וְ/נֶ֗פֶשׁ
𐤅/𐤍𐤐𐤔
nephesh
And when a person
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.'
Leviticus 2:1 · Word #1
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 HC/Ncbsa
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 | And when a person |
SIBI-P1 Translation H5315-62
living being
| Morphological Notes | Noun, common gender, singular, absolute state. |
| Rendering Rationale | "Nephesh" derives from the root meaning "to breathe," denoting that which breathes and thus lives. As a singular absolute common noun, it is rendered as "living being," preserving both its vitality-centered root sense and its singular form. |
View full lexicon entry for H5315 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
and life
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | Standardized from "living being". Hebrew nefesh here functions as “soul/person/life” (the person will be cut off). The standard rendering “and life” accurately reflects the sense and is consistent with other occurrences. “Living being” is a literal alternative but not required by the context and would break consistency. |