נַפְשָׁ֗/ם
𐤍𐤐𐤔/𐤌
nephesh
their 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.'
Jeremiah 49:37 · Word #8
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 HNcbsc/Sp3mp
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 | their lives |
SIBI-P1 Translation H5315-32
their living-self
| Morphological Notes | Noun common singular construct + 3rd person masculine plural pronominal suffix |
| Rendering Rationale | "Nephesh" denotes the animate, breathing self—the life or person as a whole being. The construct singular with a 3rd masculine plural suffix is reflected by the singular noun with the possessive "their." |
View full lexicon entry for H5315 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
their living-self
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Standardized from "their lives". The Hebrew phrase literally means they stood to defend their lives (נַפְשׁוֹתֵיהֶם). The standard SIBI rendering for this lexical form is “their living-self,” which conveys the same idea and should be used for consistency; the present “their lives” is not required by the context and can be standardized. |