וְ/נֶ֥פֶשׁ
𐤅/𐤍𐤐𐤔
nephesh
and souls
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.'
1 Chronicles 5:21 · Word #12
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/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 | and souls |
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 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Standardized from "and living beings". The Hebrew word here is the same lexical form (nefesh) normally rendered by the chosen standard as “and life” (i.e. lives/persons). The context is a list of spoil and does not require a special, nonstandard English phrase like “living beings of mankind.” Using the standard “and life” preserves consistency and accurately conveys the meaning (people/lives) without introducing redundant wording. |