What is a “Soul”?

A soul is the life of a breathing being.

The Soul is the Life of a Breathing Being

In the Bible, the word “soul” refers primarily to the life of a breathing being. In the biblical languages, the words for “soul” come from verbs meaning “to breathe”.

In biblical thought, every breathing being has a soul—not only human beings, but also animals. In Genesis 1:30, animals are described as having “life” (KJV, NASB) or the “breath of life” (ESV, NIV). The Hebrew expression is more literally rendered as “living soul”—using the Hebrew word for “soul”, nep̄eš (נֶ֫פֶשׁ).

In Genesis 9:4, God commanded Noah regarding animals, “But you shall not eat the flesh with its life, that is, it’s blood.” In Leviticus 17:11, it is written about animals that “the life of the flesh is in the blood”. In both passages, the Hebrew word for “life” is nep̄eš, “soul”.

Since human beings are breathing beings, the word “soul” can refer to the life of a human being. In Genesis 35:18, it is written about Rachel, “her soul was going out, for she was dying.” In 1 Kings 17:22, it is written about a child, “the soul of the child came back into him, and he came alive.” In both passages, the Hebrew word for “soul”, nep̄eš, refers to the life of a person.

The Soul as a Breathing Being

By extension, the word “soul” can refer to a breathing being itself. For example, animals are called “living creatures” (Gen. 1:20, 21, 24; 9:10 ESV), or more literally, “living souls”—using the Hebrew word nep̄eš, “soul”.

Likewise, since human beings have souls, the word “soul” can refer to a human person himself. In many Bible passages, the Hebrew word for “person” or “people” is actually nep̄eš, “soul” (Gen. 12:5; 17:14; Exod. 1:5; Lev. 7:27).

In Genesis 2:7, when God created the first human being, it is written that God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (KJV). The text does not say that Adam received a soul when he came alive. Rather, it says that Adam became a living soul. In other words, a person does not just have a soul; he is a soul.

Interestingly, the word “soul” can also refer to the dead body of a breathing being. In several Bible passages, the Hebrew word for “dead person” or “dead body” is actually nep̄eš, “soul” (Lev. 21:1; Num. 6:6; 19:13). This shows that a person’s body is essential to his being. Thus, a human being is not really just an immaterial “soul” that is contained inside of a body.

The Soul and Death

Because the word “soul” can refer to a human person, it can be said that a person’s soul dies when he himself dies. In Ezekiel 18:4, God said, “All souls are mine. The soul of the father and the soul of the son are mine. The soul that sins shall die.”

In 1 Kings 19:4 and Jonah 4:8, it is written that the prophets Elijah and Jonah each “asked that he might die” (ESV). In both passages, the Hebrew text more literally says, “he asked for his soul to die”—using the Hebrew word for “soul”, nep̄eš.