Soul

The soul is the life-force of the person and often refers to the whole being. It needs to be sustained I order for life to thrive, and it is the seat of desires, emotions, and the will. The soul can be in intimate relationship with God or be under God’s judgment.

Concept Summary

In Hebrew, the concept of the soul is mainly expressed by the noun נֶפֶשׁ (nepeš, “soul”). It is the basic term for a living being’s vital life-force that interacts with its surroundings and needs to be satisfied for life to be sustained. It usually refers to humans (Gen 2:7), but occasionally is used for animals (Gen 9:5). There is a related verb, נָפַשׁ (nāpaš, “to be refreshed”), from the same root (Exod 23:12). Often, the word nepeš refers to the individual; thus, it is used for the whole human being.

In Greek, the soul is expressed by the noun ψυχή (psyche, “soul”), which has a similar semantic range as nepeš and usually translates it in the Septuagint. In the NT, psychē refers to the inner self, life, and the person, and often has a holistic sense to it (e.g., Matt 6:25), as does nepeš. There is a related adjective, ψυχικός (psychikos, “natural”) that describes unspiritual and natural humanity as opposed to spiritual humanity (1 Cor 2:14).

It is clear in both Hebrew and Greek that the relevant terms refer to the life-force, and often to the living being itself. It is the natural life-force that sustains a person and is the center of emotion, will, and desire. In the biblical usage of these terms, context indicates whether the writer refers to the life-force of a living being or to the essence of a person that continues after physical death. The soul is an object of both the judgment of God and God’s saving work in both the OT and NT (e.g., Psa 62:1; Mic 6:7; Matt 10:28).

Theological Overview

In the Bible, the soul is the entity that thinks, feels, acts, and desires. At times it is depicted as something that is within the living being (נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, nepeš ḥayyâ; Gen 2:7), but at other times it is the soul (נֶפֶשׁ, nepeš) that goes to the afterlife or Sheol (Psa 16:10). The soul can be connected to God and desire God’s presence (Psa 42:2), but it can also have wicked desires and renounce God (Psa 10:3). The soul can receive deliverance (Psa 17:13; Luke 17:33) but can also receive God’s wrath (Ezek 18:4; Matt 10:28).

In the OT, the soul (נֶפֶשׁ, nepeš) is the vital force in a living being that needs to be sustained, and although it is usually used in reference to the souls of humans, in some places, such as Gen 1–2, it is used in reference to the souls of animals. It is the seat of emotions and desires. In Gen 9:4, the life, or soul (nepeš), of an animal is said to be its blood, and in Gen 2:19, animals are called living souls (nepeš)—i.e., living beings. There are a few passages in the Hebrew OT that may depict the soul after bodily death; one example is Psa 16:10, but the meaning of this passage is debated (see Resurrection). It is significant that, in the book of Acts, Peter applies Psa 16:10 to Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 2:25–28).

In the NT, the soul (ψυχή, psyche) is portrayed in a similar way as in the OT, and is the seat of desire and will (Eph 6:6). It is also the seat of the emotions (Matt 26:38). It may represent the whole personality (Matt 22:37), and it survives death (Acts 2:27; Rev. 6:9). The soul often refers to the whole life of the person (Matt 6:25; Luke 17:33).

Lexical Information

Old Testament

נֶפֶשׁ (nepeš). n. fem. soul, life, living creature, person, desire. The life-force of a person or animal.

This term can represent the interior part of a being, its vital force. This is not limited to humans, but relates to the vital force of living creatures in general. The nepeš is the part of the creature that has to be satisfied in order for life to be sustained, and is the seat of emotions and desires. In Gen 2:7, when God breathed the breath of life into the human that he formed out of clay, the human became a living soul (נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, nepeš ḥayyâ). The same phrase is used to describe animals in Gen 2:19. Numerous times, the term nepeš is used to refer to the self (Psa 22:29), the life in a creature (Gen 9:5), desire (Exod 15:9), and the throat (Isa 5:14). The lines are blurred between the self, the life-force of the creature, and that which yearns to be satisfied.

נָפַשׁ (nāpaš). vb. to be refreshed, take a breath. To be refreshed by rest.

The relationship of the verbal form to the noun is clear. When being refreshed and taking a breath, that which needs to be satisfied for life to be sustained is renewed, along with the self. The verb occurs in Exod 23:12; 31:17 and 2 Sam 16:14; in both instances in Exodus, it refers to being refreshed by Sabbath rest.

New Testament

ψυχή (psyche). n. fem. inner self, life, person. The life-force of a person or animal.

This noun can refer to the inner part of the person that thinks, wills, feels, and desires. Jesus’ soul (psychē) was sorrowful to the point of death in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:38). In English idiom, sometimes a gloss of “heart” may be appropriate, such as in Eph 6:6, where psychē is used in the phrase ἐκ ψυχῆς (ek psyches, “from soul”), commonly translated “with all your heart”—in other words, with complete devotion, energy, and sincerity.

At other times, the term expresses the idea of the whole person (Matt 6:25; Luke 17:33). In Matthew 22:37, it is used in conjunction with other words that are used to describe the total human personality: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul (psychē) and with all your mind.” In some instances, it may refer to the part of the individual that survives death, such as in Acts 2:27 and Rev 6:9.

In some instances, the term may refer to physical life in general, such as in Acts 20:10, Heb 4:12, and 1 Thess 5:23, but the context is such that it may very well conform to the meaning discussed above. It may also refer to persons in general, especially in Acts (e.g., Acts 27:37).

ψυχικός (psychikos). adj. natural, unspiritual. Governed by the soul.

This word occurs rarely and refers to human life in its natural, unspiritual sense, as that which is animated by the soul (psyche). It is contrasted with the spiritual (πνευματικός, pneumatikos), that which is animated by the Holy Spirit (Wright, Resurrection, 282–83). Psychikos describes a state of life out of touch with God. Paul writes that the natural (psychikos) person cannot discern the things of God (1 Cor 2:14). Paul also contrasts the spiritual, resurrected body with the natural (psychikos) body using the same term (1 Cor 15:44, 46). James uses psychikos to describe worldy wisdom (Jas 3:15), and Jude 19 uses it to describe schismatics who have splintered off from the true believers.