נָ֑פֶשׁ
𐤍𐤐𐤔
nephesh
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.'
Numbers 30:14 · Word #7
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 | soul |
SIBI-P1 Translation H5315-30
breathing being
| Morphological Notes | Noun, common gender, singular, absolute state. |
| Rendering Rationale | "Breathing being" preserves the root sense of that which breathes (נפשׁ) and reflects the singular absolute noun referring to a living, animate self rather than an abstract immortal soul. |
View full lexicon entry for H5315 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
life
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Standardized from "soul". The Hebrew word here is the common nephesh, for which the SIBI standard rendering is “life.” The verse is describing loss/devastation of persons/lives, not a distinct theological ‘soul’ usage that would require a different word. Therefore the standard “life” is appropriate and should be used for consistency. |