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).