The Use of Nephesh in the
Old Testament.
This Is
Appendix 13 From The Companion Bible.
*
Used of God.
** Literally and "the soul of man ... were 32,000".
The
word nephesh occurs 754 times in the Hebrew Old Testament.
Each occurrence is noted in the margin, but it will be useful for the
Bible student to have a complete list.
In
the Authorized Version and Revised Version it is translated "soul"
472 times, while in the other 282 places it is represented by forty-four
different words of phrases. In fifty-three of these places there is a
marginal rendering which calls attention to the fact that the word is "nephesh",
while in 229 passages the English reader has hitherto been left in
ignorance of the fact. The English word "soul"
is in every occurrence the rendering of the Hebrew nephesh,
except in Job 30:15
and Isaiah 57:16.
See the notes. The time has come to "open the book",
and let it speak for itself. Henceforth, every one who uses The
Companion Bible will have complete information as to the facts,
and can use it in determining his definitions, making his own
classifications, and formulating his doctrines as to the Biblical use of
the word.
Though,
with these two exceptions the English word "soul"
always represents the Hebrew nephesh, nephesh is not
always translated "soul".
This
Appendix will exhibit all the varieties of translation; and, while it is
not intended to teach either Theology or Psychology, it will give such
information as will enable every Bible reader to form his own views and
come to his own conclusions on an important subject, about which there
is such great controversy.
This
can be done only by giving every occurrence of the Hebrew word nephesh.
Each occurrence is noted in the margin of The
Companion Bible; but it is well to present a complete, separate,
and classified list of the recognized Lexical usages of the word; and
the reader will be left to form his own judgment as to how far the
following classification is correct.
The
usage of the word nephesh by the Holy Spirit in the Word
of God is the only guide to the true understanding of it.
It
will be seen that the word "soul", in its
theological sense, does not cover all the ground, or properly represent
the Hebrew word "nephesh". The English word "soul"
is from the Latin solus = alone or sole,
because the maintenance of man as a living organism, and
all that affects his health and well-being, is the one sole
or main thing in common with every living thing which the LORD
God has made. The correct Latin word for the theological term "soul"
(or nephesh) is anima; and this is from the
Greek anemos = air or breath, because it is this which
keeps the whole in life and in being.
[The
usage of the corresponding New Testament word psuche will
be presented in a later Appendix.]
The
first occurrence of nephesh is in Genesis 1:20,
"the moving creature that hath life (nephesh)".
1
The
following are twelve classifications of nephesh:
- Nephesh
is used of the lower animals only, in twenty-two
passages, and is rendered in nine different ways:-
1. "creature".
Genesis 1:21,24;
2:19;
9:10,12.
Leviticus 11:46,46. |
7 |
|
2. "thing".
Leviticus 11:10.
Ezekiel 47:9. |
2 |
|
3. "life".
Genesis 1:20,
30. |
2 |
|
4. "the
life". Genesis 9:4.
Deuteronomy 12:23,
23.
Proverbs 12:10. |
4 |
|
5. "beast".
Leviticus 24:18,
18, 18.
(See margin). |
3 |
|
6. "the
soul". (See margin). |
1 |
|
7. "breath".
Job 41:21. |
1 |
|
8. "fish".
Isaiah 19:10.
(See margin). |
1 |
|
9. "her".
Jeremiah 2:24. |
1 |
|
|
__ |
|
|
22
|
- Nephesh
is used of the Lower Animals
and Man in seven passages,
and rendered in three
different ways :-
1. "creature".
Genesis 9:15,
16. |
2 |
|
2. "the
life".
Leviticus 17:11,
14, 14, 14. |
4 |
|
3. "soul".
Numbers 31:28. |
1 |
|
|
__ |
|
|
7 |
- Nephesh
is used of Man,
as an
individual
person, in
53 passages,
and is
rendered in
six
different
ways :-
1. "soul".
Genesis
2:7;
12:5;
46:15,
18,
22,
25,
26,
26,
27,
27.
Exodus
1:5,
5;
12:4.
Leviticus
22:11.
Psalm
25:20.
Proverbs
10:3;
11:25,
30;
14:25;
19:15;
22:23
(Revised
Version
life);
25:25;
27:7,
7.
Jeremiah
38:16.
Lamentations
3:25.
Ezekiel
13:18,
18,
20,
20,
20;
18:4,
4, 4. |
34 |
|
2. "person".
Genesis
14:21;
36:6
(Revised
Version
souls).
Exodus
16:16.
Leviticus
27:2.
Numbers
31:40,
40,
46.
Deuteronomy
10:22.
Jeremiah
43:6;
52:29,
30,
30.
Ezekiel
16:5;
27:13. |
14 |
|
3. "person".
Numbers
31:35. |
1 |
|
4. "any".
Deuteronomy
24:7. |
1 |
|
5. "man".
2
Kings
12:4. |
1 |
|
6. "and".
1
Chronicles
5:21. |
1 |
|
Not
rendered
(Numbers
31:35 ** ). |
1 |
|
|
__ |
|
|
53 |
- Nephesh
is
used
of
Man,
as
exercising
certain
powers,
or
performing
certain
acts
(may
be
often
well
rendered
by
emphatic
pronouns)
in
ninety-six
passages,
and
with
eleven
different
renderings
:-
1. "soul".
Genesis
27:4,
19,
25,
31.
Leviticus
4:2;
5:1,
2,
4,
15,
17;
6:2;
7:18,
20,
21,
27;
16:29,
31;
17:12,
15;
20:6,
25;
22:6;
23:27,
30,
32.
Numbers
15:27,
28,
30;
19:22;
29:7;
30:2,
4,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10,
11,
12,
13.
Deuteronomy
13:6.
Judges
5:21.
1
Samuel
1:26;
17:55;
18:3;
20:3,
17;
25:26.
2
Samuel
11:11;
14:19.
2
Kings
2:2,
4,
6;
4:30.
Job
16:4,
4;
31:30
(Revised
Version
life).
Psalm
35:13;
120:6.
Proverbs
6:32;
8:36;
11:17;
13:2;
15:32;
16:17;
19:8,
16;
20:2
(Revised
Version
life);
21:23;
22:5;
29:24.
Ecclesiastes
4:8;
6:2.
Isaiah
51:23;
58:3,
5.
Jeremiah
4:19.
Ezekiel
4:14.
Micah
6:7. |
81 |
|
2. "man".
Exodus
12:16. |
1 |
|
3. "any".
Leviticus
2:1. |
1 |
|
4. "one".
Leviticus
4:27. |
1 |
|
5. "yourselves".
Leviticus
11:43,
44.
Jeremiah
17:21. |
3 |
|
6. "person".
Numbers
5:6. |
1 |
|
7. "themselves".
Esther
9:31.
Isaiah
46:2. |
2 |
|
8. "himself".
Job
18:4
(Revised
Version
thyself);
32:2. |
2 |
|
9. "he".
Psalm
105:18. |
1 |
|
10. "herself".
Jeremiah
3:11. |
1 |
|
11. "Himself".
Jeremiah
51:14.
Amos
6:8
(used
of
Jehovah). |
2 |
|
|
__ |
|
|
96 |
- Nephesh
is
used
of
Man,
as
possessing
animal
appetites
and
desires,
in
twenty-two
passages,
rendered
in
five
different
ways
:-
1. "soul".
Numbers
11:6
(dried
away).
Deuteronomy
12:15
(lusteth),
20
(longeth
to
eat
flesh),
20
(lusteth
after),
21
(lusteth);
14:26
(lusteth),
26
(desireth)
21:5
(loatheth).
1
Samuel
2:16
(desireth).
Job
6:7
(refused);
33:20
(abhorreth).
Psalm
107:18
(abhorreth).
Proverbs
6:30
(hunger);
13:25
(satisfying).
Isaiah
29:8
(empty),
8
(hath
appetite).
Micah
7:1
(desired
...
figs). |
17 |
|
2. "pleasure".
Deuteronomy
23:24. |
1 |
|
3. "lust".
Psalm
78:18. |
1 |
|
4. "appetite".
Proverbs
23:2.
Ecclesiastes
6:7. |
2 |
|
5. "greedy".
Isaiah
56:11. |
1 |
|
|
__ |
|
|
22 |
- Nephesh
is
used
of
Man,
as
exercising
mental
faculties,
and
manifesting
certain
feelings
and
affections
and
passions,
in
231
passages,
and
rendered
in
twenty
different
ways
:-
1. "soul".
Genesis
34:3
(clave),
8
(longeth);
42:21
(anguish);
49:6
(come
not).
Leviticus
26:11
(not
abhor),
15
(abhor),
30
(abhor),
43
(abhor).
Numbers
21:4
(discouraged).
Deuteronomy
4:9
(keep),
29
(seek);
6:5
(love);
10:12
(serve);
11:13
(love),
18
(lay
up
in);
13:3
(love);
26:16
(keep);
30:2
(return),
6
(love),
10
(turn).
Joshua
22:5
(serve);
23:14
(know).
Judges
10:16 *
(grieved);
16:16
(vexed).
1
Samuel
1:10
(bitterness
of),
15
(poured
out);
18:1
(knit
with),
1
(loved
as);
20:4
(desireth);
23:30
(desire);
30:6
(grieved).
2
Samuel
5:8
(hated).
1
Kings
2:4
(walk);
8:48
(return);
11:37
(desired).
2
Kings
4:27
(vexed);
23:3
(keep),
25
(turned).
1
Chronicles
22:19
(seek).
2
Chronicles
6:38
(return);
15:12
(seek);
34:31
(keep).
Job
3:20
(bitter);
7:11
(bitterness);
9:21
(know)
(Revised
Version
myself);
10:1
(weary),
1
(bitterness);
14:22
(mourn);
19:2
(vex);
21:25
(bitterness);
23:13 *
(desireth);
24:12
(wounded);
27:2
(vexed);
30:16
(poured
out),
25
(grieved).
Psalm
6:3
(sore
vexed);
11:5 *
(hateth);
13:2
(take
counsel);
19:7
(converting);
24:4
(not
lifted
up);
25:1
(lifted
up),
13
(dwell
at
ease);
31:7
(in
adversities),
9
(consumed
with
grief);
33:20
(waiteth)
34:2
(boast);
35:9
(be
joyful);
42:1
(panteth),
2
(thirsteth),
4
(pour
out),
5
(cast
down),
6
(cast
down),
11
(cast
down);
43:5
(cast
down);
44:25
(bowed
down);
49:18
(blessed);
57:1
(trusteth),
6
(bowed
down);
62:1
(waiteth),
5
(wait);
63:1
(thirsteth),
5
(satisfied),
8
(followeth
hard);
69:10
(chastened);
77:2
(refused
comfort);
84:2
(longeth);
86:4
(rejoiced),
4
(lift
up);
88:3
(full
of
troubles);
94:19
(delight);
103:1,
2,
22;
104:1,
35
(bless);
107:5
(fainted),
9
(satisfied),
9
(filled
with
goodness),
26
(melted);
116:7
(return
to
rest);
119:20
(longing),
25
(cleaveth
unto
the
dust)
28
(melteth
for
heaviness),
81
(fainteth),
129
(keep),
167
(kept);
123:4
(filled
with
scorning);
130:5
(wait),
6
(waiteth);
131:2
(quieted);
138:3
(strengthened)
139:14
(knoweth);
143:6
(thirsteth),
8
(lifted
up),
11
(bring
out
of
trouble),
12
(afflict);
146:1
(praise).
Proverbs
2:10
(knowledge
pleasant);
3:22
(be
life
to);
13:4
(desireth),
4
(made
fat),
19;
16:24
(sweet
to);
19:2
(without
knowledge),
18
(spare)
(Revised
Version
heart);
21:10
(desireth);
22:25
(get
a
snare
to);
24:14
(wisdom
unto);
25:13
(refresheth);
29:17
(give
delight).
Ecclesiastes
2:24
(enjoy
good);
6:3
(not
filled);
7:28
(seeketh).
Song
1:7;
3:1,
2,
3,
4
(loveth);
5:6
(failed);
6:12 *
(made
me
like
chariots).
Isaiah
1:14
(hateth);
26:8
(desire),
9
(desire);
32:6
(made
empty);
38:15
(bitterness
of);
42:1 * ;
52:2
(delight);
58:10
(drawn
out),
10
(afflicted),
11
(satisfied);
61:10
(joyful)
66:3
(delighteth).
Jeremiah
4:31
(wearied);
5:9,
29
(avenged);
6:8
(depart),
16
(find
rest);
9:9 *
(avenged);
12:7
(dearly
beloved
of);
13:17
(shall
weep);
14:19
(lothed);
31:12
(watered),
14,
25
(satiated),
25
(sorrowful);
32:41 *
(whole);
50:19
(satisfied).
Lamentations
3:17
(removed),
20
(humbled),
24
(saith).
Ezekiel
7:19
(satisfied;
24:21
(pitieth).
Jonah
2:7
(fainted).
Habakkuk
2:4
(not
upright).
Zechariah
11:8
(lothed),
8
(ahorred). |
176 |
|
2. "mind".
Genesis
23:8
(your).
Deuteronomy
18:6
(desire);
28:65
(sorrow).
1
Samuel
2:35 *
2
Samuel
17:8
(chafed).
2
Kings
9:15.
1
Chronicles
28:9
(willing).
Jeremiah
15:1. *
Ezekiel
23:17
(Revised
Version
soul),
18 *
(Revised
Version
soul)
18 *
(Revised
Version
soul),
22
(Revised
Version
soul)
28
(Revised
Version
soul)
(alienated);
24:25
(Revised
Version
heart)
(set);
36:5
(Revised
Version
soul)
(despiteful). |
15 |
|
3. "heart".
Exodus
23:9.
Leviticus
26:16.
Deuteronomy
24:15.
1
Samuel
2:33
(grieve).
2
Samuel
3:21
(desireth).
Psalm
10:3
(desire).
Proverbs
23:7
(Revised
Version
himself);
28:25
(proud
heart.
Revised
Version
greedy
spirit);
31:6
(heavy
heart.
Revised
Version
bitter
in
soul).
Jeremiah
42:20
(dissembled.
Revised
Version
souls).
Lamentations
3:51
(affected.
Revised
Version
soul).
Ezekiel
25:6
(rejoiced.
Revised
Version
soul),
15
(desipteful.
Revised
Version
soul);
27:31
(bitterness).
Hosea
4:8
(set). |
15 |
|
4. "hearty".
Proverbs
27:9
(counsel). |
1 |
|
5. "will".
Deuteronomy
21:14
(she
will).
Psalm
27:12;
41:2.
Ezekiel
16:27. |
4 |
|
6. "desire".
Ecclesiastes
6:9.
Jeremiah
22:27;
44:14.
Micah
7:3
(Revised
Version
soul).
Habakkuk
2:5. |
5 |
|
7. "pleasure".
Psalm
105:22.
Jeremiah
34:16. |
2 |
|
8. "lust".
Exodus
15:9. |
1 |
|
9. "angry".
Judges
18:25. |
1 |
|
10 "discontented".
1
Samuel
22:2. |
1 |
|
11. "thyself".
Esther
4:13. |
1 |
|
12. "myself".
Psalm
131:2. |
1 |
|
13. "he".
Proverbs
16:26
(Revised
Version
appetite). |
1 |
|
14. "his
own".
Proverbs
14:10
(Revised
Version
its
own). |
1 |
|
15. "Him".
Proverbs
6:16 .* |
1 |
|
16. "himself".
Jonah
4:8. |
1 |
|
17. "herself".
Isaiah
5:14
(Revised
Version
her
desire).. |
1 |
|
18. "yourselves".
Jeremiah
37:9. |
1 |
|
19. "man".
Isaiah
49:7. |
1 |
|
20. "so
would
we
have
it".
Psalm
35:25. |
1 |
|
|
____ |
|
|
231 |
- Nephesh
is
used
of
Man,
(a)
as
being
"cut
off"
by
God;
(b)
and
as
being
slain
or
killed
by
man,
in
fifty-four
passages:
and
is
rendered
in
eight
different
ways:-
(a). Soul
cut
off
by
God,
in
twenty-two
passages,
and
rendered
"soul".
Genesis
17:14.
Exodus
12:15,
19;
31:14.
Leviticus
7:20,
21,
25,
27;
17:10;
18:29;
19:8;
20:6;
22:3;
23:29,
30.
Numbers
9:13;
15:30,
31;
Ezekiel
18:4,
20. |
22 |
(b). Slain
or
killed
by
man,
in
thirty-two
passages,
rendered
in
eight
different
way:- |
|
- 1. "soul".
Joshua
10:28,
30,
32,
35,
37,
37,
39;
11:11.
Jeremiah
2:34.
Ezekiel
13:19;
22:25,
27.
|
12 |
|
- 2. "person".
Deuteronomy
27:25.
Joshua
20:3,9.
1
Samuel
22:22.
Proverbs
28:17.
Ezekiel
17:17;
33:6.
|
7 |
|
- 3. "any".
Leviticus
24:17.
|
1 |
|
- 4. "any
person".
Numbers
31:19;
35:11,
15,
30,
30.
|
5 |
|
- 5. "him".
Genesis
37:21.
Deuteronomy
19:6;
22:26.
|
3 |
|
- 6. "mortally".
Deuteronomy
19:11.
|
1 |
|
- 7. "life"
2
Samuel
14:7.
|
1 |
|
- 8. "thee".
Jeremiah
40:14,
15.
|
2 |
|
|
__ |
|
|
54 |
- Nephesh
is
used
of
Man
as
being
mortal,
subject
to
death
of
various
kinds,
from
which
it
can
be
saved
and
delivered
and
life
prolonged,
in
243
passages,
rendered
in
eleven
different
ways:-
1. "soul".
Genesis
12:13;
19:20.
Exodus
30:12,
15,
16.
Leviticus
17:11,
11.
(Revised
Version
life).
Numbers
16:38
(Revised
Version
lives);
31:50.
1
Samuel
24:11;
25:29,
29,
29;
26:21
(Revised
Version
life).
2
Samuel
4:9.
1
Kings
1:29;
17:21,
22.
Job
7:15;
27:8.
Psalm
3:2;
6:4;
7:2,
5;
11:1;
17:13;
22:20,
29;
23:3;
25:20;
26:9;
33:19;
34:22;
35:3,
4,
12,
17;
40:14;
41:4;
49:8,
15;
54:3,
4;
55:18;
56:6,
13;
57:4;
59:3;
63:9;
66:9,
16;
69:1,
18;
70:2;
71:10,
13,
23;
72:13,
14;
74:19;
78:50;
86:2,
14;
88:14;
94:21;
97:10;
106:15;
109:20,
31;
116:4,
8;
119:109,
175;
120:2;
121:7;
124:4,
5,
7;
141:8;
142:4,
7;
143:3.
Proverbs
18:7;
24:12;
29:10.
Isaiah
3:9;
10:18;
44:20;
53:10,
11,
12;
55:3.
Jeremiah
4:10;
20:13;
26:19;
38:17,
20;
44:7;
51:6
(Revised
Version
life),
45
(Revised
Version
yourselves).
Lamentations
1:11,
16,
19;
2:12;
3:58.
Ezekiel
3:19,
21;
13:18,
19;
14:14,
20;
18:27;
33:5,
9.
Hosea
9:4
(Revised
Version
appetite).
Jonah
2:5.
Habakkuk
2:10. |
117 |
|
2. "life,
lives".
Genesis
9:5,
5;
19:17,
19;
32:30;
35:18;
44:30,
30.
Ezekiel
4:19;
21:23,
23,
30.
Numbers
35:31.
Deuteronomy
19:21,
21;
24:6.
Joshua
2:13,
14;
9:24.
Judges
5:18;
9:17;
12:3;
18:25,
25.
Ruth
4:15.
1
Samuel
19:5,
11;
20:1;
22:23,
23;
23:15;
26:24,
24;
28:9,
21;
2
Samuel
1:9;
4:8;
16:11;
18:13;
19:5,
5,
5,
5;
23:17.
1
Kings
1:12,
12;
2:23;
3:11;
19:2,
2,
3,
4,
10,
14;
20:31,
39,
39,
42,
42.
2
Kings
1:13,
13,
14;
7:7;
10:24,
24.
1
Chronicles
11:19,
19.
2
Chronicles
1:11.
Esther
7:3,
7;
8:11;
9:16.
Job
2:4,
6;
6:11
(Revised
Version
be
patient);
13:14;
31:39.
Psalm
31:13;
38:12.
Proverbs
1:18,
19;
6:26;
7:23;
13:3,
8.
Isaiah
15:4
(Revised
Version
soul);
43:4.
Jeremiah
4:30;
11:21;
19:7,
9;
21:7,
9;
22:25;
34:20,
21;
38:2,
16;
39:18;
44:30,
30;
45:5;
46:26;
48:6;
49:37.
Lamentations
2:19;
5:9.
Ezekiel
32:10.
Jonah
1:14;
4:3. |
110 |
|
3. "ghost".
Job
11:20.
Jeremiah
15:9. |
2 |
|
4. "person".
2
Samuel
14:14
(Revised
Version
life). |
1 |
|
5. "tablets".
Isaiah
3:20
(Revised
Version
perfume
boxes).
Hebrew
"houses
of
the
soul"
=
boxes
of
sent
for
the
nose. |
1 |
|
6. "deadly".
Psalm
17:9
(Hebrew
"enemies
against
my
nephesh"). |
1 |
|
7. "himself".
1
Kings
19:4.
Amos
2:14,
15. |
3 |
|
8. "me".
Numbers
23:10.
Judges
16:30.
1
Kings
20:32. |
3 |
|
9. "they".
Job
36:14. |
1 |
|
10 "themselves".
Isaiah
47:14. |
1 |
|
11. "yourselves".
Deuteronomy
4:15.
Joshua
23:11. |
2 |
|
|
____ |
|
|
243 |
- Nephesh
is
used
of
man,
as
actually
dead,
in
thirteen
passages,
and
is
rendered
in
three
different
ways:-
1. "the
dead".
Leviticus
19:28;
21:1;
22:4.
Numbers
5:2;
6:11. |
5 |
|
2. "dead
body".
Numbers
9:6,
7,
10. |
3 |
|
3. "body".
Leviticus
21:11.
Numbers
6:6;
19:11,
13.
Haggai
2:13. |
5 |
|
|
__ |
|
|
13 |
- Nephesh,
in
thirteen
passages
(all
rendered
"soul"),
is
spoken
of
as
going
to
a
place
described
by
four
different
words,
rendered
as
shown
below:-
i. "sheol"
=
THE
grave
(as
distinct
from
keber,
A
grave),
gravedom
(or
the
dominion
of
death),
in
five
passages,
rendered
in
this
connection
in
two
different
ways:- |
|
|
- 1.
"grave".
Psalm
30:3
(Revised
Version
"Sheol");
89:48
(Revised
Version
"Sheol",
margin
grave).
Compare
Psalm
49:10.
|
2 |
|
- 2.
"hell".
Psalm
16:10
(Revised
Version
"Sheol");
86:13
(margin
grave.
Revised
Version
"pit".
margin
lowest
Sheol).
Proverbs
23:14
(Revised
Version
"Sheol",
margin
the
grave).
|
3 |
|
ii. "shachath"
=
a
pit
(for
taking
wild
beasts);
hence,
a
a
grave.
The
Septuagint
and
New
Testament
take
it
in
the
sense
of
corruption;
but,
if
so,
not
implying
putridity,
but
destruction.
Occurs
in
six
passages,
and
is
rendered
in
two
different
ways:- |
|
|
- 1.
"pit".
Job
33:18,
28,
30.
Psalm
35:7
Isaiah
38:17.
|
5 |
|
- 2.
"grave".
Job
33:22
(Revised
Version
"pit").
|
1 |
|
iii. "shuchah"
=
a
deep
pit
(compare
all
the
occurrences,
Proverbs
22:14;
23:27.
Jeremiah
2:6;
18:20,
22).
In
one
passage
only
:- |
|
|
- 1.
Pit.
Jeremiah
18:20.
|
1 |
|
iv. "dumah"
=
silence.
Psalm
94:17. |
1 |
|
|
__ |
|
|
13 |
|
|
____ |
|
Total |
754 |
NOTES
*
Used
of
God.
**
Literally
and
"the
soul
of
man
...
were
32,000".
1
It
is
used
of
the
lower
animals
four
times
before
it
is
used
of
man;
and
out
of
the
first
thirteen
times
in
Genesis,
it
is
used
ten
times
of
the
lower
animals. |