בְּ/נֶ֤פֶשׁ
𐤁/𐤍𐤐𐤔
nephesh
with lives
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 27:13 · 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 | with lives |
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)
with living beings
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | The phrase 'בְּנֶפֶשׁ אָדָם' together indicates 'with human lives' (i.e., as slaves), so 'with living beings' reflects the sense of living persons in the context of trade. The preposition 'בְּ-' is best rendered 'with' in this transactional context. |