וּ/נְשָׁמָ֖ה
𐤅/𐤍𐤔𐤌𐤄
nᵉshâmâh
and-breath
Breath; specifically, the act or process of breathing as the marker of animate life. In extension, living being; in specialized contexts, often denotes vital breath—what distinguishes the living from the dead. In poetical and some prose texts, may refer to (human or animal) life-force, distinguishing the living from inanimate matter. Can figuratively denote the living creature itself, understood as one possessing breath; rarely used to represent conscious intellect. In some contexts, particularly in later or poetic passages, used to express the idea of the animating force or capacity for life, occasionally with implications of divine bestowal of life.
Daniel 10:17 · Word #16
Lexicon H5397
| Lemma | נְשָׁמָה |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤍𐤔𐤌𐤄 |
| Transliteration | nᵉshâmâh |
| Strong's | H5397 |
| Definition | Breath; specifically, the act or process of breathing as the marker of animate life. In extension, living being; in specialized contexts, often denotes vital breath—what distinguishes the living from the dead. In poetical and some prose texts, may refer to (human or animal) life-force, distinguishing the living from inanimate matter. Can figuratively denote the living creature itself, understood as one possessing breath; rarely used to represent conscious intellect. In some contexts, particularly in later or poetic passages, used to express the idea of the animating force or capacity for life, occasionally with implications of divine bestowal of life. |
Morphology HC/Ncfsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | f — Feminine — Feminine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
Common Translation
| Phrase | and-breath |
SIBI-P1 Translation H5397-06
and life-breath
| Morphological Notes | Conjunction וּ + feminine singular absolute noun. |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun נְשָׁמָה derives from the root נשם (“to breathe”) and denotes the breath that marks animate life. The prefixed וּ adds "and," and the feminine singular absolute form is reflected in the singular rendering "life-breath." |
View full lexicon entry for H5397 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
and breath
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Simplified 'and life-breath' to 'and breath' as the context refers to absence of basic vitality, not poetic nuance; matches regular biblical usage. |