כְּ/נֶ֧פֶשׁ
𐤊/𐤍𐤐𐤔
nephesh
as the soul
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.'
Ezekiel 18:4 · 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 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 | as the soul |
SIBI-P1 Translation H5315-14
as a breathing being
| Morphological Notes | Common noun, singular absolute, with prefixed preposition כְּ (“as/like”). |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun נֶפֶשׁ denotes a living, breathing being rooted in the idea of breath and vitality. The prefixed כְּ is preserved as "as," and the singular absolute form is rendered with a singular English expression. |
View full lexicon entry for H5315 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
as a life
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Standardized from "as a living being". Hebrew כְּנֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is best rendered consistently as “as a life” (or “as a soul”) here. The context — God claiming the life/soul of father and son and then saying the soul who sins shall die — does not require the less literal “living being.” For consistency and accuracy, change to the standard “as a life.” |