בְּ/נֶ֣פֶשׁ
𐤁/𐤍𐤐𐤔
nephesh
to the soul of
The animate self; a living being with breath; the seat of life or vitality in animals and humans. In the Hebrew Bible, 'nephesh' refers to living creatures, the essential self or person, appetite, desire, and occasionally the seat of emotions or consciousness. It can indicate the life that animates a body, a specific individual, or one's being in a holistic sense. Unlike later concepts of an immortal soul distinct from the body, 'nephesh' primarily expresses the living, breathing person or animal, often rendered as 'life', 'person', or 'being.'
1 Samuel 18:1 · Word #9
Lexicon H5315
| Lemma | נֶפֶשׁ |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤍𐤐𐤔 |
| Transliteration | nephesh |
| Strong's | H5315 |
| Definition | The animate self; a living being with breath; the seat of life or vitality in animals and humans. In the Hebrew Bible, 'nephesh' refers to living creatures, the essential self or person, appetite, desire, and occasionally the seat of emotions or consciousness. It can indicate the life that animates a body, a specific individual, or one's being in a holistic sense. Unlike later concepts of an immortal soul distinct from the body, 'nephesh' primarily expresses the living, breathing person or animal, often rendered as 'life', 'person', or 'being.' |
Morphology HR/Ncbsc
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | b — Both — Both (masculine and feminine) |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | c — Construct — The noun is bound to the following word |
Common Translation
| Phrase | to the soul of |
SIBI-P1 Translation H5315-08
in a living being
| Morphological Notes | Preposition בְּ + common noun, singular, construct state; no pronominal suffix. |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun נֶפֶשׁ denotes a breathing, animate self or living being. The prefixed בְּ preposition is rendered "in," and the singular construct form is preserved with the singular "being." |
View full lexicon entry for H5315 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
to the soul of
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Replaced with 'to the soul of'; 'in a living being' is incorrect in context—here, it describes to whom the soul of Yehonatan was knit (David's soul), reflecting relationship and direction. |