspiration," while the former one replaces "breath" with "life.")
This noun, when used in reference to man, generally signifies the breath of life. It is frequently found in combination with rûaḥ "spirit" and seems synonymous with nepesh(q.v.). In KJVit is twice translated "spirit" (Job 26:4; Prov 20:27). For Prov 20:27some feel the mind or intellect is denoted. In Isa 2:22the reference to man, whose "breath is in his nostrils," is a figure of man's frailty. Life itself is a fragile existence. The "breath of God" may refer to his creative activity (as in Gen 2:7), but it can also be a hot wind which kindles flame (Isa 30:33), a destructive wind (II Sam 22:16=Ps 18:15[H 16]; Job 4:9), or even a wind cold enough to produce ice (Job 37:10).
The fact that precise translation of this noun must fluctuate in accordance with its contextual usage is aptly demonstrated by the following instances. In the poetic expression of II Sam 22:16(paralleled by Ps. 18:15[H 16]) nishmat rûaḥsignifies "blast of his breath," while in Gen 7:22nishmat-rûaḥ ḥayı̂mmeans "the breath of life," breath here expressed by the combination "breathing of breath." The concrete concept "breathing (that is, living) beings" is expressed by nĕshāmâin either the singular form (as in Josh 10:40) or the plural (Isa 57:16).
tinshemet. An animal. Swan and mole in KJV; ASV "horned owl" and "chameleon"; RSVhas latter, but "water hen" elsewhere.
Used only three times, and that in connection with dietary prohibitions, tinshemetdenotes probably two members of the animal kingdom, apparently so named for breathing or hissing characteristics. Bible dictionaries should be consulted under the English names given above, as well as Flora and Fauna of the Bible (United Bible Societies).
M.C.F.

[WhiteWings]

LIFE
חי
chay
BDB Definition:
1) living, alive (adjective)
1a) green (of vegetation)
1b) flowing, fresh (of water)
1c) lively, active (of man)
1d) reviving (of the springtime)
2) relatives (noun masculine)
3) life (abstract emphatic) (noun masculine)
3a) life
3b) sustenance, maintenance
4) living thing, animal (noun feminine)
4a) animal
4b) life
4c) appetite
4d) revival, renewal
5) community (noun feminine)
Part of Speech: see above in Definition
A Related Word by BDB/Strong's Number: from H2421
Same Word by TWOT Number: 644a


644חָיָה(ḥāyâ) live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live forever. Also be quickened, revive from sickness, discouragement, or even death.
Derivatives
644aחַי(ḥay) I,living.
644bחַי(ḥay) II,kinsfolk.
644cחַיָּה(ḥayyâ) I,living thing.
644dחַיָּה(ḥayyâ) II,community.
644eחַיֶה(ḥayeh) having the vigor of life, lively.
644fחַיִּים(ḥayyı̂m) life.
644gחַיּוּת(ḥayyût). Occurs in the phrase'almānôt ḥayyût "widowhood of livingness," i.e. grass widow, one who was separated from her husband.
644hמִחיָה(miḥyâ) preservation of life.
As a verb this root appears in three stems in Hebrew. The Qal conveys the basic meaning "to live or have life" whereas the two derived stems overlap in their meaning of "giving or restoring life."
Throughout the ot the possession of life is an intrinsic good, "All that a man has will he give for his life" (Job 2:4), and "a living dog is better than a dead lion" (Eccl 9:4). "Long life is in Wisdom's right hand" (Prov 3:16). Against this estimation of life one can appreciate the depths of Job's despair when he desired to surrender his life (Job 3:17ff.).
Physical life originally came from God (Gen 2:7). After the Fall, death entered man's experience. The fruit of the tree of life would have endowed man with immortality (Gen 3:22). God continues to be the source of life (Ps 36:9; 139:13ff.) and the Lord of life and death (Num 27:16; Deut 32:39; Job 12:10).
The ot speaks of life as the experience of life rather than as an abstract principle of vitality which may be distinguished from the body. This is because the ot view of the nature of man is holistic, that is, his function as body, mind, spirit is a unified whole spoken of in very concrete terms. Life is the ability to exercise all one's vital power to the fullest; death is the opposite. The verb ḥāyâ "to live" involves the ability to have life somewhere on the scale between the fullest enjoyment of all the powers of one's being, with health and prosperity on the one hand and descent into trouble, sickness, and death on the other. Sometimes the Psalmist calls on the Lord to be saved alive from the very brink of the pit (Ps 30:3[H 4]). He asks to be "preserved alive" and "revived" so that he can enjoy "the land of the living." Some have been extreme in maintaining that this "land of the living" is heaven, while others have gone too far in maintaining that the Israelites did not understand man as having a spirit but simply as being an animated body. Some have quoted verses like Isa 26:14; "The dead do not live," to prove that Israel's view was that death is total. There are indeed some verses that say the living, not the dead, praise the Lord, but these verses are expressions of simple physical observation. The fact is that in contrast to Mesopotamian ideas of creation where man was made to be mortal, in the m man was created to immortal life, not as a spirit but as a whole man, body and soul ("Life," ZPEB, III, p. 927). The entrance of death was viewed as unnatural.
The ot word ḥāyâhas a range of meaning which includes "to prosper, to sustain life," or "to nourish" (Gen 27:40; Gen 45:7; II Kgs 18:32; I Sam 10:24; II Sam 12:3) or "to restore to health, to heal, recover" (Josh 5:8; II Kgs 1:2; 8:10).
In contrast to the ancient near east, where men sought to link themselves with forces of life thought of in terms of nature deities, by magical recitations of myth accompanied by appropriate magical ritual, in the ot life is decided by a right relationship to the righteous standards of the Word of God. Moses places the people in a state of having to decide between life and death by laying the word of God before them (Deut 30:15–20). Israel is called upon to choose life, "for this word is not a vain thing for you: because it is your life" (Deut 32:47). Bultmann notes that Ezekiel "frees life from all false supports and obligations and relates it wholly and utterly to the Word of God (Ezk 3:18ff.; 14:13ff.; 18:1ff.; 20:1ff.; 33:1ff.)" (TDNT, II, p. 845). In Prov, man is again called upon to make a decision for life, by embracing Wisdom (Prov 2:19; 5:6; 6:23; 10:17; 15:24). By cleaving to God, the righteous have life (Hab 2:4; cf.Amos 5:4, 14; Jer 38:20).
But there is also the somewhat less concrete meaning where one "lives" by the words of God, "not by bread alone" (Deut 8:3; Ps 119:50, 93). Some would insist that this refers to prosperity as the gift of obedience rather than to the spiritual quality of life, as Jesus seems to have interpreted Deut 8:3. But considering again the biblical unity of man's nature, it obviously refers to both.
While it may be difficult to show any developed concept of incorporeal immortality in the ot, there are a number of passages where the verb ḥāyâmeans "to restore to life," which would imply the overcoming of death. Since ot terminology uses death and life in a wide spectrum of nuances, in some passages it is difficult to tell whether extreme trouble or illness or what we would call death is meant. (The reader should keep in mind that modern medicine, despite its technological sophistication, has trouble defining actual death.) Two such passages are II Kgs 13:20–21, where a man's body "revives" or is "restored to life" upon touching the bones of Elisha. The other is I Kgs 17:17–24where Elijah "restores to life" the body of the widow's son. Both of these passages appear to be dealing with resurrection from death, but one would have some difficulty from the terminology alone proving whether they were resurrected or merely revived. But the people involved in II Kgs 13:20–21are treating the man as dead that is, burying him and the boy "had no breath left in him." So in each case the person was received back to life from what the Hebrews called "death."

[WhiteWings]

Psalm 49, while using the word ḥāyâonly twice (vv.9, 18 [H 10, 19]) is very instructive in what it says about the Psalmist's attitude toward living and dying. He teaches that evil men perish. There is no way for them to be redeemed so that they can go on living forever and never see death (vv.7–8 [H 8–9]). But the Psalmist is not totally negative about death. He expresses his faith in God's promise to redeem his life from the power of the grave (Sheol) for he says, "God will receive (take, snatch, as Enoch and Elijah, see lāqaḥ) me" (v.15 [H 16]). This passage should be linked with Ps 17:15, "I will be satisfied when I wake in your likeness" and also to Ps 16:11where "the path of life" and overcoming of death is predictive of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:24–29). Bultmann adds, "There is a remarkably plain expression that the relationship of grace will persist, that fellowship initiated by God cannot be destroyed in Ps 73:23ff. One may say that here the OT belief in the hereafter finds its purest formulation. This expectation is neither magical nor mythical not speculative nor mystical. It is a certainty which is produced in the righteous by the concept of grace alone" (TDNT, II, p. 848).
One of the meanings of the word ḥayyı̂m, "endless life," has been generally recognized in the past only as a very late usage of the word. (See BDBon Dan 12:2, p. 313). M. Dahood (Psalms I, II, III, in AB, 16, 17, 17a) has brought the Ugaritic literature to bear on the early meaning of this word.
Though Dan 12:2is often cited in the lexicons as the usage of ḥayyı̂mto mean eternal life, Dahood sees it so used in the Psalms. He refers to the Ugaritic antecedent in 2 Aqht VI. 27–29 (ABpp. 91, 170)
"Ask for eternal life (ḥym)
And I will give it to you,
Immortality (blmt)
And I will bestow it on you.
I will make you number years with Baal,
With gods you will number months."
Proverbs 12:28uses 'al-māwet(no death) as the parallel of ḥayyı̂m(life). The Ugaritic blmttranslated "immortality" above is an equivalent expression. The RSVsays that the Hebrew is uncertain and proceeds to give a translation based on an emended text. However, Ewald, Bertheau, Franz Delitzsch, and Saadia, the Judeo-Arabist of the Middle Ages, said 'al-māwetmeans "immortality." The KJVwisely translated it "no death," NIV, "immortality." They have all been proved correct by the Ugaritic bl mtas used in the above citation. Dahood translates the verse:
"In the path of virtue is eternal life (ḥayyı̂m),
And the treading of her way is immortality ('al-māwet)."
M. Pope (JBL85:455–66) objects to this translation on the basis that the synonymous parallelism goes against the larger context which consists of a series of couplets in antithetical parallelism and "therefore death not immortality is the proper antithesis." But is there here a larger context? Are not these proverbs a list of independent thoughts? Indeed it is not unusual of the proverbs to shift from one form of parallelism to another (cf.17:21–22; 19:4–5, etc.). Pope states that ḥayyı̂mas eternal life is not justified by the parallelism of ḥymand blmtin Ugaritic because, the hero's, Aqhat's, reply shows he did not believe immortality could be had by a mortal and he therefore accuses the goddess Anat of lying to him. The implication is that since the Ugaritic hero didn't believe humans could have immortality, the writers of the Old Testament must share the same skepticism. The point is not what the Ugaritians believed but that they used the word ḥymfor eternal life, whereas the Hebrew lexicons generally list only Dan 12:2as using ḥayyı̂mdistinctively to denote eternal life because of its alleged Maccabean origin.
Another similar use of ḥayyı̂mis in Prov 15:24where it is put in antithesis with Sheol:
"The path of life above belongs to the wise,
because he turns away from Sheol below."
Whether this passage has relevance on this subject depends on how one interprets Sheol (q.v.) here and in other places in the ot. Sheol often means only "the grave" in ot usage. If that is the meaning here, then ḥayyı̂mas its antithesis need mean only "this earthly life." But if Sheol can mean "netherworld," then ḥayyı̂mhere may mean "life after death." The writer holds that Proverbs entertains the concept that "death" (māwet) and Sheol involves more than the grave. Prov 2:18–19parallels death with the place where "the shades" (rĕpā'ı̂m) are. And Prov 9:18parallels Sheol in the same way. This at least opens the possibility that in Prov 15:24 "the path of life above" can mean eternal life in heaven in contrast with Sheol below where the shades dwell.
Some ot scholars would reject this notion, even though they might admit ḥayyı̂mcould mean "endless life" on earth. But we are reminded of the repeated ot idea that God dwells in heaven (Deut 4:36, 39: I Kgs 8:27; Job 22:12; Ps 20:6[H 7], 80:14 [H 15], etc.) where his throne is (Ps 11:4) and that the Psalmist longs to see his face (Ps 17:15). Amos (9:2), a prophet the critics accept at face value from the eighth century, considers both heaven and Sheol as places where people might conceivably go. Although Dahood may be extreme in his application of this meaning for ḥayyı̂m, his critics may be equally extreme in rejecting the notion entirely. For example, in what sense does the king receive eternal life in God's presence (Ps 21:4–6[H 5–7])? And in what sense does Mount Zion abide forever (Ps 125:1)? The answer is similar in either case. The earthly Mount Zion has a counterpart in heaven (cf.Ps 123:1) and the king's prosperity on earth is only the beginning of all God's eternal goodness to him (Ps 16:11). It is very interesting (Ps 30:5) to see the temporal contrast between the Lord's anger and his favor. His anger is for a moment but his favor is for "life-eternal" not just a "lifetime" as in the rv.
ḥay. Living, alive. This adjective is often used as an epithet of God (Josh 3:10; Hos 2:1; Ps 42:3, etc.) but also of man, animals, and vegetation in contrast to what is dead or dried up. The plural form describes flowing or fresh water (Gen 26:19; Lev 14:5–6; Num 19:17, etc.). Jesus used a word play on this meaning (Jn 4:10).
ḥayyâ. Living thing, animal. The term is used mostly of wild animals in contrast to domestic animals. Psalm 104:25uses it of creatures that live in water. Ezekiel in chapter 1 employs the term to describe the "living creatures" of his vision, which were composite in nature, having features of both man and animals. More rarely it means anything that lives (Ezk 7:13).
ḥayyı̂m. Life, as an abstract idea, meaning the state of being alive as opposite to being dead. Life at its best, health, endless life.
miḥyâ. Preservation of life (Gen 45:5), the appearance of new flesh (Lev 13:10), food, subsistence (Jud 6:4, 17:10).

[WhiteWings]

LIVING
חי
chay
BDB Definition:
1) living, alive (adjective)
1a) green (of vegetation)
1b) flowing, fresh (of water)
1c) lively, active (of man)
1d) reviving (of the springtime)
2) relatives (noun masculine)
3) life (abstract emphatic) (noun masculine)
3a) life
3b) sustenance, maintenance
4) living thing, animal (noun feminine)
4a) animal
4b) life
4c) appetite
4d) revival, renewal
5) community (noun feminine)
Part of Speech: see above in Definition
A Related Word by BDB/Strong's Number: from H2421
Same Word by TWOT Number: 644a


644 חָיָה (ḥāyâ) live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live forever. Also be quickened, revive from sickness, discouragement, or even death.
Derivatives
644a חַי (ḥay) I, living.
644b חַי (ḥay) II, kinsfolk.
644c חַיָּה (ḥayyâ) I, living thing.
644d חַיָּה (ḥayyâ) II, community.
644e חַיֶה (ḥayeh) having the vigor of life, lively.
644f חַיִּים (ḥayyı̂m) life.
644g חַיּוּת (ḥayyût). Occurs in the phrase 'almānôt ḥayyût "widowhood of livingness," i.e. grass widow, one who was separated from her husband.
644h מִחיָה (miḥyâ) preservation of life.
As a verb this root appears in three stems in Hebrew. The Qal conveys the basic meaning "to live or have life" whereas the two derived stems overlap in their meaning of "giving or restoring life."
Throughout the ot the possession of life is an intrinsic good, "All that a man has will he give for his life" (Job 2:4), and "a living dog is better than a dead lion" (Eccl 9:4). "Long life is in Wisdom's right hand" (Prov 3:16). Against this estimation of life one can appreciate the depths of Job's despair when he desired to surrender his life (Job 3:17ff.).
Physical life originally came from God (Gen 2:7). After the Fall, death entered man's experience. The fruit of the tree of life would have endowed man with immortality (Gen 3:22). God continues to be the source of life (Ps 36:9; 139:13ff.) and the Lord of life and death (Num 27:16; Deut 32:39; Job 12:10).
The ot speaks of life as the experience of life rather than as an abstract principle of vitality which may be distinguished from the body. This is because the ot view of the nature of man is holistic, that is, his function as body, mind, spirit is a unified whole spoken of in very concrete terms. Life is the ability to exercise all one's vital power to the fullest; death is the opposite. The verb ḥāyâ "to live" involves the ability to have life somewhere on the scale between the fullest enjoyment of all the powers of one's being, with health and prosperity on the one hand and descent into trouble, sickness, and death on the other. Sometimes the Psalmist calls on the Lord to be saved alive from the very brink of the pit (Ps 30:3 [H 4]). He asks to be "preserved alive" and "revived" so that he can enjoy "the land of the living." Some have been extreme in maintaining that this "land of the living" is heaven, while others have gone too far in maintaining that the Israelites did not understand man as having a spirit but simply as being an animated body. Some have quoted verses like Isa 26:14; "The dead do not live," to prove that Israel's view was that death is total. There are indeed some verses that say the living, not the dead, praise the Lord, but these verses are expressions of simple physical observation. The fact is that in contrast to Mesopotamian ideas of creation where man was made to be mortal, in the m man was created to immortal life, not as a spirit but as a whole man, body and soul ("Life," ZPEB, III, p. 927). The entrance of death was viewed as unnatural.
The ot word ḥāyâ has a range of meaning which includes "to prosper, to sustain life," or "to nourish" (Gen 27:40; Gen 45:7; II Kgs 18:32; I Sam 10:24; II Sam 12:3) or "to restore to health, to heal, recover" (Josh 5:8; II Kgs 1:2; 8:10).
In contrast to the ancient near east, where men sought to link themselves with forces of life thought of in terms of nature deities, by magical recitations of myth accompanied by appropriate magical ritual, in the ot life is decided by a right relationship to the righteous standards of the Word of God. Moses places the people in a state of having to decide between life and death by laying the word of God before them (Deut 30:15–20). Israel is called upon to choose life, "for this word is not a vain thing for you: because it is your life" (Deut 32:47). Bultmann notes that Ezekiel "frees life from all false supports and obligations and relates it wholly and utterly to the Word of God (Ezk 3:18ff.; 14:13ff.; 18:1ff.; 20:1ff.; 33:1ff.)" (TDNT, II, p. 845). In Prov, man is again called upon to make a decision for life, by embracing Wisdom (Prov 2:19; 5:6; 6:23; 10:17; 15:24). By cleaving to God, the righteous have life (Hab 2:4; cf. Amos 5:4, 14; Jer 38:20).
But there is also the somewhat less concrete meaning where one "lives" by the words of God, "not by bread alone" (Deut 8:3; Ps 119:50, 93). Some would insist that this refers to prosperity as the gift of obedience rather than to the spiritual quality of life, as Jesus seems to have interpreted Deut 8:3. But considering again the biblical unity of man's nature, it obviously refers to both.
While it may be difficult to show any developed concept of incorporeal immortality in the ot, there are a number of passages where the verb ḥāyâ means "to restore to life," which would imply the overcoming of death. Since ot terminology uses death and life in a wide spectrum of nuances, in some passages it is difficult to tell whether extreme trouble or illness or what we would call death is meant. (The reader should keep in mind that modern medicine, despite its technological sophistication, has trouble defining actual death.) Two such passages are II Kgs 13:20–21, where a man's body "revives" or is "restored to life" upon touching the bones of Elisha. The other is I Kgs 17:17–24 where Elijah "restores to life" the body of the widow's son. Both of these passages appear to be dealing with resurrection from death, but one would have some difficulty from the terminology alone proving whether they were resurrected or merely revived. But the people involved in II Kgs 13:20–21 are treating the man as dead that is, burying him and the boy "had no breath left in him." So in each case the person was received back to life from what the Hebrews called "death."
Psalm 49, while using the word ḥāyâ only twice (vv. 9, 18 [H 10, 19]) is very instructive in what it says about the Psalmist's attitude toward living and dying. He teaches that evil men perish. There is no way for them to be redeemed so that they can go on living forever and never see death (vv. 7–8 [H 8–9]). But the Psalmist is not totally negative about death. He expresses his faith in God's promise to redeem his life from the power of the grave (Sheol) for he says, "God will receive (take, snatch, as Enoch and Elijah, see lāqaḥ) me" (v. 15 [H 16]). This passage should be linked with Ps 17:15, "I will be satisfied when I wake in your likeness" and also to Ps 16:11 where "the path of life" and overcoming of death is predictive of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:24–29). Bultmann adds, "There is a remarkably plain expression that the relationship of grace will persist, that fellowship initiated by God cannot be destroyed in Ps 73:23ff. One may say that here the OT belief in the hereafter finds its purest formulation. This expectation is neither magical nor mythical not speculative nor mystical. It is a certainty which is produced in the righteous by the concept of grace alone" (TDNT, II, p. 848).
One of the meanings of the word ḥayyı̂m, "endless life," has been generally recognized in the past only as a very late usage of the word. (See BDB on Dan 12:2, p. 313). M. Dahood (Psalms I, II, III, in AB, 16, 17, 17a) has brought the Ugaritic literature to bear on the early meaning of this word.
Though Dan 12:2 is often cited in the lexicons as the usage of ḥayyı̂m to mean eternal life, Dahood sees it so used in the Psalms. He refers to the Ugaritic antecedent in 2 Aqht VI. 27–29 (AB pp. 91, 170)
"Ask for eternal life (ḥym)
And I will give it to you,
Immortality (blmt)
And I will bestow it on you.
I will make you number years with Baal,
With gods you will number months."
Proverbs 12:28 uses 'al-māwet (no death) as the parallel of ḥayyı̂m (life). The Ugaritic blmt translated "immortality" above is an equivalent expression. The RSV says that the Hebrew is uncertain and proceeds to give a translation based on an emended text. However, Ewald, Bertheau, Franz Delitzsch, and Saadia, the Judeo-Arabist of the Middle Ages, said 'al-māwet means "immortality." The KJV wisely translated it "no death," NIV, "immortality." They have all been proved correct by the Ugaritic bl mt as used in the above citation. Dahood translates the verse:
"In the path of virtue is eternal life (ḥayyı̂m),
And the treading of her way is immortality ('al-māwet)."
M. Pope (JBL 85:455–66) objects to this translation on the basis that the synonymous parallelism goes against the larger context which consists of a series of couplets in antithetical parallelism and "therefore death not immortality is the proper antithesis." But is there here a larger context? Are not these proverbs a list of independent thoughts? Indeed it is not unusual of the proverbs to shift from one form of parallelism to another (cf. 17:21–22; 19:4–5, etc.). Pope states that ḥayyı̂m as eternal life is not justified by the parallelism of ḥym and blmt in Ugaritic because, the hero's, Aqhat's, reply shows he did not believe immortality could be had by a mortal and he therefore accuses the goddess Anat of lying to him. The implication is that since the Ugaritic hero didn't believe humans could have immortality, the writers of the Old Testament must share the same skepticism. The point is not what the Ugaritians believed but that they used the word ḥym for eternal life, whereas the Hebrew lexicons generally list only Dan 12:2 as using ḥayyı̂m distinctively to denote eternal life because of its alleged Maccabean origin.
Another similar use of ḥayyı̂m is in Prov 15:24 where it is put in antithesis with Sheol:
"The path of life above belongs to the wise,
because he turns away from Sheol below."
Whether this passage has relevance on this subject depends on how one interprets Sheol (q.v.) here and in other places in the ot. Sheol often means only "the grave" in ot usage. If that is the meaning here, then ḥayyı̂m as its antithesis need mean only "this earthly life." But if Sheol can mean "netherworld," then ḥayyı̂m here may mean "life after death." The writer holds that Proverbs entertains the concept that "death" (māwet) and Sheol involves more than the grave. Prov 2:18–19 parallels death with the place where "the shades" (rĕpā'ı̂m) are. And Prov 9:18 parallels Sheol in the same way. This at least opens the possibility that in Prov 15:24 "the path of life above" can mean eternal life in heaven in contrast with Sheol below where the shades dwell.
Some ot scholars would reject this notion, even though they might admit ḥayyı̂m could mean "endless life" on earth. But we are reminded of the repeated ot idea that God dwells in heaven (Deut 4:36, 39: I Kgs 8:27; Job 22:12; Ps 20:6 [H 7], 80:14 [H 15], etc.) where his throne is (Ps 11:4) and that the Psalmist longs to see his face (Ps 17:15). Amos (9:2), a prophet the critics accept at face value from the eighth century, considers both heaven and Sheol as places where people might conceivably go. Although Dahood may be extreme in his application of this meaning for ḥayyı̂m, his critics may be equally extreme in rejecting the notion entirely. For example, in what sense does the king receive eternal life in God's presence (Ps 21:4–6 [H 5–7])? And in what sense does Mount Zion abide forever (Ps 125:1)? The answer is similar in either case. The earthly Mount Zion has a counterpart in heaven (cf. Ps 123:1) and the king's prosperity on earth is only the beginning of all God's eternal goodness to him (Ps 16:11). It is very interesting (Ps 30:5) to see the temporal contrast between the Lord's anger and his favor. His anger is for a moment but his favor is for "life-eternal" not just a "lifetime" as in the rv.
ḥay. Living, alive. This adjective is often used as an epithet of God (Josh 3:10; Hos 2:1; Ps 42:3, etc.) but also of man, animals, and vegetation in contrast to what is dead or dried up. The plural form describes flowing or fresh water (Gen 26:19; Lev 14:5–6; Num 19:17, etc.). Jesus used a word play on this meaning (Jn 4:10).
ḥayyâ. Living thing, animal. The term is used mostly of wild animals in contrast to domestic animals. Psalm 104:25 uses it of creatures that live in water. Ezekiel in chapter 1 employs the term to describe the "living creatures" of his vision, which were composite in nature, having features of both man and animals. More rarely it means anything that lives (Ezk 7:13).
ḥayyı̂m. Life, as an abstract idea, meaning the state of being alive as opposite to being dead. Life at its best, health, endless life.
miḥyâ. Preservation of life (Gen 45:5), the appearance of new flesh (Lev 13:10), food, subsistence (Jud 6:4, 17:10).
Bibliography: Greenberg, Moshe, "The Hebrew Oath Particle hay/he," JBL 76:34–39. Gruenthaner, Michael J., "The Old Testament and Retribution in this Life," CBQ 4:101–110. Lehman, Manfred R., "Biblical Oaths," ZAW 81:74–92. O'Connell, Matthew J., "The Concept of Commandment in the Old Testament," TS 21:351–403. Richardson, TWB, pp. 127–28. Rust, Eric C., "The Destiny of the Individual in the Thought of the Old Testament," Review and Expositor 58:296-311. Sawyer, John F. A., "Hebrew Words for the Resurrection of the Dead," VT 23:218–34. TDNT, II, pp. 843–61. THAT, I, pp. 549–56.
E.B.S.

[WhiteWings]

SOUL
1395 נָפַשׁ (nāpash) take breath, refresh oneself. This denominative verb occurs only in the Niphal (Ex 23:12; II Sam 16:14; Ex 31:17). 
Parent Noun
1395a נֶפֶשׁ (nepesh) life, soul, creature, person, appetite, and mind are the more common of the twenty-some varieties of meaning utilized in KJV.
(ASV conforms with these uses in a majority of cases, while RSV deviates freely, sometimes reverting to "soul" where KJV has another expression but more often replacing "soul" with words like "being," "person," any "one," "he" who, "self," "I/me," etc., and "appetite." Both revisions, in fact, make substitutions by using terms found in other passages in KJV.) The Ugaritic and Akkadian have cognates with somewhat similar breadth of meaning but both include the meaning "throat." Arabic nas includes "soul, mind, life, person, inclination, self (as a reflexive pronoun)" but does not mean "throat." For Phoenician-Punic and Old Aramaic npsh/nbsh see Jean, C. F. and Hoftijzer, F. Dictionnaire des Inscriptions Sιmitiques de l'ouest (Leiden 1965). It is common in language for a bodily part or organ to take on emotional or spiritual meanings, cf. "heart" in both Hebrew and English.
Most of the KJV variants referred to above are a matter of closely related concepts, as synonyms for creature, "living thing, beast, fish," for appetite, "heart, pleasure, desire, lust, discontent," and "will." While "any(one), man," and "self (myself, etc.)" occur in KJV, the rendering of nepesh by the simple personal pronoun (often reflexive) is common only in RSV and other recent translations. The seemingly contradictory meaning, "the dead, dead body," found a few times in all three versions, will be analyzed in what follows.
The treatment of nepesh by C. Westermann (THAT, I:71–95) is valuable and should be compared.
The original, concrete meaning of the word was probably "to breathe." The verb occurs three times in the medio-passive Niphal stem with the meaning "to refresh oneself" (Ex 23:12; 31:17; II Sam 16:14). The verb may be a denominative from the substantive, but both ancient and modern Semitic cognates do have a verbal form signifying "to breathe" (cf. Akkadian napāshu "to blow, to breathe out"; (see D. W. Thomas, "A Study in Hebrew Synonyms; Verbs Signifying 'To Breathe' " Zeitschrift fόr Semitisrik 10:311–14). The noun appears to denote "breath" in Gen 1:30: "in which (i.e. the land creatures] is the breath of life." The connection between nepesh and breath is also suggested by such statements as: "and [the Lord] breathed [npḥ] into his [man's] nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Gen 2:7); and "the nepesh [life/breath/soul] of the child returned and he revived" (I Kgs 21:22).
The case for an original, concrete meaning of "breath" is also suggested by the use of nepesh to denote "throat" in Akkadian, Ugaritic, and Hebrew; e.g., "therefore Sheol had enlarged its throat [NASB; "appetite" in NIV] and opened its mouth without measure" (Isa 5:14; cf. Hab 2:5); "the waters have come up to my neck [NIV]" (Ps 69:2; cf. Jon 2:6).
As in the cognate languages (cf. especially Arabic) nepesh can refer to the appetite. Thus it may denote hunger for food: "You may eat grapes according to your appetite, until you are satisfied" (Deut 23:24; [H 25]; cf. Ps 78:18); "this bread will be for their hunger" (Hos 9:4); "a righteous man cares for the needs of his animals" (Prov 12:10; cf. 10:3; 16:26). So also it can refer to one's spiritua/volitional appetite, that is, "desire" or "will"; e.g. "the enemy said, ... 'my desire shall be gratified against them' " (Ex 15:9; cf. Ezk 16:27; Ps 27:12; 41:3); "then you shall let her go according to her desire" (Deut 21:14; cf. I Sam 2:35 [of God's will] 105:22). Abraham says to Ephron: "if it is your wish ... " (Gen 23:8). The desire of the wicked is condemned (Prov 13:2; 19:2).
About twenty times, however, nepesh is the subject of 'āwâ "to desire," "to crave." Here it is not the hunger/appetite/desire itself but that which possesses the appetite, "the soul." A person, a soul, may crave physical food: "and you say, 'I will eat meat,' because you desire [tĕ'awweh] to eat meat, then you may eat meat, according to the desire of your soul [bĕkol-'awwat napshĕkā]" (Deut 12:20; cf. 14:26; I Sam 2:16). The compound can also speak of the sexual drive: "a wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, that sniffs the wind has passion [bĕ'awwat napshāh] [Qere and LXX], in the time of her heat who can turn her away" (Jer 2:24). So also it may denote one's spiritual/volitional desire for something. Abner said to David: "that you may be king over all that your soul desires" (II Sam 3:21; I Kgs 11:37). "The desire of the wicked soul is evil" (Prov 21:10). "[what] his soul desires [wĕnapshô 'iwwĕtâ] that he does" (Job 23:13).
The people of Judah desire God's justice: "Yes, lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts [ta'ăwat nāpesh]. My soul yearns for you [napshı̂ 'iwwı̂tı̂kā] for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments came upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness" (Isa 26:8–9; cf. Ps 119:20 and below for numerous passages where nepesh is used to express personal yearning for someone and its inclination and disinclination for someone).
One can also speak of the hungry or thirsty soul: "For he has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul he has filled with good things" (Ps 107:9; cf. Prov 19:15; 25:25; 27:7).
Accordingly verb śāba' "to satisfy" occurs often with nepesh: "The dogs are greedy ['azzê-nepesh = "strong of appetite" ], they are not satisfied" (Isa 56:11; cf. 58:10; Jer 50:19). Especially in Ecclesiastes, the soul "craves, lacks," or is "filled with good things" (Eccl 2:24; 4:8; 6:2, 3, 7, 9, and 7:28).
As Isa 26:8–9 suggests, the object of that which the soul craves may be a person. The soul's thirst or language may be directed toward God. The psalmist brings the two notions together thus: "As the deer pants for the water-courses, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and appear before God" (Ps 42:1, 2 [H 2, 3]; cf. Ps 63:2). In addition to God's presence the soul may long for the law (Ps 119:20), salvation (Ps 119:81); his courts (Ps 84:3); etc.
Thus nepesh occurs with many verbs denoting "yearning"; cf. the idiom he set his soul "to long after, yearn" for someone, something (Deut 24:15; Hos 4:8; Prov 19:18; Jer 22:27; 44:14; etc.). The soul waits for [qwh] the lord (Ps 130:5), seeks [drsh] him (Lam 3:25); etc.
Thus in numerous passages reference is made to the inclination or disinclination of the soul. It is frequently used in connection with "love." The maiden says to her lover: "Tell me, O you whom my soul loves" (Song 1:7; and repeatedly in Song 3:1–4; cf. Jer 12:7; Gen 34:3). It is used not only of the man-woman relationship, but also of the closest human friendships; e.g. of David and Jonathan: "The soul of Jonathan was bound [qāshar] with the soul of David, and he loved him as his own soul." So also it speaks of man's love for God. The psalmist says: "My soul clings [dābaq] to you" (Ps 63:9).
Here too belongs the important exhortation "to love" and "to serve" God with the whole heart and soul (Deut 6:5; 30:6; cf. 4:29; 10:12; 11:13; 13:4; 26:16; 30:2, 6, 10; Josh 22:5; 23:14; I Kgs 2:4; 8:48=II Chr 6:38; etc.). Commenting on Deut 6:5, J. McBride noted: "The three parts of Deuteronomy 6:5; lēbāb (heart), nephesh (soul or life), and me'ōd (muchness) rather than signifying different spheres of biblical psychology seem to be semantically concentric. They were chosen to reinforce the absolute singularity of personal devotion to God. Thus, lēbāb denotes the intention or will of the whole man; nepesh means the whole self, a unity of flesh, will and vitality; and mĕ'ōd accents the superlative degree of total commitment to Yahweh." While agreeing that these terms were chosen to denote the singularity of devotion, we would now underscore nepesh as pertaining to the personal desire or inclination.
For the turning away of the soul from someone/something, nepesh occurs with such words as śānē' "to hate" (II Sam 5:8; Isa 1:14 [of God's hatred]; Ps 11:5); gā'al "abhor" (Lev 26:11, 15, 30, 43=of a fractured God—man relationship); qûṣ "loathe" (Num 21:5); etc.
Thus nepesh is frequently used in connection with the emotional states of joy and bliss. The Psalmist suggests the relationship between these ideas when he prays: "Bring joy to the soul of your servant, for I long (I lift up my soul, napshı̂ 'eśśā') for you, O Lord" (Ps 86:4). Not only can the soul be joyful because its desires are met but also because of its appreciation for the inherent worth of something which delights its tastes: "Pleasant words are ... sweet to the soul" (Prov 16:23). When filled with the sayings of the wise, the son will find that "Knowledge will be pleasant to [his] soul" (Prov 2:10). A disciplined son "will delight your soul" (Prov 29:17). Fully satisfied in the lord the soul praises him [Ps 103:1, 2, 22; 104:1, 35; etc.). But the wicked, having depended upon themselves, praise themselves (Ps 49:19).
It also follows that the soul can be bitter. Fifteen times it occurs with the root mārar. With his health and well-being broken, Job complained: "The Almighty has embittered my soul" (Job 27:2). Provoked by her rival on account of her barrenness, Hannah was one "bitter of soul" (mārat nepesh) (I Sam 1:10; cf. Jud 18:25; etc.). Related to mārar are many different expressions of sorrow with the soul. Jeremiah says to his people: "But if you will not listen to it [the word of God], my soul will sob in secret ... " (Jer 13:17; cf. passim).
In Isa 10:18 nepesh is employed alongside of bāśār, "flesh"=physical body as a merism to denote the whole person. It is also used in parallel with bāśār, NIV interprets this as a figure for totality: "completely," "flesh" in Ps 63:1 [H 2] for the same reason.
Since personal existence by its very nature involves drives, appetites, desires, will, nepesh denotes the "life" of an individual. As the object of the verb shûb "to revive" "to restore" nepesh moves between the notion of "soul" and "life." Jerusalem laments: "Because far from me is a comforter, One who restores my soul/life" (Lam 1:16). The women of Bethlehem pray for Naomi: "May he [Obed] be to you a restorer of life [nepesh], and a sustainer of your old age (Ruth 4:15; Ps 23:3; Lam 1:11; Ps 18:8; Prov 25:13). What is meant in these passages is life which consists of emotions, passions, drives, appetites.
It also moves between these two notions with the word ḥāyâ "to live." Abraham instructs Sarah to say she is his sister "so that it may go well with me on account of you and my soul may continue in life" (Gen 12:13; cf. Gen 19:20; 20:32; Isa 55:3; etc.). But here it is also equivalent to "self." nepesh with the notion of "life" refers to the "I" that hungers and is filled, loves and hates, is joyful and sorrowful, etc. It adds an intensely personal element to the notion of self. Indeed nepesh could be substituted with the personal pronoun in these passages, but the intensity of feeling would be lost.
Accordingly, in some passages nepesh is best translated by "life," but "life" here denotes the living self with all its drives, not the abstract notion "life" which is conveyed by ḥayyim, nor the other meaning of ḥayyim which refers to a quality of existence as well as the temporal notion of being (cf. the use of ḥayyim in Deut and Prov). Westermann noted that when nepesh occurs as the subject of the verb it is usually rendered "soul"—desires, inclinations, etc.; as the object of the verb it is frequently rendered by "life"—the state of personal existence as over against death.
Many passages refer to the "saving" of a man's nepesh "life". In fact, almost all the verbs within this semantic notion take nepesh as their object: with nāṣal "and deliver our lives from death" (Josh 2:13; Isa 44:20; passim), with mālaṭ: "if you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death" (I Sam 19:11); cf. II Sam 19:6; passim); with ḥālaṣ, "rescue my life" (Ps 6:5); with yāsha', "he will save the lives of the needy" (Ps 72:13); etc. The psalmist is confident that God will even "redeem" (pādâ) his life out of the grave (Ps 49:15 [H 16]). In all these passages "life" is equivalent to the person.
It has also this notion of saving the "life"="individual" in certain prepositional phrases. Thus Elijah "ran for his life ['el napshô] I Kgs 19:3); "take heed for your lives (Jer 17:21); etc. When one risks his life it is said that he takes his nepesh into his hands (Judg 12:3; passim).
Then too, it is usually rendered "life" after verbs denoting "keeping" "preserving" "sustaining" etc. Thus it occurs: with shāmar "to keep" (Deut 4:9); with sāmak "to sustain" (Ps 54:6); with ḥāsaq "to hold back [from the grave]" (Ps 78:50); etc.
The nepesh "life" is most precious. Thus the captain prays to Elijah: "O man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight" (II Kgs 1:13; cf. I Sam 26:21); etc. In some situations a monetary payment can be given for the life (cf. Ex 21:30; 30:12).
In the lex talionis formula "life for life" nepesh denotes the precious individual, the living self (Ex 21:23; Lev 24:18; Deut 19:21; cf. I Kgs 20:39, 42; II Kgs 10:24; etc.).
Here too belongs Lev 17:11, one of the most decidedly theological and distinctively meaningful passages where the word nepesh is of major significance, and one which certainly defines the term as meaning life "for the life (nepesh) of the flesh (bāśār) is in the blood." Here it is the vitality, the passionate existence of an individual which is denoted.
Then too it is frequently said that the enemy threatens the individual's life. Thus it occurs as the objects of: bāqash "to seek" (Ex 4:19; passim); 'ārab "to lie in ambush for" (Ps 59:3 [H 4]) etc. Sometimes God's destruction of the life, the individual is in view: "Do not take away my life with sinners" (Ps 26:9).
It comes as no surprise, then, that in some contexts nepesh is best rendered by "person," "self," or more simply by the personal pronoun. Westermann says that it is best rendered by such English equivalents in casuistic law, in the enumeration of people, in the general designation of people and as a substitute for a pronoun. An example of its use in legal contexts with such particles as 'asher or kı̂ is: "Now when anyone [nepesh kı̂] presents a grain offering" (Lev 2:1; cf. 4:2; 5:1, 2; passim). Again, "But the person who [wĕhannepesh 'ăsher] eats the flesh ... " (Lev 7:20; passim). Similarly it has this notion in enumerations: "These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive ... in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar 832 persons [nepesh] ... " (Jer 52:28, 29; Ex 12:4, passim). So also with reference to "people" "he [shall be valued] according to the valuation of persons belonging to the lord" (Lev 27:2; passim). As a substitute for a pronoun it frequently occurs with the pronominal suffix. Thus Lot said to the lord: "That I [napshı̂ = "my soul" ] may live" (Gen 19:19; passim). Although it appears to be an equivalent of the personal pronoun, its intensive, passionate sense peculiar to the word is always present. A. R. Johnson speaks of it as "a pathetic (i.e. in the sense of deeply emotional) periphrasis for a pronoun" (The Vitality of the Individual in the Thought of Ancient Israel, 1964, p. 22).
A total of 755 occurrences of the noun nepesh have been counted in the ot, and of these it is rendered in the Greek translation (LXX) some 600 times by the psyche (ψυχή). Of the 144 times it is used in the Psalms, over 100 of them have the first person suffix, "my soul." Thus in its most synthetic use nepesh stands for the entire person. In Gen 2:7 "man became a living creature" [nepesh]—the substantive must not be taken in the metaphysical, theological sense in which we tend to use the term "soul" today. Precisely the same Hebrew expression (nepesh ḥayyâ)—traditionally rendered "living soul" occurs also in Gen 1:20, 21, and 24. In other words, man is here being associated with the other creatures as sharing in the passionate experience of life and is not being defined as distinct from them. It is true, however, as Oehler points out that the source of the nepesh of animals is the ground, whereas the source of the nepesh of Adam is God.
Particular note should be taken of the antonymous translation, "the dead, dead body" found in Lev 19:28; 21:1, 11; Num 5:2; 6:6, 11; 9:6, 7, 10; etc. In these citations, "the dead" stands for nepesh by itself, while "dead body" renders nepesh/napshōt mēt. The latter indicates "a person (persons) who has died," the emphasis being on the personal identity of an 'individual,' so that in context the term nepesh by itself refers to a dead individual, "one who has died," and the word itself does not really mean physical 'body.'
The use of nepesh with reference to God is rare since God does not have the cravings and appetites common to man nor is his life limited by death. In addition to the passages already noted, we cite several more where the word is used to express forcefully his passionate disinclination or inclination toward someone. The former is more frequent. Thus he threatens: "Be warned, O Jerusalem, lest I/My soul be alienated from you" (Jer 6:8); cf. Jer 5:9, 29; 9:8; 15:1; passim). On the other hand his passionate love, delight and inclination toward his servant is spoken of thus: "My chosen one in whom my soul delights" (Isa 42:1).
It must not be concluded from this study of nepesh that the ot presents man as physical only. There are other ot ideas to be considered in this connection: (1) the ot teaching concerning the "spirit" of man; (2) the ot teaching concerning the heart (lēb) of man; (3) the subject of the image of God (see ṣelem) in man; and (4) the picture as given of man's relation to God.
Bibliography: Briggs, C. A., "The Use of npsh in the OT," JBL 16. 17–30. Becker, J. H., Het Begrip Nefesj in het Oude Testament, 1942. Buswell, J. O., A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion, Zondervan, 1962, vol. II, pp. 237–41. Seligson, M., The Meaning of npsh mt in the Old Testament, 1951; cf. Widengren, G., VT 4:97–102. Murtonen, A., The Living Soul, 1958. Lys, D., Nepesh, 1959. Johnson, A. R., The Vitality of the Individual in the Thought of Ancient Israel, 1949. Wolff, H. W., Anthropology of the Old Testament. Westermann, C., "Naefaes" in THAT, II, pp. 71–95. Richardson, TWB, pp. 144–45. TDOT, IX, pp. 617–37.
B.K.W.

[micah7:9]

Wow! :mblush:

[sheila]

 I was told once, that I had two souls,an outer and an inner...the best that I can understand this is the old outer man dying but the inner[spiritual man]being renewed day

by day.  also,I call to mind this.......the soul that is sinning..it shall die.

   I see it like this...this old body of death[sin in flesh] that breathes in the air[power of prince of the air] shall die[outer soul]

  but the inner spiritual man that breathes the spirit of the living God,that eats the bread from heaven,that drinks the waters of eternal life...will live

[lomarah]

I was told once, that I had two souls,an outer and an inner...the best that I can understand this is the old outer man dying but the inner[spiritual man]being renewed day

by day.  also,I call to mind this.......the soul that is sinning..it shall die.

   I see it like this...this old body of death[sin in flesh] that breathes in the air[power of prince of the air] shall die[outer soul]

  but the inner spiritual man that breathes the spirit of the living God,that eats the bread from heaven,that drinks the waters of eternal life...will live

Woooooowwww that really made me think!

Just out of curiosity when you say you were told you had two souls did you mean the Lord told you or someone else?

[Molly]

This is interesting--

The fact is that in contrast to Mesopotamian ideas of creation where man was made to be mortal, in the m man was created to immortal life, not as a spirit but as a whole man, body and soul ("Life," ZPEB, III, p. 927). The entrance of death was viewed as unnatural.

And, this is very interesting--

He expresses his faith in God's promise to redeem his life from the power of the grave (Sheol) for he says, "God will receive (take, snatch, as Enoch and Elijah, see lāqaḥ) me" (v. 15 [H 16]). This passage should be linked with Ps 17:15, "I will be satisfied when I wake in your likeness" and also to Ps 16:11 where "the path of life" and overcoming of death is predictive of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:24–29). Bultmann adds, "There is a remarkably plain expression that the relationship of grace will persist, that fellowship initiated by God cannot be destroyed in Ps 73:23ff. One may say that here the OT belief in the hereafter finds its purest formulation. This expectation is neither magical nor mythical not speculative nor mystical. It is a certainty which is produced in the righteous by the concept of grace alone"

[sheila]

in the middle of the night...a voice woke me with those words