נֶ֖פֶשׁ
𐤍𐤐𐤔
nephesh
life
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.'
Deuteronomy 24:6 · Word #6
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 HNcbsa
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 | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
Common Translation
| Phrase | life |
SIBI-P1 Translation H5315-46
breathing being
| Morphological Notes | Common noun, singular, absolute state; grammatically feminine but used for any gender. |
| Rendering Rationale | "Breathing being" reflects the root sense of that which breathes and thus lives, preserving the singular absolute noun form without importing later dualistic ideas of an immaterial soul. |
View full lexicon entry for H5315 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
life
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | 'Life' is the most contextually appropriate translation for 'נפש' here, referring to a person's life and livelihood, matching the common meaning and the reason the pledge is prohibited. Replaced 'breathing being' with 'life'. |